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Renewal Application

In Ballymoney National School, the pupils are working towards an ASF Renewal Status.
There are a number of criteria in order to achieve this acknowledgement:
1. Physical Education: Priority Fundamental Movement Skills (FMS) and PE Homework
2. Physical Activity: Decreasing Sedentary Time
3. Partnerships: ASF Questionnaires
4. Active School Week

1. Physical Education

In Ballymoney National School, all pupils are provided with 60 minutes of timetabled PE per week, as a minimum. The juniors have PE on Thursdays and the seniors have PE on Mondays.
All pupils are taught at least 5 different PE strands each year. Our PE programme for 2021-2022 will include Athletics, Dance, Gymnastics, Games, Outdoor and adventure activities, and Aquatics.
Both class teachers have ensured that each of the different PE strands is given a balanced amount of teaching time.
Every year, a different PE strand is chosen and all teachers work together to strengthen their delivery of this strand. This year's priority PE strand is Athletics. There are four strand units within this strand: running, jumping, throwing, and understanding and appreciation of athletics.
The PSSI lesson plans and the Move Well, Move Often resources are used by both teachers to guide their delivery of the Primary PE Curriculum.
In our school, all PE activities are carefully planned and differentiated so that they are accessible by all pupils.
Each pupil's progress and achievements in PE is discussed with the parents at PT meetings and feedback is also included in the annual school report.

The Land PAWS (Primary Aquatics Water Safety) water safety programme is taught to all class levels every year. Pupils engage with the lessons and games and become certified PAWS heroes at the end.
Our teachers have undertaken CPD in Physical Education during the past 12 months and new ideas and resources gained from this course were shared with other members of staff.

Every year, our school carries out a PE equipment audit and compiles an inventory. Old and broken equipment is disposed of and new equipment is purchased as it is needed.
Here is a photograph of our PE shed. All of our PE equipment and resources are kept in clearly-labelled, transparent boxes and other suitable storage facilities. The pupils have free access to the equipment during break/lunch times.

Both classroom teachers use the Move Well, Move Often resource and have prioritised 4 fundamental movement skills (FMS) for further development within their PE programme this year. These skills include: running, jumping, landing and throwing.
All pupils receive PE homework every night of Active Week and for the whole month of June.

Aquatics

Aquatics forms part of our PE programme.
For 6 weeks after Easter, all pupils went for swimming lessons at The Water School in Kealkill.
The pupils were put into different groups: Seahorses, Otters, Salmon, Dolphins and Advanced.

Athletics

Athletics forms part of our PE programme.
We were lucky enough to enjoy 6 sessions of athletics training with Martin from Jog 4 All in Term 1.
These sessions took place every Thursday and Martin taught us how to build on and improve our running skills. He also worked on our hopping and jumping skills and travelling backwards.
Take a look at the photos below:

Dance

Dance forms part of our PE programme.
We dressed in green for Lá Glas on 16th March and had a céilí outside. It was great fun to be together as a whole school for this event.
Take a look at the photos below:

Games

Games forms part of our PE programme.
We are always playing games in school; from warm-ups to cool-downs, informal games, imaginative games, co-operative games, practising skills and much more.
The pupils enjoyed 6 weeks of the Cycle Right programme with Caoimhe and Katie in Term 2.
Tadg Sheehan visits our school every Thursday to facilitate GAA lessons (6 weeks).

Gymnastics

Gymnastics forms part of our PE programme.
The pupils enjoy lessons on travelling, jumping, rolling, balancing, partner-work and using apparatus down in the Parish Hall.

Outdoor and adventure activities

Outdoor and adventure activities forms part of our PE programme.
The whole school went to West Cork Secret on the 29th September. The pupils engaged in orienteering activities and lots of assault courses and forest runs.
Ms. Hawkins made little wooden doors and houses in her garage and the pupils painted them. The end result is a Fairy Trail of 30 houses and doors up a quiet cul-de-sac beside our school. Lots of people go walking up this roadway and admire the pupils' work.

