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P.E in schools

11 replies

OhMyNoReally · 14/02/2013 18:27

This topic is on the news today and we've had words already with dds primary school about the amount of P.E they do. It's always being side lined for drama or other projects. The latest has been a poetry contest and assembly performance.
Dd loved P.E at her last school but she no longer enjoys it, which is very disappointing. I think it is so important for health and other things like hand eye coordination. I can't afford sports groups outside school as I already pay for swimming lessons.
I think it's essential for our kids, but I think they should stop going on about the Olympics. P.E is far more than creating the next athletic champions, it should be about creating a way of life and about enjoying physical activity.
Just wondering how others feel about P.E, has your school got the balance right, is there too much, or hardly any? Thanks for any input.

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BimbaBirba · 14/02/2013 20:37

I have complained before about too little PE in my children's primary. Once a week for 15 minutes and once a week for 30 min. I'm told that any excuse to cancel one of the two sessions is eagerly grabbed and they rarely do both sessions in a week.
Disgusting IMO

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Mrspartacus · 15/02/2013 08:29

Our school has PE x3 times a week, 2 double lessons and one single 35 minute lesson. Our son is very sporty, as was my husband so it's just something we are passionate about. They also have x2 double sessions after school on the non PE day for those in teams. (compulsory if you are in the 1sts) I'm forever washing kit!!! For a non sporty family they may find that a bit much! Especially as he may then have school matches on a Saturday and he has local club games on a Sunday.

You can already see his fitness levels are at a higher level than some of his Sunday team mates.

Our previous primary also seemed to concentrate more so on musical activities, and one of the final nails in the coffin for us, was the head refusing the PTA's offer to fund swimming lessons, after the school were last in a swimming gala, yet then promptly blew the budget on trumpets. For info our daughter is very musical, but we felt there was no balance. She isn't very sporty but loves team sport, yet their old school didn't have a football, rugby, netball or rounders team.

Many parents are happy to just ferry the children to after school clubs or do clubs on weekend, but then many parents don't or cant do that.

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kimorama · 19/02/2013 11:28

P.E never was for all children. Think of your school days. And I think professional sporting types can be overblown role models.

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kimorama · 19/02/2013 11:32

Some schools in the Richmond area of london are said to be P.E fanatics. The subject needs handling with care.

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Dahlen · 19/02/2013 11:40

P.E never was for all children. Think of your school days. And I think professional sporting types can be overblown role models.

PE should be for all children. I agree that competitive sports are not for all children, but a healthy, active lifestyle involving getting out of breath on a regular basis, should be a fundamental part of every child's daily life if they are going to grow up as healthy adults who are not predisposed to health problems as a result of inadequate amounts of activity in their childhoods. Most research shows now that the level of activity you had in your childhood has a significant effect on how healthy you are as an adult.

Ideally, schools would be for learning and this would be a task carried out by parents, but living in the northern hemisphere as we do, and with most parents working full time, there often isn't enough hours in the day to do this at home.

Completely agree with you about overblown role models though.

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smuffin · 20/02/2013 16:19

@ OhMyNoReally I totally agree with you " it should be about creating a way of life and about enjoying physical activity."

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lljkk · 20/02/2013 16:37

DD-y6 loves sport & seems to do plenty of it (very ordinary state school). X country event last week, tag rugby tournament next week. She broke arm and is officially out of most PE lessons until next week, which she moans about.

DSs have never loved it or done much... although DS-y8 has talked positively about it recently. I think he has 4 lessons a fortnight.

DSy4 talks about being the next Mo Farah but I think he's too lazy.

In spite of DD's success & passion, I'd be almost indifferent if schools dropped sport & PE completely.

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BackforGood · 20/02/2013 16:49

I agree with you in theory, but in practice, most primary schools have one hall to be used for all assemblies, dinners, any gathering such as drama, choir, orchestra where there is more than a class, or people from several classes, parents workshops (oft requested on here), any visiting performers that come in, etc.,etc.,etc., oh yes, and PE for all 14 classes.
When it's persisting down outside, or the playground is covered in ice, where do you expect them to go?
I absolutely agree with the ideal of an hour's quality PE at least 3 times a week, but don't see how most schools can timetable it in.

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mollymole · 20/02/2013 16:53

I think that groups of local primaries should shre a PE teacher between them
so that 1 day a week the school would have a proper PE teacher to teach the year groups. This way they could better manage their 'accomodation' situation and have a specialist teacher.

PE should be for ALL children, not just the obviously 'sporty child'

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Solopower1 · 20/02/2013 18:52

I think it would be a good idea for kids to start the school day with 15 - 20 minutes of the sort of aerobic exercises that are simple to do - with music. Inclusive, fun ... Teachers would not need special training and it would wake everyone up.

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simplesusan · 21/02/2013 13:38

The secondary school my eldest go to is very sporty.

The basis of picking school teams is on ability. They are there to win, perform to their best just as they are in a literacy exam.
Having said that, diversity and inclusivity is also promoted.


The school has lots of facilities, second to none.
I do believe though that those who do well are the children who take part in sports away from school as well as in school.
So the school rugby team comprises in the main of children who play for either the local rugby team, which is highly regarded, and/or have been scouted by professional rugby teams.
The same is true for the football team and most of the other numerous school teams. Perhaps we are lucky to live in an area where sport is seen as cool. Keeping fit is highly regarded.

My dcs assure me that there are those, always in the bottom set as pe is streamed,who are lazy and don't make any effort at all. Getting changed into their P.E. kit is seen as some major trauma.
Yes there are children who struggle with P.E. through physical difficulty but these children always seem to have a go.

My friend, who is in her 40s and is a TA at another high school, told me that out of a class of 15 year olds the people who finished the training circuit first were her, and the 40+ year old supply teacher.
All the students came straggling in behind them totally knackered.

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