PE and Sport

At Dore Primary School, our intention is that all children receive high‑quality Physical Education that enables them to experience a wide range of sports and physical activities in ways that are engaging, inclusive and exciting. We aim to stimulate children’s curiosity about sport, nurture their interest in learning new skills, and develop their confidence in performing movements, routines and dances. A core ambition of our curriculum is that every child finds a sport or physical activity they enjoy, and that they are encouraged to continue these interests with local clubs.

Our PE curriculum is designed to ensure that all pupils, including those with SEND, can participate fully, progress confidently, and experience success. Teachers use adaptive teaching approaches to remove barriers to learning, offering tailored equipment, differentiated tasks, and additional adult support where needed. Training is provided so that all staff feel confident in this area.  Assessment allows us to understand the areas that all children have not yet mastered so that the new learning can be adapted and modified. Above all, we aim to foster a sense of belonging, so that every child feels valued, capable, and able to enjoy the physical, social, and wellbeing benefits that PE provides.

From Preschool onwards, we prioritise the development of fundamental movement skills (FMS), ensuring that children build a strong foundation for future progression. In Key Stage 1, children have additional opportunities to develop these skills through high‑quality provision and targeted small‑group interventions.

Our curriculum is carefully sequenced and built around the three pillars of progression:

·         Motor competence

·         Rules, strategies and tactics

·         Healthy participation

In the Early Years, the focus is on securing motor competence. As children move through school, they build increasing competence in applying rules, strategies and tactics, while also developing a deep understanding of the benefits of healthy participation in sport and physical activity.

A consistent whole‑school scheme ‘Get Set 4 PE’ is used to provide structure and ensure clear progression.

Careful consideration has been given to the selection of sports and physical activities taught across the school. This ensures depth of declarative knowledge (knowing about sport) and procedural knowledge (knowing how to perform skills), as well as sufficient time for practice and opportunities for children to excel. To support long‑term retention, weekly retrieval practice and quizzing enable children to recall and revisit prior learning.

Some sports—such as cricket, gymnastics, dance and athletics—are taught annually to build mastery over time. Others, such as squash and golf, are introduced to broaden children’s experiences and expose them to new opportunities.

Outdoor adventurous challenges are built into the curriculum as part of our transition activities, as children move between year groups. Alongside this, these are delivered during curriculum time in Outdoor Learning and Forest School sessions.  Children also have the opportunity to experience adventurous challenges whilst on residential at The Oakes (Y4) and at The Hollowford Centre (Y5).

Progression Maps ensure teachers understand what has come before and what follows next, supporting coherent skill development. Assessment documents help teachers identify children who have not yet secured previous skills so that targeted support can be provided within lessons.

In line with the UK Department for Education (DfE) recommendation, children from Foundation Stage 2 to Year 6 receive two hours of PE each week. From Year 1 upwards, children come to school in their PE kit, maximising active learning time and ensuring sustained periods of physical activity.

There is a strong link between PE and our Health and Wellbeing curriculum. Many lessons focus on the benefits of sport, exercise and physical activity for mental wellbeing, helping children understand how movement supports a healthy lifestyle.  Children in Year 2 and Year 3 complete the Level 1 PE Life Skills Award, created by the Youth Sport Trust and accredited by the Leadership Skills Foundation.  Children work on developing physical, social, emotional and cognitive skills through making links between PE, sport and physical activity and health and wellbeing.  Children in Year 4 and Year 5 then complete the Level 2 award.  Year 6 children apply much of this learning when working as Young Leaders, supporting younger children in play and games during lunchtimes.

Swimming

Children in Year 4 attend swimming lessons organised through Sheffield LA. Each class travels by coach, and children are grouped according to ability. Dore staff support qualified swimming teachers as children work towards the National Curriculum expectations and beyond, developing further swimming skills and water safety understanding. Children have the opportunity to gain the ASA Water Skills Level Award, and at the end of the programme may complete a long‑distance swim to earn a distance award. Year 6 swimming outcomes are published in Evidencing the Impact of the Primary PE and Sport Premium.

Inter‑School Competition

Our pupils take part in a wide range of sporting events each year. Many are hosted by the Forge School Games Organisers or the Sheffield Federation for School Sports, and form part of the School Games programme. We have had many recent successes at city and county level – see Successes document.

