PE at the Upper Academy is about giving every student the chance to succeed, no matter their starting point. We use a quality‑first approach because our students deserve the very best lessons that inspire them, challenge them and help them see what they’re capable of. 

At its heart, our curriculum is about creating lifelong movers. We want students to understand the value of being active and how it can transform their physical, social and mental wellbeing. Whether they’re taking part for enjoyment, confidence or ambition, we want them to leave us knowing that movement can be a constant in their lives. Our curriculum aids this by building upon and strengthening the foundations built at the lower academy. We identify areas where students need support and adapt teaching to strengthen weaknesses. In our core PE lessons, students enjoy both competitive and non‑competitive environments where they can be stretched and challenged at appropriate levels. We aim to not only strengthen students’ ability to play sports, but also to coach and officiate. Through this, students are exposed to opportunities where they can strengthen literacy and numeracy skills. We offer an extensive extra‑curricular programme, and students have multiple opportunities to access clubs before school, during school and after school. 

We recognise that PE can open doors. Through our curriculum, we introduce students to the wide range of careers in sport and fitness, and we give them the knowledge and skills they need if they choose to pursue those pathways. We offer GCSE PE, Public Services and Level 1–3 BTEC courses, allowing learners of all abilities to gain qualifications they can use to progress. Combined, these courses allow our students to comprehensively cover areas in sport ranging from energy systems to planning and conducting interviews for specific sport‑industry jobs. 

Most importantly, we aim to develop young people who are resilient, active decision‑makers who can face challenges, bounce back and keep striving for more both in PE and in life.

We have high expectations for uniform, effort and engagement. Every lesson begins with retrieval practice. This is followed by purposeful activities that allow students to apply skills, develop understanding and make real progress. Lessons finish with reflective practices aimed at building our students’ spiritual awareness that help students understand how they learn, what they improved and what their next steps are. Throughout every lesson, clear learning intentions guide the learning, and adaptive teaching ensures all students can access the curriculum, regardless of their starting point. 

PE staff at the Upper Academy are passionate, motivating and kind role models who strive to build strong positive relationships with students, one of the ways they do this is by using trauma perceptive practice to guide their interactions with students. Because PE staff know learners on an individual basis, they can intervene and respond accordingly when learners face challenges.