Renewal Application

In Ballymoney National School, the pupils are working towards an ASF Renewal Status.

There are a number of criteria in order to achieve this acknowledgement:

1. Physical Education: Priority Fundamental Movement Skills (FMS) and PE Homework

2. Physical Activity: Decreasing Sedentary Time

3. Partnerships: ASF Questionnaires

4. Active School Week

1. Physical Education

In Ballymoney National School, all pupils are provided with 60 minutes of timetabled PE per week, as a minimum. The juniors have PE on Thursdays and the seniors have PE on Mondays.

All pupils are taught at least 5 different PE strands each year. Our PE programme for 2021-2022 will include Athletics, Dance, Gymnastics, Games, Outdoor and adventure activities, and Aquatics.

Both class teachers have ensured that each of the different PE strands is given a balanced amount of teaching time.

Every year, a different PE strand is chosen and all teachers work together to strengthen their delivery of this strand. This year's priority PE strand is Athletics. There are four strand units within this strand: running, jumping, throwing, and understanding and appreciation of athletics.

The PSSI lesson plans and the Move Well, Move Often resources are used by both teachers to guide their delivery of the Primary PE Curriculum.

In our school, all PE activities are carefully planned and differentiated so that they are accessible by all pupils.

Each pupil's progress and achievements in PE is discussed with the parents at PT meetings and feedback is also included in the annual school report.

The Land PAWS (Primary Aquatics Water Safety) water safety programme is taught to all class levels every year. Pupils engage with the lessons and games and become certified PAWS heroes at the end.

Our teachers have undertaken CPD in Physical Education during the past 12 months and new ideas and resources gained from this course were shared with other members of staff.

Every year, our school carries out a PE equipment audit and compiles an inventory. Old and broken equipment is disposed of and new equipment is purchased as it is needed.

Here is a photograph of our PE shed. All of our PE equipment and resources are kept in clearly-labelled, transparent boxes and other suitable storage facilities. The pupils have free access to the equipment during break/lunch times.

Both classroom teachers use the Move Well, Move Often resource and have prioritised 4 fundamental movement skills (FMS) for further development within their PE programme this year. These skills include: running, jumping, landing and throwing.

All pupils receive PE homework every night of Active Week and for the whole month of June.

Aquatics

Aquatics forms part of our PE programme.

For 6 weeks after Easter, all pupils went for swimming lessons at The Water School in Kealkill.

The pupils were put into different groups: Seahorses, Otters, Salmon, Dolphins and Advanced.

Athletics

Athletics forms part of our PE programme.

We were lucky enough to enjoy 6 sessions of athletics training with Martin from Jog 4 All in Term 1.

These sessions took place every Thursday and Martin taught us how to build on and improve our running skills. He also worked on our hopping and jumping skills and travelling backwards.

Take a look at the photos below:

Dance

Dance forms part of our PE programme.

We dressed in green for Lá Glas on 16th March and had a céilí outside. It was great fun to be together as a whole school for this event.

Take a look at the photos below:

Games

Games forms part of our PE programme.

We are always playing games in school; from warm-ups to cool-downs, informal games, imaginative games, co-operative games, practising skills and much more.

The pupils enjoyed 6 weeks of the Cycle Right programme with Caoimhe and Katie in Term 2.

Tadg Sheehan visits our school every Thursday to facilitate GAA lessons (6 weeks).

Gymnastics

Gymnastics forms part of our PE programme.

The pupils enjoy lessons on travelling, jumping, rolling, balancing, partner-work and using apparatus down in the Parish Hall.

Outdoor and adventure activities

Outdoor and adventure activities forms part of our PE programme.

The whole school went to West Cork Secret on the 29th September. The pupils engaged in orienteering activities and lots of assault courses and forest runs.

Ms. Hawkins made little wooden doors and houses in her garage and the pupils painted them. The end result is a Fairy Trail of 30 houses and doors up a quiet cul-de-sac beside our school. Lots of people go walking up this roadway and admire the pupils' work.