Physical Education- Primary Schools

Anything4883

Im trying to find is there a specific number of hours a primary school should be adhereing to for PE in primary schools?

Is it the same throughout all schools in Ireland. ie- 1 hour a week.(Where our kids go)

Cailin CoisFarraige

Yes, that's correct. At present the Primary School Curriculum suggests a minimum time allocation of 1 hour per week for Physical Education.

You can find the time allocations for all primary subjects on curriculumonline.ie

byhookorbycrook

It's 1 hour in total, so that can include areas like healthy eating etc. And parents often don't realize that the like of dance are part of the curriculum too.

Anything4883

It seems very little to me. Anything in the plan to extend them hours?

shesty

Is there a plan?

Anything4883

I thought the NCCA were reviewing and redeveloping the primary curriculum. Maybe Covid has delayed all that.

Peppery

To be honest there is too much on the curriculum as it is. Maybe parents could bring kids to sports activities? Or better yet stay active as a family.

Don’t forget that pupils get two breaks outside also where physical activity is encouraged.

byhookorbycrook

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117899169#Comment_117899169

Nothing PE related so far .

Anything4883

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117900815#Comment_117900815

agreed, but I think as a country, we are the lowest or one of them in europe for PE in schools.

minibear

My daughter's primary school have the two regular breaks where they are encouraged to be active. Then they also have regular activity breaks where they walk or run a lap of the school. I'm not sure but i think these activity breaks were brought in after covid, and they get the kids out for a quick break and maybe time to open the windows in the classrooms. Pre-covid there were regular walk to school or scoot to school weeks where everyone went together with a couple of teachers supervising. And the school is great for promoting all the local sporting clubs, so I think they're doing enough. Most of the kids are involved in the local GAA or soccer clubs anyway but i did notice a massive increase in primary school kids attending the soccer club. I think the parents were just glad to get them back out doing something after so long.

Coneygree

We have an allocation of time towards discretionary time which I'd use towards PE of some sort most weeks. Obviously we have the 1 hour minimum of proper planned PE. At least once a day I take my crew out for going for laps around the school or school pitch as a form of movement break and time for the kids to have a chat in between classwork. As the year progresses we make it into a running challenge like "run to Spain" or run to some country we're studying in Geography. That really gets the kids going and moving. Then with whatever time leftover in the week, usually set aside for late on Friday afternoon is for whatever the kids want to do, whether it's soccer or basketball or something like rounders when the weather is finer.

I'm definitely sacrificing some class time but I think it is worth it. In all honesty the kids are going to remember the chats and the games of soccer and basketball more than the extra work on the suffixes -ent and -ant. The kids really appreciate it so it helps with classroom management and getting them to knuckle down for an hour knowing the break is coming or their golden time is there on Friday evening. Also, frankly, they need it and it tends to keep the hyper ones balanced and the chatty ones can have their chats in the middle of the day when we go for laps.

I'd be all in for another hour of allotted time for PE personally. Between setting up your lesson, tidying up and having to fog the PE hall, it can eat into a chunk of the PE time already. I know most teachers have two 30 mins slots in the week but my class this year begged me to just do a one hour block so they've more time for actual PE and less time wasted on tidying up and having me to fog the halla.

ahappychappy

My son's primary school does the mile a day/week, depending on what year they are in. They have an hour of PE - which is usually game orientated and then they have a second PE which could be dance, hula hooping, obstacle course etc. to be fair they have been pretty innovative in finding covid friendly tasks that keep the pods apart! They have two breaks - encouraged to run around - used to get the parents to teach the kids "the old games" - red rover, bull dog, etc. They used to have swimming lessons every week for a term also from third class - dont think this has restarted yet. They are also taken to the outdoor classroom for math games etc.

My older lad is in secondary - they have set PE twice a week, football/basketball at lunch time and options for after school sports - running, dodgeball, tag rugby etc - to be fair we have very generous teachers who bring their own enthusiasm for sport to the kids - which seems to work very well. Most of the them do the Park Run as well. I was always of the view keep them moving - good for body and mind!

byhookorbycrook

We have classes back swimming, but the pool is very close so the bus trip is extremely short. That session takes well over the hour for the weeks that the classes do swimming, but it is absolutely worth it! In ordinary times, local clubs come to school for hurling/camogie/rugby/Gaelic football whole class sessions. There's a great emphasis on "physical literacy" so it's not all about trying to solo a sliotar. One local coach in particular has god like status with the younger children. They adore him and come out from the sessions feeling that they are world champions. We've had a school show-jumping team, but obviously , that's only fo a very limited number of children who have suitable animals and parents willing to get up at silly o'clock on a Sunday morning and travel with ponies and children for what is, invariably, a log day.

Competitively we normally take part in hurling, camogie, basketball and Gaelic football.We take a mixed senior football team on an overnight blitz trip to Co. Meath. As part of Tree Week, the children do trips to local woods/landmarks and do guided walks there.For those older children who particularly enjoy dance, there is the chance to take part in a school musical, usually rehearsed outside of class time. Another teacher is an amazing sean nós dancer and has taught children as young as 6 the "brush dance," with small brushes, of course!

We have Active School week each year where we schedule all kinds of events and "taster" sessions of sports like cricket and rowing, as well as boot camps,zumba etc. We usually have a family fun run in the spring and an open air céilí each St. Patrick's Day.

We have 2 basketball courts in the main yard, a double sided "ball wall," an astroturf pitch ,use of a 2 acre field beside the school for Gaelic football. In the infant yard, we have a playground with swings,slides etc that they younger children can use during breaks, but it's also much in demand by the older children as well. Our school hall has gymnastic equipment. Two of our staff are fully qualified gymnastic teachers. They can take a gym class for any teacher not confident to get more adventurous.

Most schools enjoy great goodwill within the staff to ensure that children get as wide an experience as possible, but time constraints, Irish weather and classes of 30 + make it difficult. And yes, some teachers aren't 100% comfortable with all aspects of PE, but some children feel it's not PE unless it's 15 a side something or other!

Coneygee, we do a block where the gym equipment is set up in the hall for a week at a time, so it means that you don't have to spend time hauling it in and out, might be worth considering?