Key Area 1: 'The Learning Environment'
Improving the Learning Environment and Raising the profile of PE through Effective Subject Management
Launch of the Cyfarthfa Development Centre
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January 2004 saw the official launch of the Cyfarthfa Development Centre with a festival held at the High School. The launch involved all partner school children for an afternoon working with the sixth form Dragon sports leaders. The leaders planned an exciting programme of events for the children with sports including gymnastics, football, hockey, tag rugby, tennis and netball. The Cyfarthfa students were a shining example to the younger pupils in displaying a very professional and fun approach to their work. |
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Picture: The Sports Leaders at Cyfarthfa High School 2003 |
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| The children had a great experience visiting and getting to know their future secondary school and meeting its PE staff and headteacher. |
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Picture: Leading games activities with partnership school children
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Launch of the Afon Taf Development Centre
The Afon Taf Development Centre became operational in January 2005. The Centre hosted a gymnastics display which included children from key stage 1 to Alevel physical education students.
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Picture shows pupils displaying their gymnastic skills |
| Pupils flying high in the Afon Taf launch |
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Logo competition
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The launch of the DC's also included the announcemenst of the winners of the ‘design a logo’ competition. Schools were asked to design a logo so that they can be easily identified from others. Many children entered and had excellent ideas on what PE and school sport means to them.
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Winners of the logo competitions were from Greenfield Special School (above) and Edwardsville Primary (left). |
A termly newsletter has been put together by the PESS Coordinator to celebrate the success of the development centre and to update schools, pupils, teachers, Governors and friends on the DC's progress.
All issues of the newsletters are available:
Raising the profile of physical education within schools was a major area of improvement for the first year. Schools have achieved this by updating school display by making it meaningful and interactive such as this picture of a gymnastics display at Caedraw Primary School which complements the gymnastics scheme of work from year 1-6.
Subject coordinators have worked to organise PE equipment and resources into easily managed boxes with labels and colour coding. This should make transition between activities easier during lessons with pupils taking more ownership of getting out and putting away school equipment.
Heolgerrig Primary School used the learning environment as an effective dissemination tool to inform all school staff about the 4 part lesson (see teaching and learning). Pupils work, photographs and information is displayed in the PE teaching area to remind staff and pupils of good practice during their lessons.
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Heolgerrig Primary School dissemination of the 4 phases of the lesson |
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Pupils work showing understanding of the foundation shapes in gymnastics |
Subject Management
A PE policy and handbook for early years pupils, key stages one and two has been produced to assist co-ordinators in the organisation of the subject. The handbook can assist PE subject leaders in the management of their subject with policy statements and worksheets, checklists and guidance on good practice. The handbook was administered electronically so that individual schools could personalise it as they so wished as well as a hard copy for reference.
Cyfarthfa PE Coordinator Handbook.pdf