Physical Education (PE)

Click here to read about how we approach our curriculum, and to download our progression maps. 

Physical Education is an important part of school life at Hanover. We offer a broad and balanced PE curriculum aimed at developing fundamental movement skills including agility, coordination and balance. In addition to the physical skills developed through PE lessons, there is a focus on developing children’s teamwork, resilience, creativity and sportsmanship as well as instilling the importance of physical activity as part of a healthy lifestyle.

Children from Year 1-Year 6 receive two lessons of PE a week. We work within a globally recognised scheme of work called Beyond the Physical. Beyond the Physical’s learning themes are specially designed units of work linked to the PE National Curriculum. Each learning theme is centred around three key words, which are part of the success criteria for the unit. Children progress through the units building on their fundamental movements and developing skills working towards modified sports in Year 6.

PE lessons at Hanover are designed to be inclusive for all our children and to maximise physical activity during learning time. (No-one is ‘queuing’ or left waiting around!)

Children in Years 3 and 4 will have swimming as one of their PE lessons using Islington's Intensive Model, this is where they go swimming for 1 hour every afternoon for two weeks. This has proven highly successful in helping children to learn to swim in recent years.   

We also have engagement from Middlesex cricket and a number of other sporting projects to assist in the development of physical activity at Hanover.

Children in KS1 and KS2 have the opportunity to work with the Arsenal Hub, a group of coaches that visit our school once a week. They lead a PE lesson alongside teachers, support positive play on the rooftop playground, and also lead a wellbeing and physical activity workshop after school.

In the Early Years Foundation Stage, physical activity is vital in children’s all-round development, enabling them to pursue happy, healthy and active lives. 

Gross and fine motor experiences develop incrementally throughout early childhood. By creating games and providing opportunities for play both indoors and outdoors, adults at Hanover support children to develop their core strength, stability, balance, spatial awareness, co-ordination and agility. 

Gross motor skills provide the foundation for developing healthy bodies and social and emotional well-being. Fine motor control and precision helps with hand-eye co-ordination, which is later linked to early literacy. 

Repeated and varied opportunities to explore and play supported by adults, allow children to develop proficiency, control and confidence. 

Reception children start a structured PE session once a week in the Spring and Summer terms. 

Hanover has a number of after school activities open to all children in Years 3-6.

‘Swim Squad’ which meets for training at Ironmonger Row Pool once a week, and competes in the Islington borough swimming galas. (Children need to be able to swim 25m confidently to join Swim Squad) Children are escorted from school to the pool for each training session.

We have collaborated with The Weetabix Wildcats programme, this is a FA funded programme lead by a FA coach, who attends once a week after school to coach girls in football with a fun and interactive approach. It is an opportunity to build new friendships, gain confidence whilst learning football skills.

We have a Sports for Girls club, in this club girls can pick a sport they would like to practise with their friends, or build their own games and physical activities using equipment from the PE store. (Years 3 -6)

If football is your thing and you like a kick about with your friends  we hold a football club for years 5-6 once a week on our beautiful roof top playground.