The Physical Education curriculum at primary level consists of six strands. These strands are:
The children have 60 minutes of timetabled PE time each week (40mins indoor and 20mins outdoor) In Scoil Bhríde we have a standardised yearly PE timetable to ensure we teach a different strand each month.
P.E Yearly Plan
In Scoil Bhríde the teachers teach the same strand at the same time. A different strand is taught each month so that each class gets a balanced amount of time for each strand. Children in Scoil Bhríde access the Aquatics strand in 3rd class.
Curriculum Development
As part of the Active School Flag process we prioritise a strand for further development each year.
So far we have developed Dance and Outdoor and Adventure Activities.
To develop the strand of Dance over the last two years we have been fortunate to have some teachers share their dancing skills. These teachers have worked with all the teachers and classes in the school to teach some Irish dances. This means that the whole school now know some traditional Irish dances like, ‘The Walls of Limerick’, ‘An Ciorcal Mór’ and ‘An Dreoilín’. Click here to see some photos.
To develop the Outdoor and Adventure strand we have developed a bank of resources that are available to all classes. These resources are stored in the P.E hall. Our senior classes also developed an orienteering trail around the school. Last year to further promote this strand we dedicated a whole day to it during our Active Week.
Fundamental Movement Skills (F.M.S)
The Fundamental Movement Skills are the ‘basics’ of movement that we all need to take part in any form of physical activity. In Scoil Bhride we are currently reviewing our PE Policy and planning to include the FMS as an integral part of our PE lessons. We make use of the three ‘Move Well, Move Often’ books to aid our planning and delivery of the F.M.S. For more information on the F.M.S click the link below.
P.E. Equipment
We are very fortunate to have a varied range of PE equipment to aid our delivery of the Physical Education curriculum. Each year we do an audit of the equipment to remove or replace broken or damaged equipment.
The storeroom is clearly labelled to ensure equipment is cared for and returned to its correct place. Our Active School Flag committee also tidy the store room every Friday to ensure all equipment has been returned and stored correctly.
P.E. Homework
Scoil Bhríde has also been promoting Physical Education beyond the classroom by assigning physical activity for homework on P.E days. This means that on the day the children have PE, they will also have ‘PE homework’. We also make use of the Super Trooper booklets which have enjoyable activities for all the family to try.
Land Paws
As part of the aquatics strand delivered in third class, the teachers also deliver a land based safety programme in the classroom called Land Paws. PAWS outlines life-saving guidelines for children of every age and teaches how to be safe around water in homes, farms, pools, beaches and on our waterways.