Halloween PE Games

We have 5 exciting Halloween games to share  – we hope you enjoy using them!

  1. Football Tricks or Treat – see our fun video below!
  2. Pumpkin Push – PE starter activity.
  3. Scorpions and Spiders.
  4. Halloween Actions – No tricks, just treats!
  5. Cauldron Counting – Print off the PDF and count how many ingredients you can find in the Witch’s cauldron.

Pumpkin Push

How to play

  1. Each pupil in the class requires a pumpkin, this could be any type of ball such as netball or football
  2. The players must roll the pumpkin around the playing area and try to avoid being tagged by the 2 Wizards
  3. Two pupils are the tagging Wizards
  4. If a player is tagged they turn into a Witch at which point they pick up their ball hold it to their chest and ‘fly’ around the playing area twice.  Once they have done this they can rejoin the game
  5. Change Wizards regularly

Extensions/Adaptations

Scorpions and Spiders

Choose 3 or 4 pupils to be scorpions and the rest of the class are spiders.  All children move around the playing area on all fours.  When a scorpion tags a spider, the spider must lie on their back with their arms and legs in the air.

A spider can release another spider by pushing their arm or leg to the ground.

Extensions/Adaptations

Halloween Actions Poster

There are no tricks here at The PE Hub, only treats! Here are some Halloween-inspired activities for you and your classes – print out and share in your PE lessons!

Witch’s Cauldron

Select the picture below to download the Witch’s Cauldron I Spy game,  How many potion ingredients can you find?

Halloween PE Games

This week has been a scorcher, and we’re sure there’ll be plenty more to come over the summer! Whilst we still encourage activity over the hotter months, it’s important to bear a few important considerations when teaching safe PE in the heat.

PE and after-school clubs in the spring and summer terms are eagerly anticipated by many teachers and pupils. However, spending extended periods outdoors requires taking precautions to ensure safety.

#1 Hydrate before, during and after exercise

Drinking plenty of fluids is absolutely key for exercising in hot weather. Not only keeping children hydrated but also helping to keep body temperature down. Make sure you actively encourage this throughout and also factor a number of water breaks into your sessions.

#2 Wear light materials

It’s important to consider lightness in two ways when dressing children. Firstly, lightweight and breathable materials should be chosen to avoid unnecessary weight and layers. Secondly, light-colored clothing is preferable as it reflects heat more efficiently compared to darker materials that absorb it.

#3 Avoid intense sunlight if possible

It’s safest to avoid activities in the hottest part of the day when the sun is at its peak. If PE lessons could be held indoors in a well ventilated environment this would be recommended. If they are to take place outside, then using a shaded area, or an area with a cooler surface (i.e. grass as opposed to tarmac) would be safer.

#4 Use skin protection

If activities are to take place outdoors then make sure that all of your group are well protected against the sun and its UV rays. This means encouraging the use of sunscreen (making sure to reapply at least every two hours) sunglasses and caps. As caps can raise body temperature, these can be soaked in cool water beforehand.

#5 Reduce the intensity of activities

When it’s hot outside, certain activities can be more challenging on the body. High-energy activities that involve a lot of running or movement can cause more stress and lead to faster increases in body temperature. To stay safe and comfortable, we suggest opting for less intense activities that incorporate frequent breaks, such as cricket or rounders. For younger age groups, throwing and catching games can also be a great option.

#6 Recognise the signs of heat exhaustion

It is crucial to remain vigilant, even if you have taken all necessary measures, as certain children may have varying reactions to hot weather. Keep a lookout for indicators of heat exhaustion and respond swiftly if any are observed. These are:

If you recognise one or more of the signs of heat exhaustion, act quickly and move the child to a cooler, ideally air-conditioned place. Make sure they drink water if they can and use a cold compress to bring their body temperature down. If symptoms worsen, then seek immediate professional medical attention as untreated heat stroke can be deadly.

