PE at key stage 1

The National Curriculum for Physical Education is statutory in all maintained, mainstream schools up to and including key stage 4. An appropriate version of the curriculum is used in maintained special schools. Key Stage 1 (KS1) covers years 1-2, children aged 5-7 years.

In PE at KS1, children are working in the following areas of knowledge, skills and understanding in dance, games and gymnastics:

• Acquiring and developing skills (exploring and increasing control in performing basic skills)
• Selecting and applying skills, tactics and compositional ideas (through PE or dance sequences)
• Evaluating and improving performance (pupils’ own and that of others)
• Knowledge and understanding of fitness and health (how important it is to be active and how you feel during different activities)

For dance activities pupils should respond imaginatively to different stimuli, change their movements appropriately, create and perform dances from different times and cultures, and express and communicate ideas and feelings.

Games activities require pupils to develop skills with balls and other equipment, and make up their own games using skills of attack and defence.

Gymnastic activities use the floor and apparatus to develop skills such as balancing and taking off/landing, developing and linking skills and performing short linked sequences showing contrasting movements.

Swimming (non-statutory in KS1) develops water confidence and basic strokes.

These pages show the challenges that disabled children may face in PE and what you can do to promote inclusion.

• Autism spectrum disorder focusing on Asperger’s syndrome
• Physical impairment
• Sensory impairment
• Communication difficulties and dyslexia 

You might like to look at:

• PE at P Levels 4-8
• PE in Key Stage 2