Robert Ferguson Primary School, East Dale Street, Denton Holme, Carlisle, CA2 5LA 01228 535091
Headteacher Mr Graham Frost BEd (Hons) NPQH MA

Sports

Sports Premium Funding

At Robert Ferguson Primary School, we aim to provide a broad and challenging PE curriculum for all children from Nursery to Year 6. Over the last few years we have used sports premium funding to improve the quality and breadth of Physical Education and sport in our school, developing the competence of our schools staff. Whilst receiving the sports premium funding, many of our lessons have been delivered by specialist PE teachers and qualified sports coaches in order to do so. This has provided excellent staff development whilst also enhancing our P.E. Lessons and providing valuable links with local sports clubs.

We are confident that our staff are now extremely competent in delivering high quality P.E. lessons throughout the school. To further enhance our high quality provision, we have used our school minibus to transport our children to various sporting venues within and outside of the local community to introduce them to sports such as squash, boccia, rock climbing and swimming. We have taken part in competitive events, introductory events to new sports for disadvantaged and less active children as well as many Panathlon events for children with special and additional needs.

Our Year 1 and 6 teachers Mrs Fearon and Mr Pearson are also fully qualified sports coaches and help to support the delivery of high quality P.E. throughout the school as our PE coordinators.

Year 5 and 6 Playground Leaders will once again receive playground leader training in. This has proved to be successful in previous years, helping the younger children engage in play with some guidance.

Carlisle United Community Sports Trust Coaches are continuing to run after school clubs in football, dance and gymnastics for key stage 1 which focus on the fundamentals of movement with specific links to those sports. This is proving to have a positive effect in PE throughout Key Stage 2, with more children showing increased physical literacy and competency across a range of sports.

P.E. equipment and resources are regularly updated and improved. We have recently purchased a variety of playground resources to help focus children during playtimes; promote healthy activities and aid physical and mental wellbeing.

Children in years 3, 4, 5 & 6 will each attend blocks of swimming lessons to ensure our children leave school being able to swim a minimum of 25 meters and be safe in and around water. Our year 6 children are assessed against the National Curriculum expectations.

Year 5 attend Hawes End outdoor center in September. This enables the children to experience outdoor and adventurous activities and work collaboratively to challenge themselves physically and mentally.

Additional Sporting Activities

We have previously taken part in the Active Cumbria initiative which involved children taking part in a 100 mile challenge. This encouraged the children to remain fit and healthy by running, walking or cycling 100 miles over a period of time. We encourage active travel to school too and celebrate this during specific weeks of the year.

Our daily mile track has enabled us to run similar initiatives in school. We encourage all classes where possible to get outside and use the track as it has proven to aid concentration in lessons as well as improve physical fitness.

We strive to provide children with other opportunities which we can not offer in school. This year we offered rock climbing as an after school club for the first time in lower key stage 2, it was a huge success and led to some children joining the club in their own time.

Swimming

We consider swimming an essential skill for safety and enjoyment, and to enable access to a wide range of water sports. All children receive swimming instruction in Years 3 and 4, with additional top-up swimming in years 5 and 6 for those who have not met statutory requirements. We encourage parents and carers to take children swimming in addition to school time, to ensure children develop swimming competence and confidence.

In 2025-26 83% of Y6 achieved the National Curriculum expectations.

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