How we build champion athletes

Blackhorse Primary School is one of the most successful schools in the country in terms of sporting success (nearly 300 trophies won in the last 10 years), and in terms of creating tomorrow's olympians (so far the school has generated 14 national runners, 3 Team GB U15 hopefuls, the top 5000m runner in the US Southern States, and a professional Rugby player). 

Our Learning Ingredients in Physical Education

Extensive Opportunties:

Every child at Blackhorse receives at least two hours of PE per week in lessons and numerous extra-curricular sporting opportunties.  The key to our children's sporting excellence are the extensive opportunties offered to every child. At Blackhorse, every child competes for their school, many in many different sports and events. We aim to provide oppportunities, only usually open to a select few, to every child. This is achieved through taking full advantage of partnerships with local sports clubs, our CSET Sports Partnership and by deliberately seeking out 'niche' sports which may only be the preserve of private schools (such as Laser Run, where - as the only competing state school - we won the SW competition). 

Expert Tuition

Where possible, the school seeks to provide expert coaching. For example, our Laser Run team is coached by one of Team GB's Modern Pentathlon Coaches; our fencing club is run by a professional fencing coach; and the school's Track Team is run by our Executive HT (himself a keen Ultra runner), alongside coaches from Bristol & West Athletics Club.

The school also employs a professional sports coach to lead many of the PE lessons and uses a well-structured PE Scheme of Work (Get Set for PE) to ensure that learning steps are wekk sequenced.

Purposeful Practice:

Within PE lessons, we seek to ensure that children develop their skills systematically, practicing and combining these skills over time.

In Key Stage 1 children have one hour per week focused on developing the key fundamental skills of movement using the 'Get Set for PE' learning schemes. They then have the second hour in the week being taught sports though by Progressive Sports which provide children opportunities to apply their fundamental movement skills into wider sporting contexts.

In Key Stage 2, PE lessons are focussed solely on Get Set for PE  lesson plans which integrate the skills they need to know into a wider variety of contexts (gym, team games, athletics, and dance) which they then revisit later in the Key Stage when a greater skills competency has been achieved.

Skills taught can be seen on the progression map which details the standard the children are expected to be performing the skills at for their year group.

Personal Effort:

We believe that every child can improve and enjoy sporting activity. In providing a wide range of opportunties, including special events for children with specific learning needs, we teach children that by repeatedly practicing, they can all become champion athletes. Indeed, the slogan 'Zip up the hero suit!' which is written on the back of every PE T-shirt, reminds the children that effort and determination is the key to supporting success.