Effective assessment in physical education engages supports and motivates pupils to become competent, confident, creative and reflective movers. It can support and encourage young people to work together in order to excel in physically demanding and competitive activities. Approaches to assessment must be meaningful and embedded throughout a high quality physical education curriculum; which enables learners to make progress and improve their attainment. Although locally determined and childcentred, physical education must be situated within a whole school approach to assessment and support a child’s development across the whole curriculum.

The National Curriculum

The National Curriculum (2014) sets out the aims, purpose of study and content for physical education. Although it does not specify a detailed overview of the nature and content of learning, it presents the expectations that pupils should reach by the end of each key stage. These expectations are considered a minimum entitlement and schools should be encouraged to devise a curriculum programme that is aspirational and is based on the needs of its pupils. The statements below outline the key attainment targets for each key stage within the physical education programme of study:

Key Stage One

Pupils should develop fundamental movement skills, become increasingly competent and confident and access a broad range of opportunities to extend their agility, balance and coordination, individually and with others. They should be able to engage in competitive (both against self and against others) and co-operative physical activities, in a range of increasingly challenging situations

Key Stage Two

Pupils should continue to apply and develop a broader range of skills, learning how to use them in different ways and to link them to make actions and sequences of movement. They should enjoy communicating, collaborating and competing with each other. They should develop an understanding of how to improve in different physical activities and sports and learn how to evaluate and recognise their own success. 

To gain access to our complete assessment frame work for years 1 - 6, plus swimming please contact Joe Howard (joe@lpessn.org.uk) for access to our CPD members area.