The Primary PE Huddle Dan Hays & Paul Warner

Who’s our guest?

Sam Horton is a passionate PE teacher who believes strongly in physical education, sport, and physical activity as essential contributors to children's love for healthy living and a tool to end physical inactivity. Sam possesses six years of experience at Wollescote Primary School and prior experience in sports coaching. He is particularly enthusiastic about sports and pursued a pathway into teaching to continue his passion on a professional level. He recently earned a promotion as the PE coordinator for Wollescote Primary School and is driven to enhance the PE culture within the school. His vision is based around the school ethos 'Be proud, be positive, be polite'.

Despite his achievements, Sam remains humble and continuously strives for self-improvement, both in his abilities and in pushing PE to the forefront of the school environment. This is evident in his initiative to start girls' football at the school, which demonstrates his commitment to inclusivity. Additionally, Sam is highly engaged with the community, desiring to involve guardians and parents in the school's activities and to make them aware of the benefits and importance of PE in children's development.


What do we discuss?

-The importance of communication and sportsmanship in PE
-The role of sports leaders in promoting sportsmanship
-Debunking myths about PE teaching
-The power of networking and collaboration in PE leadership
-The importance of sportsmanship in school culture
-The role of in-house competitions in promoting sportsmanship
-The use of resources in enhancing PE teaching
-Engaging the community in promoting physical activity
-Feedback and reports: enhancing parental engagement
-Setting goals: The journey to high standard PESSPA
-Tracking physical activity: The future of school fitness
-After school clubs: Enhancing pupil engagement
-Empowering pupils in sports decision making
-Fostering leadership skills
-Launching a girls football team
-Creating a vision for PE: A guide for new teachers
-Creating effective PE resources: A personal journey
-Best practices for PE lessons: A comprehensive guide
-Top five tips for influencing PE and creating an active ethos

Taking the plunge: The evolution of primary school swimming


Who’s our guest? 
Kaylë has been a swimming teacher for 23 years and specialises in baby and pre-school swimming. With 19 years of tutoring experience, she is passionate about encouraging people to learn to swim and be safe in water. She has spoken internationally about the importance of learning to swim within a safe, supportive, and inclusive environment with participants at the centre of the lesson.
 
Kaylë managed a swim school before joining STA in 2012. Recently appointed as the Director of Education at STA, Kaylë heads up the Qualification Development and Compliance team, creating fit-for-purpose, high-quality training qualifications and supporting the expanding Approved Training Centre workforce to ensure compliance and quality assurance for learners and employers across the sector. She is passionate about swimming - her happy place - and believes in its transformative power, both for individual health and social benefits. 
 
What do we discuss? 
·       The Importance of Swimming in Primary Schools
·       Interview with Kaylë Brightwell from STA
·       The role of STA in promoting swimming education
·       The challenges and solutions in school swimming education 
·       The challenges of incorporating swimming into the school curriculum
·       The importance of prioritising swimming in schools
·       Practical tips for implementing swimming lessons in primary schools.
·       The role of teachers and resources in promoting swimming
·       The impact of swimming on pupils and the community
 

Who’s our guest?
Natalie Weir is an ardent advocate for physical education and bodily literacy. With over 15 years of experience in the field, Natalie has worked in national sporting bodies, including a twelve-year stint at British Orienteering in positions ranging from sport development to being on the senior leadership team.
 
She is also the Chief Playmaker and mother to two children, whose physical growth and development have further instilled in her the importance of physical activity from a young age. Following this trail, she is currently chasing a PhD at the University of Derby exploring the correlation between movement and physical literacy in three to five-year-olds. Her primary focus is to encourage more activity among these age groups as she believes that early engagement in physical activity is integral to setting up young ones for healthier futures. She is dedicated to her mission of challenging the current state of physical education and promoting a more holistic approach to young people's physical activity. Natalie is known and respected for her insightful research, passionate advocacy, and continued contribution towards making physical inactivity a thing of the past.
 
What do we discuss? 
Natalie's journey in physical educationThe importance of early physical activityNatalie's research on physical activity on under fivesThe role of physical literacy in children's livesThe impact of physical activity on health and societyThe role of education in promoting physical activityThe importance of physical education in schoolsChallenges and obstacles in implementing physical activity in schoolsQuick wins for promoting physical activity in schoolsThe importance of choice in physical educationBuilding a relationship between children and physical activity The changing nature of physical activity in childhoodThe role of competition in physical educationThe challenge of disparity in physical abilitiesThe importance of physical activity in learningThe role of data in physical educationThe role of teachers in promoting physical activity

Who is our guest?
On our new season of PE Huddle Podcast, we had the pleasure of hosting Glenmead Primary School's class teacher and PE Lead, Hannah Davis. Hannah has been teaching for 4 years and has been in the PE Lead position for 3 years, having shadowed and supported the Deputy Head with PE previously.
 
