Planning and Curriculum:

• Donore N.S now has an overall PE timetable ensuring that every class  has the allocated time of 1hour PE per week. Each class is timetabled in the hall for their allocated time and also classes are allocated discretionary time in the hall also.
• A complete infantry of the schools PE equipment has taken place. Donore NS had adequate PE equipment that is being replaced and updated over time.
• All staff were surveyed on the PE delivery in the school and it was agreed to follow a standardized timetable from September 2019. This will ensure that all teachers will teach the same strand of the curriculum at the same time

Resources

• We have an excellent user friendly storage area for our PE equipment. All boxes are clearly labelled and the ASF members from each class are responsible for keeping it tidy and returning equipment to correct place.
• The ASF committee carried out an audit of the equipment. The list of inventory was made available to all and a list is clearly on display in the PE store room.
• Donore NS has a great array and variety of equipment in order to teach the strands of the curriculum adequately.
• New equipment has been purchased and equipment will continue to be replenished as necessary.
• Each teacher has a copy of the PSSI lesson plans and the smart moves programme is available in the staff room so that all teachers can adequately teach strands of the curriculum.

Physical Education – Gymnastics

As part of our Active Flag application, one of the criteria in Physical Education is to develop a particular strand of the PE curriculum. For the school year 2019/2020 the staff decided that gymnastics was the strand to be developed. The decision was made in light of the importance of FMS (fundamental movement skills) and how
these gross motor skills are of vital importance to the children. The staff felt that developing these skills through the strand of gymnastics would be of great benefit.
Donore NS sought to develop this strand in three ways.

1. The school sought funding for the exclusive purpose of purchasing gymnastic equipment to further develop our teaching and facilitate our students. Our wonderful Parents Association contributed towards this.
2. The students from all classes would engage in an 8 week block of Gymnastic lessons from an outside gymnastic teacher.
3. It was agreed that class teachers would observe and monitor these lessons in order to develop their own knowledge and insight into the teaching of gymnastics to aid further teaching of the strand.

Teachers had been using the PSSI lessons based on the gymnastic strand and were happy with the teaching of the strand, but further development is needed.