PE and Sport 2025–2026

Platinum Games Mark – a fantastic achievement!

We are incredibly proud to announce that we have achieved the Platinum Games Mark Award! This is a fantastic recognition of our ongoing commitment to PE, sport and physical activity across the school. After achieving Bronze, followed by Silver and then four consecutive years of Gold, we are delighted to have finally reached Platinum! This award reflects the enthusiasm, dedication and hard work of our pupils, staff and Sports Captains, as well as the many opportunities we provide for every child to be active, develop their skills, build confidence and enjoy being part of a team. We are particularly proud that our commitment extends beyond competitive sport, with a strong focus on inclusion, participation, leadership and helping every child to develop a lifelong love of being active.

Active Bags – taking activity home

In September 2025, Year 5 and 6 pupils designed and created our new Active Bags to encourage children and families to be more active at home. Using PE and Sport Premium funding, equipment was purchased for activities including football, tennis, skipping, athletics and balance, while pupils wrote activity cards and our Sports Captains assembled the bags. Each class has the opportunity to borrow the bags for a week during the year, helping to promote Active 60 and extend physical activity beyond the school day.

Supporting Active 60 at home

We are committed to helping children achieve the recommended 60 active minutes every day, and we have continued to find creative ways to encourage physical activity beyond the school gates.

In Spring 2025, parents and carers were invited to send photographs of their children being active outside school. These were brought together on a PE display board, celebrating the many different ways our pupils stay active in their free time and inspiring others to get involved.

We also strengthened our links with our local Junior Parkrun. On 11 March 2026, Junior Parkrun delivered a whole-school assembly to introduce pupils and families to the programme. The PE Lead then attended the local event on 22 March to support our pupils. The organisers reported their highest-ever attendance at the event. We are delighted that the impact has continued, with many pupils now attending Junior Parkrun regularly. Many have already earned wristbands and proudly shared their achievements during Celebration Worship, inspiring even more children to take part.

Active learning and Active 60 at school

Physical activity is an important part of school life, and we have continued to look for opportunities to get children moving throughout the school day.

In Autumn 2025, we introduced Teach Active, an online resource that brings physical activity into Maths and English lessons.

We have also continued to provide regular opportunities for children to be active through:

• The Daily Mile, with every class taking part as part of our commitment to daily physical activity.
• Active bursts and movement breaks, regularly incorporated into classroom learning.
• New playground equipment and an additional outdoor storage shed, purchased in Autumn 2025 to increase opportunities for active play at break and lunchtime.
• A lunchtime dance club, attended regularly by pupils, with children going on to perform in a dance showcase in February.
• Sports Captains' participation competitions, with whole-school competitions in skipping, basketball and athletics.
• The annual Northaw World Cup, where pupils competed in mixed-age teams during lunchtime matches, supported by Premier Education referees.
• A wide range of workshops during Active Week, including Sharks Rugby, Dad Dancer and Martial Arts, culminating in our whole-school Sports Day.
• Perform4All movement and performance workshops for EYFS and KS1 pupils, as well as whole-school sessions throughout the year.

Developing skills and discovering new sports

We have continued to provide pupils with opportunities to experience a wide range of sports, develop their skills and discover activities they may not otherwise have the opportunity to try.

The Chance to Shine Hertfordshire Cricket Programme was delivered to all pupils in Years 1–6 during the Spring 2 term, providing high-quality coaching and increasing participation in cricket.

All Year 6 pupils attended the Wodson Worldwide Games in September, experiencing a range of sporting and cultural activities, while a further six Year 5 pupils attended the Year 5 event in June 2026.

A Year 3/4 Development Day in September provided an entire class with additional opportunities to develop their sporting skills and participate in new activities.

Our pupils also proudly represented the school in a range of inter-school competitions, including Rugby, Cross Country and Gymnastics, giving children opportunities to experience both participation and competition.

Inclusion – making sport accessible to everyone

A key part of our PE and Sport provision is ensuring that every child has the opportunity to be active, regardless of ability, confidence or previous experience.

Our Every1In inclusion events provided valuable opportunities for less active pupils and pupils with SEND to participate.

A specialist HWSPP inclusion session in November targeted 15 of our least active Key Stage 2 pupils, helping to build confidence and encourage greater participation in physical activity.

During the Summer Term, a Gross Motor Skills Intervention was delivered by our Inclusion Lead to support pupils requiring additional development in fundamental movement skills.

Our commitment to inclusion also continued through staff development. The PE Lead attended the Primary PE Conference in January, with a particular focus on inclusion and increasing participation for all pupils.

Wellbeing through physical activity

We recognise that being active benefits not only physical health but also mental health, wellbeing and resilience.

The Watford FC Positive Minds Education Programme was delivered over ten weeks to our Year 5 and 6 pupils, using physical activity and wellbeing-focused activities to support positive mental health and develop resilience.

Developing our young leaders

Our Sports Captains have played an important role throughout the year, taking on leadership responsibilities and helping to shape physical activity across the school.

From designing and organising the Active Bags to leading whole-school competitions in skipping, basketball and athletics, our young leaders have demonstrated enthusiasm, responsibility and initiative. These opportunities have enabled pupils to develop leadership skills while making a positive contribution to the wider school community.

A year to celebrate

From achieving Platinum Games Mark to launching our Active Bags, increasing opportunities for Active 60, developing young leaders and strengthening inclusion, 2025–2026 has been another fantastic year for PE and Sport at our school.

Most importantly, we have continued to create opportunities for every child to participate, achieve, compete, lead and enjoy being active. We are incredibly proud of the enthusiasm shown by our pupils and look forward to building on this success next year as we continue to make physical activity an important and enjoyable part of school life.