Physical Education

Physical Education: A Core Pillar of Our ASF Journey

At Ballymurray NS, we are committed to providing high-quality Physical Education to every pupil.  Our PE programme is designed to be inclusive, comprehensive, and focused on long-term skill development.

Our PE Commitment

To ensure our pupils receive a well-rounded physical education, we have implemented the following:

• Weekly PE Lessons: All classes receive 60 minutes of formal, timetabled PE every week.

• Broad Curriculum: Every year, each class explores all key strands of the PE curriculum: Games, Athletics, Gymnastics, Dance, and Outdoor & Adventure.

• Water Safety: Our Junior and Senior Infants also participate in the PAWS (Primary Aquatics Water Safety) programme, ensuring they learn vital water safety skills from an early age.

Enhancing Teaching & Learning

A key requirement of the Active School Flag is a commitment to self-evaluation and improving our PE provision. We have achieved this through:

• Standardised Planning: Teachers utilise the support material provide by Oide- such as PSSI Lesson Plans, Move Well Move Often and other primary focussed material to ensure high-quality, structured delivery across all age groups.

• Specialised Focus: For the 2025/26 school year, we have prioritised the Gymnastics strand, investing in new resources and staff training to enhance the learning experience in this area.

• Professional Development: Many of our teaching staff have completed CPD training in the 'Move Well, Move Often' programme in collaboration with Oide. This focuses on teaching Fundamental Movement Skills (FMS)—the building blocks of all physical activity.

The FMS Multi-Year Plan

In September 2022, we introduced a strategic PE timetable that integrates Fundamental Movement Skills into our core plan. This ensures that every pupil will be explicitly taught all 15 essential movement skills over a three-year cycle. Every teacher’s yearly plan now strikes a balance between the curriculum strands and these core movement skills.

By refining our curriculum and investing in teacher expertise, we ensure that every pupil at Ballymurray NS leaves us with the confidence and physical literacy to remain active for life.