We encourage you to continue teaching PE outdoors during warmer weather as children eagerly await the opportunity to run and play on the field. It’s important to bring hats, drinks, and suncream for protection. Additionally, consider asking parents and caregivers to apply suncream before school and provide a top-up if needed. If you plan on organizing a sports day, ensure there are shaded areas available for resting and limit time spent outdoors on extremely hot days.

Thanks for reading, we hope you’ve found these points useful! Keep safe and enjoy! If you want to know more about what we do at The PE Hub complete the form below and get in touch! #movingPEforward

What is the Primary PE and Sport Premium?

The Primary PE and Sport Premium is a government initiative that aims to improve the quality of physical education (PE) and sport in primary schools in England.  The initiative was introduced in 2013, and since then, schools have received significant additional funding to help them enhance their PE and sports provision.

How is the Primary PE and Sport Premium used?

Schools have a lot of flexibility regarding how they use the Primary PE and Sport Premium, but the funding is intended to be used to improve the quality of PE.  Schools are encouraged to use the budget to best suit their needs, but they are expected to report on how they have used the funding and the impact it has had on their pupils.

What impact has the Primary PE and Sport Premium had?

There is evidence to suggest that the Primary PE and Sport Premium has had a positive impact on schools and pupils.  According to a report by the Education Policy Institute (EPI) published in 2019, the initiative has helped to increase the proportion of physically active pupils.  It has led to improvements in the quality of PE teaching in schools.

The report found that the proportion of pupils who are physically active for at least 60 minutes a day has increased, with the most significant increases seen in the most deprived schools.  In addition, the report found that there had been significant improvements in the quality of PE teaching, with schools reporting that they had been able to provide more opportunities for pupils to take part in competitive sport and improve their skills.

Ongoing funding from 2023 and beyond

Over £600 million across the next two academic years (2023-24 & 2024-25) for the continuane of the Primary PE and Sport Premium – a funding promise to improve PE and sports in primary schools to help children benefit from regular participation in physical activity.  This is part of the Government’s new objective for equal access to sports for all children in England.

Equal access to sports

In early March 2023, the Government set new standards for equal access to sport.  The complete package is set to include

19 – 25 June 2022

What is National School Sport Week?

National School Sport Week was established in 2008 by The Youth Sports trust.  YST’s theme for this year is Belonging – a place in sport for every child. With the increase in inequalities since the start of the pandemic, helping children feel more included in sport is important.  This year all schools are being encouraged to get their pupils involved in sporting activities throughout National School Sport Week.

Why your school should take part in National School Sport Week

With all the pressures on schools to teach a deep and diverse curriculum, taking part in sports and physical activity can sometimes slip down the list of priorities.  However, almost everyone knows the benefits participating in PE and sport has on children’s physical development, self-esteem, resilience, and mental health.  National School Sport Week gives you a chance to share exciting opportunities for your pupils who have missed out on so much these past 2 years.

How to get involved in National School Sport Week

The best way to get involved in NSSW is to register your school on the YST website.  The sooner you register the more time you have to plan what you will do and use the guidance that YST provide for all participants.

When is National School Sport Week?

National School Sport Week takes place between 19th and 25th June 2022 and has been running every year since 2008.  Even in 2020 YST held a virtual National School Sports week.  The summer months are ideal for a whole school week of activity so plan as many of your events outdoors to make most of the weather!

Ideas for National School Sport Week

National School Sport Week is a fantastic opportunity to bring your school together to take part in fun, and if desired, competitive activities.  It might be worth thinking about having both competitive and non-competitive events to cater for all children.  Some pupils will thrive in a round-robin football tournament and for others, this will be their worst nightmare.  A successful National School Sports Week is planned around what pupils will enjoy so it is a positive experience for all.

Intra school competitions can take place between classes, houses or year groups.  Think about how you can get all your children involved at some level during the week.  It might be trying a new sport that is novel for all pupils or getting stuck into something that is a firm favourite of the school!

Your school’s activities do not just have to be traditional competitive sports.  How about a dance or gymnastics festival to tap into children’s creative and expressive nature?  Whatever you choose to do, the focus should be on getting all pupils involved and enjoying themselves.

How can The PE Hub help you celebrate National School Sport Week?

