Physical Education and Sport at AFMS
(including Primary PE & Sport Premium funding)
“Partnerships with local schools are very strong and enhance pupils’ creative and sporting skills and development. The primary sports funding is used very effectively to develop staff expertise, employ external coaches to deliver programmes and widen pupils’ participation in physical activities, leading to better fitness.” - Ofsted
Aston Field’s Physical Education department is a strong and successful department which understands the value that sport and exercise plays in the lives of our pupils. On site we have a gymnasium, hall and large playing fields to cater for games, OAA and athletics programmes.
We have achieved the Sport England Sportsmark award since 2002, the FA Chartermark development award since 2006 and Healthy Schools Status since 2007 demonstrating the level of commitment we have to the development of physical education. One of our former pupils competed in the London 2012 Olympic Games.
Work within the Physical Education Department is designed to support and contribute to the aims of the school by providing appropriate challenges that allow pupils to develop physically, socially and intellectually. The curriculum is designed to make pupils more aware of their own capabilities and those of their peers through active involvement as planners, performers, observers and assessors.
Staff and trained coaches offer many opportunities in an exceptionally wide range of extra-curricular activities to which pupils of all abilities are invited. These include netball, soccer, rugby, hockey, tennis, cricket, gymnastics, cross-country, athletics, rounders, badminton, zumba, volleyball and basketball to name a few. As a result our school teams regularly compete and enjoy success in local district, County and National competitions.
We have used, and continue to use, the Primary PE & Sport Premium to enhance provision in the following ways:
- Buying quality-assured professional development modules and material/equipment for PE/sport
- Providing existing staff with on-going professional development opportunties and resources to help them teach PE/sport more effectively
- Providing new or additional Change4Life sport clubs, for example golf, zumba, lacrosse & basketball
- Running and/or attending extra sport competitions, trips and increasing participation in school games (participation rates at our school are very high, currently 87% having increased from 70% in the past five years). Establishing wider community links and events with sports, including providing a sporting opportunity for pupils on Wednesday afternoons, often with other schools in liaison with the local district and County 'agreement', for the academic year organised by the school's Sports Games Organiser (also funded by this grant)
- Providing places for pupils who find themselves disadvantaged, on school sports clubs/trips
The school's Primary PE and Sport Strategy can be found here.
Impact and Sustainability
Primary PE/Sports funding enables the school to continue to provide outstanding PE/Sport opportunities for pupils and to increase and maintain incredibly high participation rates in PE activities, including extra-curricular (currently 87%), enhancing the already outstanding provision where possible eg. golf, zumba, lacrosse & basketball are all recent additions to our extra-curricular clubs, as is the fitness/boot camp. The PE curriculum has been enhanced by the purchase of new PE equipment as well as new Professional Development opportunities being provided for staff which ensure all improvements are sustainable and continue to impact positively on the progress and attainment of pupils, for example AFMS is the only state funded school to currently participate in national lacrosse events. The PE curriculum is more inclusive as a result of these improvements and PE continues to be a real strength of the school. The school continues to have huge success in competitive sporting events as well as providing opportunties for all pupils to take part in a wide range of sports including alternative sports, such as boccia and wheelchair basketball. The effect of the PE & Sport Premium on pupils has been, and remains, to increase participation in sport as well as improving pupils' awareness of how to live a fit and healthy life. The wider opportunities available to pupils as a result of the school's use of this funding has also helped improve pupils' achievement in PE as the progress pupils make in PE at this school, and their attainment, is outstanding. The Executive Leader/Headteacher/National Leader of Education and Governing Body review the impact of this spending on a regular basis to ensure the improvements made are sustainable over time and value for money is being achieved.
For more information on PE/Sport, see also the section on this website entitled ‘Extra-Curricular’. If you would like to discuss PE/Sport at AFMS, please contact Mr Molesworth, Director of PE, via the school office.
Mr G Wigley is the Governor link representative for P.E and sport funding.
The Primary PE & Sport Premium for AFMS is £16,000 per annum plus £10.00 per pupil for the academic year 2022-2023.
The Governing Body
September 2022