Physical Activity

Physical activity within a primary school is defined by the Assoctation for Physical Education (AFPE) as 'a broad term that describes bodily movement, posture and balance. All require energy. It includes all forms of physical education, sports and dance activities. However, it is wider than this, as it also includes indoor and outdoor play, work-related activity, outdoor and adventurous activities, active travel (e.g walking, cycling, rollerblading, scooting) and routine, habitual activities such as using the stairs, doing housework and gardening'.

Physical Activity at Our Lady of Hartley

We take our responsibility to help children to meet the Chief Medical Officer guidelines that all children and young people aged 5 to 18 engage in at least 60 minutes of physical activity a day (of which 30 minutes should be in school) very seriously. Therefore, at Our Lady of Hartley, Children take part in physical activity in a plethora of ways. Be it at break time, as part of continuous provision (Reception and Year One) or during lesson time. Every opportunity to be active is taken. We use some of the sports funding allocated to us to help with this. Please see the list below to see some of the ways that we help to keep children moving:

Movement breaks throughout the day (sometimes using 5-a-day fitness to help).
Games and activities at breakfast club.
Access to a wide variety of equipment at break times and lunchtimes.
A wide range of after school clubs offered.
Access to the allotment and well-being area.
Opportunities throughout the year to attend Forest School.
Providing training and resources for mid-day supervisors to oversee games and activities at break and lunchtime.
Physical activity interventions.
Annual Bikeability courses offered to our Year 6 children.
On-site bike/scooter storage to encourage being physically active on the way to and from school.

Forest School

Forest School is an inspirational outdoor learning process that offers children regular opportunities to develop confidence and self-esteem through hands-on experiences in a natural setting. During these sessions, children engage in a variety of enriching activities designed to foster curiosity and resilience, such as building dens, learning to use tools safely for whittling, identifying local wildlife, and cooking over an open campfire. They also explore their creativity through nature art and develop teamwork skills by solving outdoor challenges together. We are delighted to announce that during the 2025-2026 academic year, every class will have the opportunity to attend Forest School. This wonderful initiative would not be possible without the generous support of our PTA, whose commitment to partially funding the program ensures that all our students can benefit from the magic of outdoor learning.