The PE Hub has an unrivalled library of teaching resources for schools wishing to teach high-quality PE from Reception through to Year 6.  This year Birmingham is hosting the 2022 Commonwealth Games and to celebrate The PE Hub has created a teaching resource full of new and exciting sports for your pupils to try … perfect for National School Sport Week.  The teachers’ pack includes 8 brand new lessons for KS1 and 2 covering Lawn Bowls, Triathlon, Volleyball and Rhythmic Gymnastics.

As well as lessons and supporting videos, The PE Hub provides cross-curricular activities covering literacy, numeracy, geography and much more!  Not a member yet?  Join us today to access everything you need to move your PE forward and make National School Sport Week an event to remember!

EYFS update 2021: What you need to know

The EYFS sets the standards that all early years providers must meet to ensure that children learn and develop well. Department for Education (DfE) has introduced minor modifications to the EYFS update 2021 to improve clarity for everyone. The updates will impact early years environments around England, including childminders and nursery leaders. The new guidance has been mandatory since 1st September 2021.

Why have there been changes to the EYFS?

It is important to note that no significant changes are needed over the coming terms. The Government has implemented these changes to:

We want to highlight the main changes that have been made to the Government statutory guidance for EYFS early years framework to help anyone concerned about future learning. Here is a breakdown of the major updates:

Development Matters

Development Matters is not compulsory, but it has been revised to reflect feedback from early adopter schools. The age bands have been simplified, and the document is shorter to allow for more flexibility and freedom. It is not compulsory, but it is recommended and works alongside the new guidance.

Reducing Unnecessary Paperwork

Less paperwork is always a good thing for busy early years practitioners. Reducing the amount of time spent on paperwork means teachers can spend more time engaging and observing children, but how do you ensure you effectively record development without EYFS statements? Observation is still vital, but it is now more about quality rather than quantity. The updated guidance highlights the importance of observational evidence rather than cold data. Planning, review, and record-keeping should work in harmony in a continuously improving setting.

The Early Learning Goals

The seven areas of learning and development remain unchanged, but the wording of the ELG’s have been reviewed to make them more explicit and more specific. This will help with a child’s learning and development by allowing teachers to make more accurate observations. Additionally, the “exceeding” judgment criteria have been removed from the EYFSP which gives teachers more free time.

Birth to 5 Matters

There is new Birth to 5 Matters guidance after a consultation period which provided information on best practices for play, characteristics of effective learning, and self-regulation. The guidance is flexible and allows practitioners to adapt what works for their children.

Safeguarding and Welfare

“Promoting the good health of children” will now need to include oral health and added support for choking prevention.

You can download a quick guide to all of the changes here.

How We Responded

We wanted to ensure The PE Hub falls in line with the guidelines to provide the best for children. We thoroughly checked that all our content met the updated framework criteria. We established where we needed to make changes in line with the new outcomes and made necessary amendments to our assessment to clearly show the links between our curriculum and the updated EYFS Development Matters outcomes. Although the changes are minor, we understand how important it is to teachers, parents and carers that we are up to date and compliant.

We hope the information and links provided have answered any questions you make have about the EYFS 2021 update. If you’d like to find out more about how we’re moving PE forward, please get in touch with the PE Hub team.

Returning to school after lockdown

The pandemic has changed schooling, with many parents across the world, becoming the teacher.  I think it is fair to say we all welcome children’s return to school starting here in England on 8th March 2021.  There are many reasons children need to return to the classroom, social, physical and emotional, and learning the curriculum.

Schools are being given greater flexibility on how they deliver the curriculum to ensure children settle back in as quickly as possible.  With this in mind, PE cannot be understated in helping children transition back into school life.

Health and wellbeing

Throughout the pandemic, there has been a huge focus on our health and wellbeing, with many people taking to home exercise, daily walks, meditation and even baking to cope with the lockdown. We know schools are being made responsible for an ever-increasing range of children’s development, and wellbeing is the latest.  The good news is you can help your children with their health and wellbeing through a curriculum you are already teaching, PE!

