Through our Physical Education curriculum we aim to provide our students with the confidence and physical literacy, alongside the knowledge and personal qualities, they need to maintain a healthy, active and balanced lifestyle during their school career and into their adult life.

Whilst in our care, students develop a lifelong love of, and passion for, physical activity and sport. Over the course of our curriculum, we raise students’ aspirations and equip them with the knowledge and skills to flourish as individuals in whatever walk of life they choose.  We foster the development of students’ character, preparing them to make valuable contributions to the future of physical activity within society. Students are able to appreciate the value of PE and Sport and apply these character traits in other areas of their school and personal lives. Students leave the school with an armoury of personal development skills and are able to contribute to society and interact with others in a range of settings. These skills include, but are not limited to, being able to work in a team, demonstrating effective communication, being able to employ cooperative learning strategies and being confident to move their body. We focus on character traits to include, but not limited to, empathy, resilience, self-regulation and self-worth. 

By offering students access to external sporting providers, students are provided opportunities to further their passions and continue to develop their all round skills; physically, socially and mentally. 

In addition to the physical aspect, we facilitate students' leadership and officiating skills so that students can remain involved in physical activity long beyond their schooling years, should participation not be their sole focus. Students are afforded opportunities to complete nationally recognised officiating and leadership qualifications. 

Our curriculum is an inclusive one and designed to ensure all students, regardless of their personal circumstances achieve their potential. There will always be opportunities to excel and students will leave the school with personal physical literacy and be ready to enjoy a lifelong love of physical activity.

Beyond the curriculum detailed in the document below, students are provided with numerous opportunities to take part in a wide range of recreational and competitive activities, all designed to foster a great love for Sport and PE.  We hold before school, lunchtime and after school activities every day to allow as many students as possible to get involved and enjoy being active.

Our recreational activities, such as Parmiter’s Park Run, Badminton Club and Table Tennis Club are very popular and allow students from across our school community to enjoy sport and physical activity together.  Our students also use our Fitness Suite, some choosing to follow their own training programmes. Our most able students are provided with a more detailed programme, allowing them to understand in more detail, how to improve their performance whilst balancing their other educational commitments. 

Our Dance Clubs are extremely well attended, with 12 different clubs each week covering a range of dance styles.  The majority of these clubs are run by our student leaders.  Around 150 of our students take part in the annual Performing Arts Show, where they perform in a professional theatre in front of parents and other members of the Parmiter’s Family.

For those students who want to play competitive sport, attendance at weekly training develops a strong ethic of commitment, effort and punctuality.  We encourage students to develop a mentality of wanting to improve and develop themselves as players; team places are limited but students who demonstrate commitment and skill will get the opportunity to play in teams.  Our residential sports development tours provide a further opportunity for students to hone their sporting skills, as well as the chance to make new friends and enjoy the experience of a school residential trip.  Our next trip is due to take place in April 2025 and will incorporate Football for both boys and girls. 

The opportunity to watch elite sport, work with Sports Science experts and be coached by experts is both beneficial and hugely motivating for our students.  Through our Parmiter’s Athlete Development Programme, students work with an external strength and conditioning coach alongside an expert in speed and agility; through this programme students really start to understand what separates elite performance from the everyday performer.  Our Sixth Form students experience lab testing sessions at the University of Bedfordshire and the University of Essex outreach programme allows students to experience a range of Sport Science taster sessions.

Our Leadership Academy is another facet of our extra-curricular programme.  Through our Sports Leaders programme, students develop and demonstrate important life skills such as effective communication and organisation, whilst learning to lead physical activities for younger people.  Parmiter’s Sports Leaders organise a range of activities for local primary school children; these younger students love the experience of Sport and Physical Education at a secondary school.

All of our opportunities for student participation are designed to encourage a love for PE and Sport. Through sport we see students becoming more confident, understanding the importance of respect, commitment and team work as well as benefiting from the time spent with friends.  We hope that through the many opportunities for participation, physical activity becomes a natural and enjoyable part of our students’ lifestyle now and in the future.