Physical Education at Ripponlea Primary School

Physical Education at Ripponlea Primary School is designed to be fun, inclusive, and provide students with the necessary foundation to lead healthy and active lifestyles, both now and in the future.

Curriculum Overview:

Students from Foundation through to Year 6 attend weekly one-hour Physical Education sessions. These sessions focus on teaching Fundamental Motor Skills, concepts of movement, coordination, cooperation, game sense, and healthy lifestyles aligned with the Victorian Curriculum.

Sports Program:

Our sports program caters to all students from Foundation to Year 6. It includes:

• Perceptual Motor Program (PMP) in Foundation
• Minor Games in Years 1 and 2
• SEPEP (Sports Education in Physical Education Program) in Years 3 and 4
• Inter-school Sport in Years 5 and 6

SEPEP:

SEPEP stands for Sports Education in Physical Education Program. It is constructed around a student-centred approach to physical education, allowing students to take responsibility for their learning and develop leadership skills through various roles and responsibilities. SEPEP covers vital skills such as teamwork, organization, problem-solving, and communication.

Fundamental Motor Skills:

Foundation students are introduced to fundamental skills such as running, jumping, skipping, throwing, catching, kicking, and bouncing. These skills progress through Year 1 and 2 and are applied to modified games in Year 3 and Year 4. Students in Years 5 and 6 further apply these skills with tactics and game strategies, often representing the school in the Inter-school Sports Program.

Perceptual Motor Program (PMP) in Foundation: The PMP Program runs for the year and aims to develop a child's perceptions and understandings of themselves and their world through movement and motor experiences. Multi-sensory activities promoted through the program are designed to develop each child's Gross Motor skills, fine motor skills, short-term memory, eye tracking, and language skills in a fun way. It gives the child experiences in seeing, hearing, touching, processing, making perceptual judgments, and reacting. This is achieved using a variety of equipment during carefully sequenced activities which include running, hopping, skipping, jumping, balancing, crawling, climbing, throwing, catching, bowling, and sliding. Year 5/6 buddies support the program weekly.

Additional Activities:

• Students participate in units focusing on movement, including fitness and long-distance running, leading up to events like House Cross Country and House Athletics.
• All students from Foundation to Year 2 undertake 2 weeks of intensive swimming lessons each year.
• Students in Year 5/6 participate in the OWL – Open Water Learning Course and Surfing/Sailing lessons.
• Ripponlea Primary School seeks Sporting in-School grants to provide unique opportunities for our students. This has included weekly gymnastics, taekwondo lessons, surfing, skateboarding and ten-pin bowling
• We actively engage with the local sports community and participate in sports clinics run by state sporting bodies like Tennis Victoria, Athletics Victoria, Melbourne Victory, and AFL Primary Play.

Partnerships and Participation:

Ripponlea Primary School maintains strong relationships with local sporting clubs and participates in the Balaclava District through School Sport Victoria. This provides our students with opportunities to represent the school in weekly sports, swimming, cross country, athletics, and various Round Robin Days throughout the year.

Physical Education at Ripponlea Primary School offers students more than just physical skills; it fosters teamwork, sportsmanship, cooperation, communication, and fair play.