Why PE when pupils return?

Parents and teachers alike may rightly be concerned about how much academic learning children have missed and want to rush to ‘catch up’.  However, assimilating children back into school should be done holistically, which you can facilitate through PE.  Physical education is not sport.  The nature of physical education is to develop the child as a whole.  A high-quality physical education programme helps children feel safe and secure, increases their confidence, boosts self-esteem and supports their physical and emotional wellbeing – all things that should be at the forefront as pupils return.

The difference between PE, Sport and Physical activity

Each of these three areas will be important to children upon their return to school.  PE is the backbone of activity through its place within the school’s curriculum; children learn to become more physically competent.  In PE children participate in a broad range of activities and, through this, learn many skills.  Each activity will bring its own set of movement challenges that bring about learning.

School sport takes place beyond the curriculum.  School sport is structured and usually competitive, it can take place within teams, groups of pupils in the same school or against other schools.  Children learn many essential skills through school sport but do not have a set curriculum to follow.

Physical activity covers all activity within a school that takes physical exertion; this could be activities such as the daily mile, structured playtime or activity afternoons/sessions.  There is no curriculum for physical activity, but it is ideal for children to safely and constructively participate in additional physical activity.

Fitness and physical literacy

Not all children will have had equal access to physical activity during the lockdown.  You may notice a dramatic decrease in children’s fitness levels, and you should consider this when starting back on an active curriculum.  Allow time for breaks where needed and access to water.

As important as fitness is, it can be easily regained in children.  What cannot be so quickly recovered is the lost months of children’s physical literacy development.  The younger the child, the more significant the impact of physical activity on their physical development.  Many children may have regressed, struggling to sit at desks for long periods or undertaking basic tasks such as jump, hopping, throwing and catching.

“Physical literacy is the motivation, confidence, physical competence, knowledge, and understanding to value and take responsibility for engagement in physical activities for life.”

 – The International Physical Literacy Association, May 2014

Active Partnerships, along with a host of agencies in the sector, produced the Physical Literacy Framework.  The framework supports schools to structure their PE, school sport and physical activity to ensure the maximum opportunity is provided to all pupils to develop their physical literacy.

Movement breaks

We have developed a resource for our schools called movement breaks.  These are simple ways to bring short bursts of activity while in the classroom.  These movement breaks can be used to keep children focused during longer periods at their desks.  They are also simple ways to energise your group, change the mood of the class and relax!

Try one of our movement breaks now!

We wish you all a peaceful return to whole-class teaching.  Please share what you’re getting up to in PE and physical activity on social media @thepehub on twitter, facebook and Instagram!  Alternatively, email us on info@thepehub.co.uk we would love to hear from you.

 

 

PE Under spend

As you are all too aware, the past 12 months of education have been extremely disrupted. Many children have been unable to attend school.  As a result of the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, the Department for Education took steps to relax the ring-fencing arrangements for the PE and sport premium in the 2019 to 2020 academic year to allow any PE under spend to be carried forward into the 2020 to 2021 academic year.

Due to children being away from school the typical use of the Primary PE and School sport funding may mean your school has money left.  Lots of schools have found ways of using their funding to support PE at home. However, if you do find your school has some funding remaining you only have a short time to use it.

This means any PE under spend carried forward will need to be spent in full by 31 March 2021, and schools should factor this into spending plans for their 2020 to 2021 PE and sport premium allocation. The 2020 to 2021 conditions of grant documents reflect this.

What can you spend your funding on?

You can use any PE and School Sport funding in the following ways

How does your school measure up?

Schools have been receiving extra funding for PE and school sport since 2014. It is essential that schools can evidence the impact of the funding on their pupils.  Schools are used to self-assessing and this should be the same when you look at your PE provision.

What are the 5 key indicators?

