Ready, Set, Striver: PE curriculum for the year ahead

Get set for PE this year with our complete guide to planning your PE curriculum from EYFS to Year 6 – perfect for back to school!

PE Planning for the new year

The new school year is nearly upon us, and with the weather still warm outside (for now!), it’s the best time to start thinking about your PE curriculum to make sure you and your pupils hit the ground running.

If you’re wondering where to start, we’d like to introduce you to Striver.

Striver has been created with a sole purpose: to improve primary-aged pupils' long-term physical and mental wellbeing. We do that by ensuring children of all abilities feel motivated and engaged, and teachers of all experience levels feel confident and in control.

The Striver package includes a whole-school PE scheme of work (EYFS -Y6) with over 400 PE lessons, supported by six wellbeing units, all housed in a clever website and app that makes planning and assessment a breeze.

How do I plan a Primary PE Curriculum?

The Government outlines their statutory guidance for the National PE curriculum on the Gov.uk website. The requirements vary depending on key stage. Examples include:

• Early Years - Develop gross motor skills including running, jumping, hopping and skipping, negotiate pace and obstacles safely.
• Key Stage 1 - Develop fundamental movement skills, develop balance and agility, participate in team games, perform dances using movement patterns.
• Key Stage 2 - Develop communication and collaborative skills, play competitive games, develop flexibility and strength, take part in outdoors adventures and challenges.

Striver is aligned with the government curriculum, with lesson plans that enable pupils to develop the desired skills.

Complete with multiple units for each year group from Nursery to Year 6, Striver is the only tool you’ll need to run effective PE and wellbeing sessions to your pupils. Striver provides all you need to deliver PE, whilst adhering to the government guidance, all in one place.

Striver makes PE accessible to teachers from all backgrounds. Simple lesson plans include images, diagrams and videos to guide instructors every step of the way. The Striver app also works offline, so you can access lesson plans and assess pupils' progress regardless of where you are.

How can PE teachers plan effectively for the whole year?

Setting out a plan for which areas of PE will be covered each term can be a useful starting point. Think about the areas of the government guidance which will be covered by each year group and class at which time of year.

While the thought of putting this together may seem overwhelming, Striver’s in-built calendar tool allows you to plan out a whole school PE plan, class by class and term by term, with speed and simplicity.

Striver is the PE Coordinator's best friend, allowing you to ensure consistent and comprehensive teaching across the whole-school. Using the tool, units can be assigned to specific classes at different times of year. Once assigned, the calendar overview shows you and your colleagues exactly who is teaching what throughout the year.

How can I track pupils' PE progress?

Tracking pupil progress within PE is essential. It allows you to view which pupils are excelling in meeting their growth and development goals, and which may need a little extra help, as well as showing on a wider level how well you are meeting class or whole-school targets related to the government guidance.

With Striver, pupil progress tracking couldn’t be easier. Through simple one-touch assessment for activity scores, progress tracking is made quick and easy. The ‘reports’ tab within Striver then allows you to investigate this, producing attainment and progress reports at the push of a button.

Can I get help with school PE costs?

The Sport Premium was first introduced by the government in 2013 to improve the provision of physical education and school sport across primary schools in England. The money is allocated directly to schools and is ringfenced meaning that it can only be spent on improving the provision of sport and PE in schools. Currently, schools with over 17 pupils will receive a sum of £16,000 plus £10 per pupil each year, while schools with 16 or fewer pupils receive £1,000 per each pupil.

Schools receive the funding in two payments, around October and April of each academic year, with the exact payment schedule made public here. All funding from this must be spent in full by the year’s end.

Striver is eligible to receive Sport Premium funding, meaning your subscription can be covered in full, taking up just 2% of the whole school Sport Premium budget. You can learn more about Striver and the Sport Premium below.

Download the Striver Free Trial Pack

If you’d like to get a taste of how lesson plans within Striver are structured, we’d suggest downloading our free trial pack below. Included are information documents and free lesson plans so you can try Striver with your class straight away.

We hope we’ve helped you feel ready to teach PE this year!