Young Children’s Physical Development Needs: (Re)Defining Physical Education in the Early Years: Key Stage 1

The purpose of this chapter is to help practitioners make sense of and locate purposeful and appropriate learning for children in key stage one. Although a child's physical learning journey will have long since started before coming to school, this key stage is the first formal experience of 'Physical Education'. Physical Education will therefore be explored and discussed as curriculum subject and statutory entitlement. The chapter will begin by outlining the principle aims of the key stage one curriculum and locate its development within a historical and social context of learning. It will then explore contemporary key ideas that drive curriculum content and pedagogy. In addition to reinforcing a focus on movement competence and physical literacy presented in earlier chapters within the book, this chapter will also locate the pedagogy of movement learning through creativity, competitive and risk-taking environments.