Physical Education

Intent

At Educate U, our aim is to create a therapeutic, trauma-informed PE curriculum that promotes personal growth, emotional well-being, and social development. Our curriculum is deeply connected to the SMSC (Spiritual, Moral, Social, and Cultural) framework, fostering self-awareness, empathy, respect, and teamwork. We provide an inclusive and supportive learning environment where students can explore physical activity, develop resilience, and build healthy relationships.

Educate U’s PE program prioritizes the development of fundamental life skills, resilience, and reflective thinking. We encourage students to enjoy physical education and physical activity while nurturing a positive growth mindset. By encouraging determination, teamwork, and sportsmanship, we guide students toward making healthy, active lifestyle choices.

The values of fairness, equality, and cooperation are embedded into the curriculum, teaching students the benefits of working collaboratively and celebrating each other’s achievements. We aim to instil a lasting love for physical activity, ensuring students gain the skills to continue living healthily beyond their time at Educate U.

Our curriculum aims to develop students' physical competence, confidence and understanding across a broad range of physical activities. Students progressively develop fundamental movement skills, coordination, balance, agility, tactical awareness and an understanding of how physical activity contributes to health and fitness.

Implementation

Our PE curriculum is carefully designed to meet the diverse needs of our learners through adaptive, inclusive practices. It is delivered progressively, from Key Stage 2 (KS2) to Key Stage 4 (KS4), offering a wide range of activities such as striking and fielding games, invasion games, fitness circuits, outdoor adventurous activities, net and racket games, and athletics. These activities foster self-esteem, teamwork, leadership skills, and physical well-being, helping students reach their full potential.

The PE curriculum at Educate U is planned using Oak National Academy curriculum resources, providing a structured and progressive approach to developing physical knowledge, skills and understanding across KS2, KS3 and KS4.

Teachers adapt the curriculum to meet the diverse needs of our students, taking account of individual starting points, SEND profiles, emotional readiness and prior experiences of physical education. This ensures that learning remains accessible, appropriately challenging and meaningful, whilst maintaining a clear focus on progression in PE.

Opportunities to revisit and consolidate learning are embedded throughout the curriculum, recognising that some students require additional time, repetition and support to develop confidence and secure new skills.

Key aspects of our implementation include:

Adaptive Practice:

Students who find PE challenging are supported to access meaningful learning for example, we carefully manage student numbers to make the session accessible for our anxious learners. In November 2026, we added an additional Secondary PE session to allow us to split the groups into smaller numbers. We also use predictable routines such as a fun warm-up at the start of each session, visual instructions, supported transitions, alternative ways to demonstrate skills and gradual participation in group activities. However, our adaptations maintain appropriate challenge and high expectations, rather than simply reducing the demands of activities.

Adaptive Teaching: Activities are adapted to ensure all students can participate. For example, in striking and fielding games, students may choose between different types of equipment (soft, medium, hard balls) to suit their ability and comfort level.

Flexible Groupings: Groupings are made based on skill or emotional readiness, ensuring students who need more support are paired with peers who can guide and encourage them.

Task Modifications: For students with sensory sensitivities, we provide quieter areas or adjust the use of equipment during activities like fitness circuits and net games. This trauma-informed approach ensures that all students feel safe and supported.

Personalized Feedback: Teachers provide individualized feedback, helping students reflect on their progress. For example, in athletics, students set personal targets, which fosters motivation and resilience.

1. Therapeutic and Trauma-Informed Strategies:

We embed therapeutic practices throughout our curriculum, offering a safe space where students can engage in physical activity at their own pace. Social-emotional learning principles are integrated into PE lessons to promote self-regulation, reflection, and positive social interactions.

Staff are trained to understand trauma-related behaviours and provide emotional support during PE lessons, ensuring students feel understood and cared for.

2. Engagement with Local Facilities:

We introduce students to local parks, gyms, and leisure centres to extend their learning beyond school, promoting independent use of community resources for maintaining physical and mental well-being.

3. Progressive Curriculum:

Students build on their knowledge and skills from KS2 to KS4. The curriculum evolves as they move through each key stage, ensuring physical, emotional, and social competencies grow in line with their individual needs.

4. SMSC Integration:

Spiritual Development: Activities like outdoor adventurous activities (OAA) help students connect with nature and develop a sense of appreciation for their environment.

Moral Development: Ethical behaviour, respect, and fair play are consistently reinforced through discussions on rules, sportsmanship, and collaboration in competitive games.

Social Development: Emphasis on communication, teamwork, and cooperation is fostered through invasion games, helping students negotiate roles and learn mutual respect.

Cultural Development: Exposure to diverse sports enhances students’ cultural awareness, teaching them to appreciate and respect traditions from around the world.

PE Curriculum Sequential Pathways:

The PE curriculum at Educate U is designed to support students' physical, social, and emotional development through a structured, trauma-informed progression from KS2 to KS4. At KS2, students focus on fundamental movement skills, teamwork, and confidence-building in a supportive environment. As they move into KS3, they build on these foundations with more advanced problem-solving, leadership, and resilience-based activities. By the end of KS3 going into KS4, the emphasis shifts towards independence, self-regulation, and lifelong well-being, encouraging students to apply their skills in real-world settings, such as local leisure centres and out in the Community. This approach ensures that all students develop not only physical competence but also emotional intelligence, confidence, and a lasting commitment to an active, healthy lifestyle.

Impact

As students progress through the PE curriculum, they demonstrate enhanced physical skills, emotional intelligence, and social competence. By the end of KS4, our aim is for students to have developed the physical skills, knowledge and confidence needed to engage in a range of physical activities, relative to their individual starting points. Students will have an increased understanding of the importance of physical activity for maintaining physical and mental wellbeing and will be better equipped to make informed choices about leading healthy, active lifestyles. Progress is evaluated through ongoing assessment, practical observations, student feedback and evidence of developing knowledge, skills and independence. Success is recognised through individual progress, including improvements in physical competence, participation, confidence, resilience and the ability to work positively with others.

Key outcomes include:

1. Physical and Emotional Well-Being:

Students gain a comprehensive understanding of health and fitness, making informed choices about their physical well-being. They recognize the importance of maintaining an active lifestyle and enjoy the benefits of regular physical activity.

2. Development of Social and Emotional Skills:

Through teamwork, leadership opportunities, and inclusive participation, students develop empathy, cooperation, and conflict-resolution skills. These social competencies prepare them for positive relationships beyond school.

3. Curiosity, Courage, and Resilience:

As students transition through the key stages, we work towards them developing a spirit of exploration and resilience. The curriculum encourages them to explore new sports and activities, developing confidence to approach new challenges at an appropriate pace and nurturing perseverance.

4. Long-Term Impact:

Educate U’s PE curriculum is designed to nurture a lasting passion for sports and physical activity. The skills and values students acquire contribute meaningfully to their overall well-being, with the hope that they foster lifelong habits of health and activity.

Students also emerge as confident, resilient, and empathetic individuals who value teamwork, fair play, and personal growth, qualities that will serve them throughout their lives.