Physical Education at CAW

Our Vision

At City Academy Whitehawk, we believe that Physical Education plays a vital role in developing the whole child. Our aim is to inspire all pupils to develop a lifelong love of physical activity, supporting their physical health, mental wellbeing, and personal development.

Our PE curriculum is designed to ensure that all children:

• Develop fundamental movement skills and physical competence
• Build confidence, resilience, and teamwork
• Experience a broad range of sports and physical activities
• Understand the importance of leading a healthy, active lifestyle

We are committed to ensuring every child leaves CAW physically literate and motivated to remain active beyond primary school.

What We Teach 

Our curriculum provides a broad and balanced range of activities, including gymnastics, dance, games, challenge activities, and swimming. These are taught progressively from Reception to Year 6, ensuring clear development of skills across all year groups.

Swimming is delivered for pupils in Years 3, 4, 5 and 6 through sessions at the Brighton Swimming Centre, enabling children to develop essential water safety and swimming skills.

Children receive a minimum of two PE lessons each week, with at least one lesson taught by a specialist PE teacher. Our curriculum follows a skills-based approach, adapted from the Chris Quigley Essentials Milestones (2016), and has been carefully developed to reflect the needs of pupils at City Academy Whitehawk.

We are committed to maintaining high-quality teaching across the school. Our full-time PE Specialist Teacher plays a key role in supporting staff, offering guidance with planning, delivery, and assessment where needed to ensure confidence and consistency in PE teaching.

Our PE curriculum is underpinned by clear progression documents, which outline the key skills and vocabulary and knowledge to be taught in each lesson across all year groups. These provide a structured framework to support teachers in delivering high-quality, progressive lessons that meet the needs of all pupils.

Active Lifestyles at CAW 

We place strong emphasis on promoting physical activity throughout the school day. In addition to PE lessons:

• Children are encouraged to be active during playtimes and lunchtimes, with access to a range of equipment to support active play
• Our breakfast club provides further opportunities for pupils to engage in physical activity and start the day positively

We aim for all pupils to achieve at least 60 minutes of physical activity each day, helping them to develop healthy habits for life.

Enrichment & Competition 

In a typical year, we offer a wide range of extracurricular sports clubs before and after school, all of which are free of charge.

Pupils also have the opportunity to represent the school in a variety of inter-school competitions, both locally and across the wider Brighton and Hove community through the School Games Programme. These experiences promote teamwork, sportsmanship, and a sense of pride in representing CAW.

The Impact of Our PE Curriculum

As a result of our PE provision, pupils at CAW:

• Develop strong physical skills and knowledge across a range of activities
• Show increased confidence, resilience, and independence
• Understand the importance of health, fitness, and wellbeing
• Engage positively in both competitive and non-competitive sport
• Are equipped with the skills and motivation to lead active, healthy lives

Further Information

If you have any questions about Physical Education at City Academy Whitehawk, please contact the school office and our PE Specialist Teacher will be happy to help.