  1. 30:30 Activity – Engage all children in at least 30 minutes of physical activity a day at school and inspire a further 30 minutes at home.
  2. Profile of PESSPA – Elevate PE, school sport and physical activity as a tool for whole-school improvement.
  3. Commitment to staff development – Support staff development in the effective teaching of PE and sport.
  4. Variety – Encompass a broad range of sports and activities to develop children’s skills and expand interests.
  5. Competition – Create opportunity for competition and, in turn, inspire teamwork, perseverance, empathy and tenacity

Primary School PE Scorecard

Analyse your PE, school sport and physical activity (PESSPA) offering across the DfE’s five key indicators, in less than 5 minutes.  By understanding the current picture of your school’s PESSPA, that you’ll be able to determine how to move forward.

How does it work?

 

There is currently a lot of focus on PE, school sport and physical activity (PESSPA) due to the recent increase in the PE and Sport Premium funding.  Part of this funding is to be used to increase the amount of physical activity that happens during the school day.  This is great, but what does increased activity look like in your school?  How can you fit it in with all your other responsibilities? And why bother?

Why do more physical activity?

Your pupils will have PE lessons and some after-school clubs, why is this not enough?  Curriculum PE will be at best 2 hours per week at best and at as little as 30 minutes at worst.  Guidelines for children aged 5 – 18-year-olds recommends 60 minutes of moderate and vigorous activity each day.  Recent studies show on 15% of girls, and 22% of boys are reaching this target as a result, intervention is needed.

How can your school support pupils with increased physical activity?  By introducing novel but practical ideas that can see a dramatic increase in your children’s activity levels.

Active travel

This means when your pupils make it to school under their own steam meaning, running, walking, scooting, or cycling. However, this is not always possible with some children living a long way from their school.  So why not try exclusion zones? If you implement an exclusion zone it prevents parents dropping children by car at the school gate.  Therefore a 500-metre exclusion zone would mean every pupil walking an extra 5 kilometres per week.  These exclusion zones have also been shown to improve air quality and road safety outside the school and can be tailored to the geography of your school.

Informal activity

There are lots of organisations trying to help schools develop their informal activity.  The BBC is one such organisation and their programme Super Movers has been designed specifically to help marry increased activity with curriculum learning.  A library of videos guide teachers and school staff through relevant KS1 & KS2 curriculum linked classroom activity.

Active Environments

Ensure children have access to resources at break and lunch times.  Playground equipment does not need to be complicated, skipping ropes, hoops, balls and bibs can open up a world of opportunity for pupils.

Properly dividing your playground can mean pupils feel safe and know where to go for different types of activity.  This could mean a zone for competitive games such as netball or football. An area where playground leaders and lunchtime supervisors support activity and a section in which pupils can create their own active experiences (think skipping, cats cradle and hopscotch).

Skilled workforce

For more physical activity to be included in your school day, upskilling ALL your staff is essential.  Not only will they be equipped to support but they will be on board to promote what’s happening.  Lunchtime supervisor training is usually readily available from your school sports partnership or local county sports partnership.  Speak with schools in your area, they may already be implementing some of these ideas and can point you in the right direction to get started.

Great physical activity starts with an excellent PE curriculum and should not be used as a replacement for adequately taught lessons;

‘while the quest for physical activity is important, it must not and cannot be at the expense of developing physically competent young people’ AfPE.

Ready to take your school’s PE to the next level?  Sign up now using coupon code PESSPA185 and receive 5% off your chosen subscription package!

Enter your details to receive information on how we work with schools & organisations like yours. Or if you have a question, either contact us or fill out the form below. 

In January the BBC launched their latest offering to schools.  With the help of teachers, BBC Super movers is designed to get school children more active.  Super movers has teamed up with the Premier League to inspire children across the country.

The BBC are undertaking this project as part of their Royal Charter.

To support learning for people of all ages; accessible, engaging, inspiring and challenging.

The BBC should provide specialist educational content to help support learning for children and teenagers across the United Kingdom.

It should encourage people to explore new subjects through partnerships with educational, sporting and cultural institutions… BBC Royal Charter 2017

Activity levels falling – Can BBC super movers help?

The Government recommends that children should be getting 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity each day.  However, activity rates in children have fallen dramatically in the last 40 years.  Research suggests that activity is set to reduce further still.  A frightening 15% more by 2030.

