PE

Being active is very important for children’s physical health and mental welfare. We want Drake’s pupils to be fit, healthy and have opportunities to co-operate in teams, compete fairly and excel at a high level at school, in the local area and at a county level.

As well as ensuring that the pupils reach the National Curriculum objectives for PE, we want pupils to enjoy sport, dance and gym and have chances to express themselves and their personalities through it.

We want children to swim confidently and develop healthy life habits that will support them as they move on to high school and as adults.

We want children to begin to apply their scientific knowledge about their bodies to understand the importance of a healthy, fit lifestyle. We want to ensure children are given opportunities to express themselves physically and creatively through dance.

In several year groups, PE is taught by specialist teachers every week and coaches from Bury St Edmunds RFC are now coaching tag rugby. Children run the ‘Daily Mile’. Pupils learn to swim at the local leisure centre with swimming instructors. Older children have been given opportunities to extend their swimming ability with lifesaving lessons.

Pupils across the school compete in a range of sports with the local Sports Partnerships, this year they have competed in a Tag Rugby tournament, a girls’ football tournament and several cross-country competitions, including the county finals.

Children are able to attend after-school clubs for football, basketball, dodgeball, hula-hoop, multi-sports and athletics. Every summer, there is an inter-house competitive school sports day for all children.

Each day, a specialist sports teacher runs an extra PE session for a group of children in each year group to boost confidence, improve physical performance and support emotional needs.

Investment in PE has seen the improvement of play and sports spaces, storage for equipment and the standard of equipment the children are able to use for lessons and clubs.