Her background includes obtaining a degree in PE and Sport Studies combined with Childhood and Youth Studies, before completing a SCITT in Primary Teaching. Hannah has a strong passion for sports and PE, enjoying competing in athletics and cross country running regularly throughout my childhood and attending regular Aston Villa football fixtures to date. 
 
Stay tuned for more such engaging conversations on the PE Huddle Podcast!
 
What do we chat about?
Making PE Integral Across the SchoolTeam Effort and Communication:Support and Networking for TeachersEffective Professional DevelopmentPupil Leadership and IndependenceInvolving Families and CommunityData-Driven ImprovementsIdeal PE LessonsListening to pupil input

The series 3 finale of The Primary PE Huddle is here and what a series it’s been!
For this final episode, we’re taking a look back over the series to bring you the very best insights, advice and words of wisdom.
 
Who’s joined us on the podcast this series?
Series 3 has seen us welcome a whole host of experts from the field of primary education:
 
Episode 1:  “We don’t move for functional reasons, we move for the joy of it” with Greg Dryer, co-founder and CEO of miMove
 
Episode 2:  “Once you’ve got the ear of SLT, then it’s about delivering on your promises” with John Haycock, PE lead at Chilcote Primary School
 
Episode 3:  “Let's make learning irresistible” with Bryn Llewellyn, founder of Tagtiv8
 
Episode 4:“My PE teachers were my heroes” with Shaun Dowling, Head of Sport at United Learning
 
Episode 5: “Engagement over compliance” with Deputy Headteacher Liam Gould and PE Lead Teresa Shackleton from Wodensfield Primary School
 
Episode 6:  “You’re not on your own” with Louisa Mulvey, class teacher and PE Coordinator
 
A big thank you to all our series 3 guests for joining us and sharing your experiences, thought-provoking insights, and inspirational ideas to embed a “top-down physically active ethos” in primary schools!
 

This week on the podcast we’re joined by class teacher and PE Coordinator Louisa Mulvey.
 
Who is Louisa Mulvey?
Louisa is a qualified teacher based in Hampshire. Louisa has been working in primary schools since 2014 where her career began on the sunny, leafy side of Wimbledon Village. Louisa spent three years teaching PE exclusively before qualifying in 2017 where she managed the role of class teacher alongside PE coordinator.
Louisa’s teaching journey began after graduating university armed with a 2:2 in Sports Science and minimal career advice. During summers Louisa worked as a children’s camp manager. The company proceeded to offer Louisa a job as a site manager/PE teacher/lunchtime supervisor/afterschool club manager/ competition coordinator. The following three years saw Louisa manage numerous apprentices alongside the continuation of full-time teaching.
At the beginning of Louisa’s third year in teaching she decided she needed to progress her career and gained qualified teacher status (QTS) through Schools Direct. Louisa began at a new school, training on the job whilst assisting the PE coordinator with competitions.
Louisa then moved schools to begin her NQT year, settling into the role with ease; before the end of the year Louisa was promoted to PE coordinator. Balancing class work and the PE coordinator role could be a challenge, but because Louisa’s role was clearly outlined within the school, she felt like she had full control over it whilst enjoying great support from the head. Louisa continued to enjoy her PE teaching and took children to numerous tournaments across the borough. 
And then Covid…
After leaving London and a brief hiatus from teaching and working in a pie shop, Louisa began a new role in Hampshire. Louisa began the role mid-year, and it was on her second day that the country went into lockdown. As a result, Louisa was unable to get to know colleagues and was given a jumble of classes on her second day with absolutely no knowledge of the logistics of how things worked around the school.
After around 3 months, Louisa started to get the hang of things and was allowed to begin PE teaching, with the addition of strict cleaning protocols. The following school year saw things get back to normal, PE was allowed to resume properly, and Louisa was delighted to take on the role of PE lead alongside an already established team of three. Working alongside a larger team was new to Louisa and at times it was confusing to ascertain who was meant to be doing what. At times there could be divided opinions on things such as how the PE budget could be spent. However, Louisa was pleased to get stuck into the role and quickly began organising lunchtime athletics trials and drawing up school teams for interschool competitions.
 
Louisa’s advice to anyone taking on the role of PE coordinator is to take charge of your role, ensure to clearly establish and (where necessary) divide responsibilities as there is nothing more frustrating in teaching than ‘too many cooks’…
 
What’s discussed in the episode?
Communication is the key Play to the strengths in your team Prove that it works and benefits everyone Get children moving Let the children explore