The Physical Education program is split into two key areas, with the early years (Prep – Year 2) focusing on developing fundamental movement skills (FMS) and the upper years (Year 3-6) starting to implement these skills into sport specific games and activities.
The early years focus on the FMS skills of running, dodging, jumping, leaping, throwing, catching, the punt, kicking, bouncing, the forehand and the backhand strike. Some of these skills will continue to be developed within the upper years but all will be introduced in the lower years. There is also a large focus on body and spacial awareness. This is developed through a number of different games and activities and particularly through a focus in the Gymnastics unit that is run each year.
In the upper years the focus shifts from skill development to a game sense focus. Students continue to develop and extend their FMS skills however they are now putting them into practice in modified games and less isolated activities. The focus becomes understanding how to use these skills within different sports and the skill becoming more open. The other main focus within the upper years is on developing a game sense approach to sports. This means developing student’s ability to make decisions within games and identifying the best option. This is developed by playing modified games to emphasise key concepts like beating a defender, creating or shutting down time and space and creating a scoring opportunity.
The major focus of Physical Education at Bell is to develop a lifelong love of physical activity. To help achieve this the emphasis of PE lessons is on the process and not the results. Students are assessed on their skill development and decision making at an individual level and their contribution to their team. Students are also given a wide variety of sports to try throughout their years of schooling with the aim to give them the best opportunity to find a form of physical activity or sport that they really connect with and can feel successful.
A range of additional opportunities are offered for particular year levels/ age groups as part of the Physical Education program at Bell, including: Year 6 Interschool Sport, Cross Country, Athletics, Swimming and Triathlon.
