A Future Ready Primary PE Curriculum: Towards Clearer Purpose, Broader Focus, and Stronger Foundations

On the 5 November, the final report on the Curriculum and Assessment Review, led by Professor Becky Francis, was published, marking a significant milestone for education reform. Professor Francis, who has extensive experience and expertise in the field of education, was tasked with leading this review in July 2024. As CEO of the Education and Endowment Fund and Professor at UCL, with prior roles including Professor of Education and Social Justice at King’s College London, Director of Education at the RSA, and Standing Advisor to the Parliamentary Education Select Committee, she brings a strong commitment to social justice and addressing inequalities in education. A welcome and timely approach to the future direction of any curriculum.

“We have applied a social justice lens to all aspects of our work, seeking to identify and remove barriers to progress within the curriculum and assessment system” (p.28)

The current Primary National Curriculum is the longest-standing iteration England has had since becoming statutory in September 2013. Its review is both timely and necessary. The last decade has brought about significant changes in our society, our culture, and how we live and work — not least the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on children’s health, development, education, and family circumstances.

As Professor Francis importantly states in her Foreword:

“The importance of our national curriculum cannot be overstated. It is an entitlement to the most important knowledge that we expect children and young people to learn, both for their benefit and for the benefit of the nation.” (p.5)

While the report does not define what the new curriculum will look like from September 2028 — that task will fall to the National Curriculum Drafters over the coming years — the key recommendations, however, must be carefully considered. The report places principles of entitlement, knowledge, depth and mastery, coherence, specificity, inclusion and professional autonomy and reminds us that a curriculum is a tool for teachers. It should help, not hinder.

What the report says about the current place of Primary Physical Education

• Most primary schools are meeting the (strongly) recommended curriculum time allocation of two hours of physical education, per week.
• Teaching quality is variable across the county.
• There is concern that many children are not physically active outside of physical education, therefore subject teaching is important in laying the foundation of movement learning, physical activity and its wider role in health for all pupils.
• Many schools are not meeting the curriculum’s ambition, with dance and outdoor activities specifically highlighted as not being taught well, or not being taught at all.
• Despite being a statutory requirement, swimming and water safety is not taught in all primary schools, and where it is taught, not all children meet the expected outcome.
• Four out of 10 primary schools use external providers for curriculum delivery. The quality of these providers is variable across England.
• Only (on average) 5 hours is spent on each topic in physical education (not considered sufficient for mastery).

What the report suggests needs to change

• The statement of purpose for Physical Education is no longer appropriate.
• There is currently a disproportionate focus on pupils’ success in competitive sport. This has been a central component in the current curriculum which, internationally, places us as an “outlier”, as other countries have aligned to a more holistic physical education curriculum (e.g. the Curriculum for Wales, the Scottish Curriculum for Excellence, the Primary Curriculum Framework for Ireland, the Australian Curriculum and the New Zealand Curriculum) - all of which place an emphasis on bringing physical education alongside health and wellbeing.
• Subject aims are too brief and lack clarity. This is particularly highlighted as problematic for generalist primary teachers to interpret.
• The teaching of dance, swimming and outdoor activities requires more attention in the curriculum, for all pupils to access, as part of a balanced curriculum experience.
• 9% of schools did not teach swimming/water safety, and only 55% teach their pupils safe self-rescue.

What considerations for a new curriculum are put forward

• Subjects aims to be revised with more focused content (less brief) to support generalist teachers in interpreting the expectation of the aims.
• Clearer and more structured outline of what pupils should learn at each key stage, aligned with the refreshed subject aims.
• More time connected to each topic area.
• Strike a balance between competition (which should be celebrated and remain) and greater inclusivity.
• Physical education must have a broader purpose – the purpose of study should be slightly refined to offer more holistic development, emphasising the subject’s contribution to social, emotional and cognitive benefits.
• Introduces a concise, scaffolded approach to the attainment targets and key stage subject content within the Programmes of Study (dance, OAA and swimming).
• Review how the physical education key stage 1 to 4 programmes of study refer to dance, including whether they are sufficiently specific to support high-quality teaching and students’ progression, including to further study.
• Improve specificity of swimming and water safety, dance and outdoor and adventurous activities.

The next year will be crucial in shaping how these considerations are turned into a tangible, accessible, and inclusive curriculum for all pupils. However, the Curriculum and Assessment Review will not be the only policy impacting upon primary physical education and school sport in the coming years. We also await the outcome of the Primary PE and School Sport Premium Evaluation (currently underway), and with it, decisions around the future of the ‘Premium,’ as well as the tender outcome for a new School Sport Partnership and Enrichment Framework.

Change in education is inevitable - exciting, sometimes uncertain, but necessary. What Professor Francis’s Curriculum and Assessment Review ask for is measured, manageable change, with time for schools and professionals to adapt and prepare. While 2028 may seem a long way off, we have both the freedom and authority to begin shaping this future now. Children are entitled to a curriculum that is fit for purpose and one that inspires every child to move, grow and learn. The small, thoughtful changes we (can and should) make today will help build stronger foundations for a more informed, inclusive, and empowering curriculum that lies ahead.

Read the Curriculum and Assessment Final Report in full here.

Read the DfE’s blog here. 

Read the Association for Physical Education’s response here.

Read PE Scholar’s insight post here.