What Makes a Good PE Scheme of Work?

Why Choosing the Right PE Scheme of Work Matters

In primary schools, PE is more than just keeping children physically active; it’s about building coordination, confidence, teamwork, and a lifelong love of movement. But with increasing curriculum demands and overburdened planning time, many schools face the challenge of delivering cohesive, high-quality PE lessons across all year groups.

That’s where a structured, progressive PE scheme of work for primary education becomes necessary, and Ofsted approves of schools using pre-written schemes to support teachers’ planning.

Choosing the right PE schemes of work can empower primary school teachers with the deeper knowledge, resources, and confidence they need to deliver outstanding lessons. But with so many options available, from free downloads to premium planning tools, how do you know what’s worth your school’s investment?

At The PE Hub, we work closely with schools across the UK and internationally to develop and refine our curriculum. Our goal is simple: to provide a complete, easy-to-use PE planning scheme that supports every teacher and engages every child.

This buyer’s guide will take you through what to look for in a quality PE scheme and questions to ask before choosing a PE scheme for your school.

Whether you're exploring a planning solution for the first time, looking to upgrade from a free PE scheme of work, or switching from another provider such as Get Set 4 PE, this guide will help you make the right decision for your pupils, staff and school.

What Makes a Good PE Scheme of Work?

Not all PE schemes of work are created equal. A well-designed scheme should deliver more than a collection of lesson plans; it should support teacher confidence, ensure curriculum coverage, and help pupils make measurable progress from EYFS through to Year 6.

Here are the key features to look for when selecting a PE scheme of work for primary schools:

1. Curriculum Alignment

A good scheme will be fully aligned with the National Curriculum, ensuring children develop competence in key areas: agility, balance, coordination, competition, and cooperation while promoting physical confidence, active lifestyles, and character development.

The PE Hub ensures complete curriculum coverage, with learning outcomes clearly mapped across key stages and year groups.

2. Progression Built In

Every unit should build on prior learning. Children should revisit and refine skills as they move through school, while being introduced to new knowledge and challenges appropriate to their stage.

The PE Hub provides year-by-year progression for all activity areas, from gymnastics and invasion games to dance and OAA, ensuring teachers know precisely what to teach and when. Schools should aim for a broad and balanced curriculum, so having plenty of activities to choose from is essential.

3. Support for Teachers

During initial teacher training, there is not as much emphasis on physical education as on other subjects, which can lead to a lack of confidence in some teachers. However, with a good scheme, teachers can tailor their existing knowledge and skills to deliver great lessons easily. Clarity and support in a scheme are essential. Look for:

• Clear learning objectives
• Progressive lesson plans
• Visual aids, audio and videos
• Progress-based assessment

The PE Hub offers an extensive range of lesson plans, downloadable resource cards, knowledge cards, progression documents, and tips for differentiation, giving all teachers the tools they need to feel confident in their delivery.

4. Assessment and Reflection

High-quality PE planning schemes will include tools to assess pupil progress and help teachers demonstrate this progress. These can range from simple checklists to more sophisticated assessment frameworks.

With The PE Hub, schools gain access to a fully flexible assessment tool designed for all teaching units, as well as a bespoke option for schools that offer activities not in The PE Hub scheme. For example, if you have a specialist Judo coach for a term, you can create and add criteria for this to a bespoke assessment. This means all your PE assessment and progress data can be kept in one place.

5. Inclusive and Adaptive

Every child should achieve success in PE. That means schemes need to offer suggestions for adapting activities to suit different needs and abilities.

Our lesson plans include specific tips on modifying tasks or activities for mixed abilities, challenging higher attainers, and ensuring that all pupils achieve the lesson outcomes.  Teachers can also use the STEP principle to support differentiation in PE lessons.

5 Questions to Ask Before You Buy a PE Scheme of Work

With so many PE planning schemes available, from detailed paid subscriptions to free PE schemes of work, how do you know which one is right for your school?  Deciding on a scheme will most likely be a joint decision between the PE Leader and someone from SLT. Below we have five practical, decision-shaping questions to ask when choosing your scheme:

1. What does PE currently look like in our school, and where are the gaps?

Before making a purchase, look at where you are now as a school with your PE provision. Do your teachers lack knowledge of certain activities? Is progression between year groups unclear? Are pupils engaged but not challenged? Understanding your priorities helps you choose a scheme that addresses your needs, rather than just ticking boxes.

2. Will this scheme work for our staff?

Does it suit both experienced and new teachers, as well as Higher Level Teaching Assistants? Are the plans easy to follow and quick to prepare? Is there enough flexibility to adapt lessons for mixed-ability, split year groups or longer or shorter half terms?

Some schemes look good on paper but are difficult to deliver or require an expensive wrap-around CPD package from the provider. At The PE Hub, we design with every teacher in mind, keeping plans comprehensive yet straightforward.

3. Does the scheme align with our school’s values and priorities?

Whether your focus is inclusion, physical literacy, competitive sport, or range of activities, your chosen scheme should align with your broader school vision. Ask: Does this scheme support the kind of culture we want to foster around physical education?  Consider the intent behind your curriculum and which scheme might best help you implement it.

4. Can we track and show progress in a way that works for us?

How will teachers know pupils are improving? How easy is it to assess without it being overly burdensome for staff? Some schemes offer complex tracking systems, while others leave it entirely to the teacher.

The PE Hub strikes a balance, offering a simple and flexible digital assessment tool that helps schools demonstrate progress without adding unnecessary paperwork.  Our assessment and reporting tools can give pupil progress data in a matter of moments.

5. What happens after we subscribe?

Once you have chosen your scheme, are there ongoing content updates, responsive support, and software upgrades? Or will you be left with a static set of Excel and PDF files and no way to evolve?

A quality scheme should support your school, not merely provide a one-time set of lesson plans and resources. The PE Hub consistently updates content, addresses user feedback, and adds value to the user’s experience through software upgrades.

Selecting the appropriate PE scheme of work for primary schools is a crucial step in delivering high-quality, aspirational, and progressive PE across all year groups. We hope this guide helps you make an informed choice, whether you're exploring paid for PE planning schemes or trialling free PE schemes of work.