Every child at Dore Primary is given the opportunity to represent the school in at least one sporting competition if they wish to, and almost all children choose to take part. This commitment to participation for all is central to our ethos.  In 2025–26, we took around 50 teams from Years 1–6 to external events, providing around 1500 participation opportunities, with every child from Y2 to Y6 attending at least two events, and every child in Y1 attending one event. Including internal events such as Sports Day and year‑group walks, this rises to around 2500 opportunities. This demonstrates the strength of our curriculum in developing children’s skills, knowledge and confidence to enjoy sport beyond primary school.

Intra‑School Competition

The Wileman Cup, named after a former headteacher, is our long‑running annual intra‑school football competition. Girls and boys from Years 4–6 are mixed into teams named after local roads and compete in lunchtime leagues, followed by semi‑finals and a final attended by the whole school. Year 6 Team Captains support the event by organising teams, equipment and refereeing.

Extra‑Curricular Opportunities

A wide range of extra‑curricular activities enriches our PE curriculum. These include:

·         Evo Soccer after‑school football

·         Kids Love Yoga

·         Karate Club

·         Teacher‑led preparation sessions for competitions (e.g. football, cricket, basketball, netball, gymnastics, dance)

At lunchtimes, children enjoy our extensive school grounds, taking part in Marathon Club, small‑sided games, or exploring equipment. Year 6 pupils proudly support younger children as Sports Leaders.

By the time children leave Dore Primary School, they have the skills, knowledge and confidence required to take their next steps into Key Stage 3 PE and to continue enjoying sport and physical activity throughout their lives.

For information regarding our spending of the PE and Sport Premium, follow this link: Evidencing the Impact of the Primary PE and Sport Premium.

Recent Success

Our pupils take part in a wide range of sporting events each year.  Many are hosted by the Forge School Games Organisers or the Sheffield Federation for School Sports, and form part of the School Games programme. Many of these competitions form part of the School Games programme. In recent years we have had tremendous success in many sporting competitions at city and county level.

EVERY child at Dore Primary School is given the opportunity to represent the school in at least one sporting competition, should they wish to, and almost all children choose to take up this opportunity.  This commitment to participation for all is central to our ethos.  In 2025-26, we took around 50 teams from Y1 to Y6 to external events, providing around 1600 participation opportunities, with every child from Y2 to Y6 attending at least two events, and every child in Y1 attending one event. Including internal events such as Sports Day and year-group walks, this rises to around 2600 opportunities.  This demonstrates the strength of our curriculum in developing children's skills, knowledge and confidence to enjoy sport beyond primary school.

Recent successes:

Athletics:                   Y6 Sports Hall Athletics South Yorkshire Champions, 2025

Basketball:                          Y4 Hotshots South Yorkshire Champions, 2025, 2026

                               Y5 Forge Champions, 2026

Bouldering:                Y5/6 2nd Place in Sheffield and individual 1st place, 2023

Cricket:                     Y4 Sheffield & South Yorkshire Dynamo Champions, 2023, 2026 (Open) 2025, 2026 (Girls)

Y6 Open and Girls, Sheffield, South Yorkshire and Yorkshire Champions, multiple years

Cycle Speedway:         Y5 Girls Sheffield Champions and Boys 3rd Place, 2026

Dance:                      Sheffield Dance Festival Runner's Up, 2026

Football:                   Y5 Open City League Finalists, 2026

                               Y5/6 Open and Y5/6 Girls SUFC Premier League 3rd Place, 2026

Gymnastics:               Y5/6 Bronze and Y3/4 Silver in the Sheffield Team Event, 2026

Hockey:                     Y4 South Yorkshire Quicksticks Champions, 2023

Panathlon:                 City Champions 2025, 2026, South Yorkshire 3rd Place 2025, 5th Place 2026

Swimming:                 Sheffield Schools Relay Championships Runner's Up, 2026

Tag-Rugby:                Y5/6 City Finalists, 2025, 2026

School Sports Day

Our first whiole-school Sports Day was in 2012, when we hosted our first 'Dorelympics' to conicide with the London Olympics. Since then we have had many themes, including 'Steel City', 'Team Dore', 'Made in Sheffield', 'Stronger Together', 'Sheffield: The Outdoor City' and 'Platinum Jubilee'.  In 2026 the theme was 'World of Sport'.

Our sports days are always inclusive, multi-sport events, where all children take part in every activity on offer.  Activities normally include, dance, athletics, traditional sports day races, team-building a nd problem-solviing.  Children are split into teams, and have coloured t shirts to denote which team they belong to.  Y5 and Y6 children lead many of the activities, and older children are encouraged to help younger members of their team.  We have an opening and closing ceremony, and the sight of 450+ children wearing their team shirts and taking part in different sports, all at the same time, is quite a spectacle.