Perth and Kinross: Overview

Staff

Funding was provided for an additional 12 full-time equivalent (FTE) posts for teachers of physical education to enhance the provision in primary schools. This meant a total 17 FTE posts, with 27 staff working in full-time and part-time posts across the authority. Part of the funding for the additional teachers has come from the budget for reducing class contact time (RCCT) for the primary class teachers.

PE staff deliver one-hour lessons: 50 minutes of RCCT for the class teacher with a 10-minute changeover which allows the class teacher to consult with the specialist; the class teacher delivers the second hour. Class teachers are expected to develop partnership working with Active Schools co-ordinators and sports development officers to develop their skills and enhance the delivery of PE.

PE programme

To ensure a broad and balanced range of activities, a revised PE programme has been developed for primary schools setting out learning outcomes which are planned and progressive. These learning outcomes sit comfortably alongside the values, purposes and principles of Curriculum for Excellence. The PE specialist working in primary schools will follow the PE specialist segment in the PE programme. The class teacher programme is more flexible and allows class teachers, in negotiation with headteachers, to add activities and change blocks to suit individual schools' needs. Activities can be moved to suit individual schools and staff expertise within the school.

Sitting alongside the programme for pupils is a programme of staff development to build teachers’ skills, making them more confident and ultimately benefiting the pupils. A CPD calendar has been compiled offering CPD on all the activities offered in the PE programme to support the non-specialist and specialist in teaching PE. CPD can be offered centrally or staff can deliver in local cluster groups and be more specific for school needs and facilities.

Events

A programme of local and central events has been in place for a number of years. This has been developed further to offer young people both participative and competitive events to broaden their opportunities for taking part, with others, in a variety of sporting activities. The PE specialists organise and deliver the events programme in conjunction with Active Schools co-ordinators and sports development officers. The events are held on weeks where holidays and in-service days occur and class teachers do not have full class contact. Through negotiation with JNCT, it has been agreed that RCCT time is not required on these shortened pupil weeks and PE staff can be released to deliver the events programme.