Learning in Motion: How PE Shapes Confident, Curious Students

Written by Dax Garrett, Elementary PHE Teacher

At ISP, our Physical Education (PE) programme offers a dynamic, inclusive, and holistic approach that empowers every student with the knowledge, skills, and dispositions needed to foster personal, physical, mental, and social well-being. 

Rooted in the belief that every child is unique, the programme provides opportunities for students to explore their interests, develop essential skills, and build confidence in their abilities.

Our Physical and Health Education (PHE) curriculum is carefully designed to align with the SHAPE standards for PHE and the Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) competencies of the CASEL framework. This ensures a strong connection to ISP’s core mission, values, and beliefs. Offered from Early Childhood Foundations (ECF3/4) through Elementary Grade 5, the programme nurtures Curious, Competent, Compassionate Changemakers and healthy lifelong learners.

A Holistic Approach to Learning

The PHE programme focuses on three key strands:

• Motor Skills and Movement Patterns
• Concepts, Strategies, and Tactics
• Health and Well-being

Students engage in developmentally and pedagogically appropriate activities, including lead-up games and exploratory play, to build a foundation of skills and conceptual understanding. Through activities such as adventure programming, creative expression and dance, net and wall games, invasion games, striking and fielding games, and indoor and outdoor target games, students develop a deep appreciation for movement and teamwork.

 

Adventure and Challenge-Based Learning

A key component of our PE programme is the adventure curriculum, which follows a ‘challenge by choice’ approach. This creates safe and supportive environments where students develop social, self-management, and critical thinking skills. Through carefully designed activities, students learn to make thoughtful choices for themselves and their communities.

Connecting Learning Across Disciplines

As an inquiry-based IB Primary Years Programme (PYP school), ISP integrates PE with students’ Units of Inquiry, providing authentic learning experiences that strengthen connections across disciplines.

For example, in Grade 2, students are currently exploring forces and motion. Through activities like rope climbing, building human pyramids, jumping and landing from a springboard, and creating movement patterns, they experience firsthand how forces influence motion and movement quality.Looking ahead, Grade 4 students will engage in a unit on invasion games, which ties directly to their inquiry into human rights and responsibilities. This unit not only deepens their understanding of game strategies and tactics, but also encourages them to reflect on social responsibility. By advocating for themselves and others, students develop both physical skills and a broader sense of ethical responsibility.

A Learning Environment That Inspires

Students thrive in environments where they feel safe, supported, and challenged. By fostering an atmosphere of exploration and collaboration, our PE programme ensures that every student is equipped to take ownership of their learning journey - both in movement and in life.