Development of Super movers

The BBC hope to play their part in reversing the rise of inactivity. Physical activity helps shape young minds as well as developing self-confidence and self-esteem.  The Super movers videos enable teachers to bring activity to their classrooms and at the same time cover key numeracy and literacy topics.

Characters such as ‘Moon Bean’ will teach children their times table through catchy songs. The videos also contain simple dance steps and are fun to use in the classroom but are also suitable for teachers to set as active homework!  Topics covered at key stage 1 include times tables, reading out loud and fractions.  For key stage 2 BBC Super Movers looks at algebra, money handling and word families.

The BBC will also be rolling out an ‘at home’ series for families to get involved.  It is rumoured to include some of our favourite strictly come dancing stars!  Watch this space.

Have you started using BBC Super Movers yet?  If so how are you getting on?  Does it work for your school or family?

Ready to take your school’s PE to the next level?  Sign up now using coupon code SUP5and receive 5% off your chosen subscription package!

Enter your details to receive information on how we work with schools & organisations like yours. Or if you have a question, either contact us or fill out the form below. 

One of the most enjoyable parts of my job is delivering PE CPD for primary teachers in schools and there’s never been more focus on PE CPD than right now.  So how can schools ensure they get the most from their training?

With primaries receiving on average £16,000 in the 18/19 school year and with a need for sustainability, teacher training and primary PE CPD should be a consideration for most schools.  PE CPD for whole school staff has not, historically, been a priority for schools. Going forward any organisation wishing to receive a good appraisal of their PESS premium spending need to consider their staff’s competence and confidence to deliver good PE.

What are the key areas that a PE coordinator or headteacher needs to consider when planning an effective CPD strategy for their school?

Planned

Teacher training days are rare and are often given over to key subjects such as numeracy and literacy.  Getting in early with your request for a whole/half-day or twilight CPD is essential.  Some schools will plan their entire professional development schedule including staff meetings up to a year in advance.

Prepared

A huge part of successful PE training is down to the tutor.  But getting your teachers and support staff 100% involved in what is happening is what makes the training a success.

Due to the physical nature of PE getting everyone up and moving really brings life to the training.  Make sure your teachers know what to expect so they can wear appropriate clothing and feel comfortable and confident.

It also helps to let your tutor know of any participants who need special consideration so the session is inclusive, this could be an injury or disability.

Identify needs for your school’s primary PE CPD

Finding out what training your staff require, rather than what you think they need is useful.  When teachers feel they are getting the training they want they are more likely to engage.

A quick simple staff audit can be undertaken which will highlight areas for development.  Gathering information on teachers’ competency in the following areas is a good starting point;

Outcomes

Know what you want to achieve so your tutor can personalise your training.  For example, ‘dance’ is something I often get asked to deliver; but what skills and competencies do you want your staff to walk away with at the end of the day?

I always as my client schools to provide a 3-point wishlist for the session and use this to shape what is delivered.

National Qualification in Leadership and Management in Primary PE

It is also worth considering qualifications for the PE leader in your school.  National Qualification in Leadership and Management in Primary PE is aimed specifically for school staff who are fulfilling the vital role of PE subject leader. It provides a national qualification at the same time as supporting you to develop high-quality PE in your school. This represents probably the most effective use of your PE and sport premium funding building capacity, resilience and sustainability.  There are trainers around the country that can assist you in completing this qualification.

Onward development

What happens now?  You’ve had your day/half day or twilight training session, and your staff are pumped to get out on the field.  What needs to happen to ensure your outcomes transfer into everyday school life?

Your development plan might involve buying equipment, rearranging PE teaching slots, pairing staff up to deliver, learning walks timetabled, and so on.  Whatever needs to be done, harnessing the momentum from the professional development will ensure the best experience of PE and school sport for your pupils and staff alike.

Ready to take your school’s PE to the next level?  Sign up now using coupon code CPD195 and receive 5% off your chosen subscription package!

Enter your details to receive information on how we work with schools & organisations like yours. Or if you have a question, either contact us or fill out the form below.