Physical Education
At St. Aidan’s NS, Clonroche we ensure that all children receive an hour of Physical Education a week as set out by the NCCA P.E. Curriculum (1999). The children participate in a wide variety of strands every year (at least 5) and our teaching is guided by the 7 key messages of the P.E. Curriculum. The 6 strands we cover are: Aquatics, Games, Outdoor and Adventure, Gymnastics, Dance and Athletics.
These 7 messages are as follows:
- The importance of enjoyment and play
- Maximum participation by all children
- Development of skills and understanding
- Balance between competitive and non-competitive activities
- Balance between contact and non-contact activities
- Providing opportunities for achievement for every child
- Providing activities equally suitable for boys and girls
Our PE Timetable 2020-2021
Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | |
9:20 | |||||
10:00 | |||||
Break | |||||
11:10 | |||||
12:00 | |||||
Lunch | |||||
1:00 | Infants | ||||
2:00 | 3rd / 4th | 5th / 6th | 1st/ 2nd |
PE Overview 2020 – 2021
Month | Strands | FMS | In school | Extra- curricular |
September |
Games Outdoor and Adventure |
Walking, throwing, catching, kicking |
“Do your talking while you’re walking”. Walk to local playground. |
Rackard League Football Mini Sevens (Pending Covid 19 restrictions) |
October |
Games Outdoor and Adventure |
Walking, throwing, catching, kicking |
“Do your talking while you’re walking”. Equipment on the yard. (Friday) |
Rackard League Football (Pending Covid 19 restrictions) |
November | Games |
Striking with the hand. Striking with an implement. |
“Do your talking while you’re walking”. Equipment on the yard. (Friday) “Train on Thursdays” |
|
December | Dance | Side stepping / Balancing |
“Do your talking while you’re walking”. Equipment on the yard. (Friday) “Train on Thursdays” |
|
January | Gymnastics |
Balancing Landing |
“Do your talking while you’re walking”. Equipment on the yard. (Friday) “Train on Thursdays” Active Lines |
Rackard League handball (Pending Covid 19 restrictions) |
February | Gymnastics |
Balancing Landing |
“Do your talking while you’re walking”. Equipment on the yard. (Friday) “Train on Thursdays” Active Lines |
|
March | Dance | Skipping, hopping, sidestepping |
“Do your talking while you’re walking”. Equipment on the yard. (Friday) “Train on Thursdays” Active Lines |
Rackard League mini sevens camogie and hurling. (Pending Covid 19 restrictions) |
April | Games |
Striking with implement dodging |
“Do your talking while you’re walking”. Equipment on the yard. (Friday) “Train on Thursdays” Active Lines |
Rackard League camogie and hurling. (Pending Covid 19 restrictions) |
May | Athletics |
Running Jumping Throwing |
“Do your talking while you’re walking”. Equipment on the yard. (Friday) “Train on Thursdays” Active Lines Music on the Yard In school leagues |
Rackard League camogie and hurling. County School Sports Day (Athletics) (Pending Covid 19 restrictions) |
June |
Athletics Outdoor and Adventure |
Running Jumping Throwing |
“Do your talking while you’re walking”. Equipment on the yard. (Friday) “Train on Thursdays” Active Lines Music on the yard. Active Week Sports Day In school leagues. |
We are lucky to have a lot of equipment available to us, which the Senior Classes and the Active School Flag committee regularly re-organise and monitor. This year, we have labelled everything in the PE room to make it easily accessible to all.
Our school facilitates the use of sports equipment during break times. Friday is our day for bringing equipment out to the yard.



The school has sign posted an Active School WALKWAY. We encourage pupils to “Do their Talking While They are Walking” during break times and before school every morning. We also “Train on Thursdays”. Classes from second to sixth participate in running for twenty minutes at lunch time on Thursdays. Rewards are earned for this physical activity and can be built up to earn a night off homework.



It is school policy that on the days when children are unable to play outdoors, that every classroom teacher will incorporate an extended classroom-based physical activity break into the school day. Teachers use 10@10, Go Noodle and Chair Yoga to incorporate this physical activity into the school day.


The school incorporates physical activity into annual calendar events throughout the school year such as a Halloween Witch’s Walk, a Santa Run and Seachtain na Gaeilge.


The school acknowledges physical activity effort and success both during school and outside of school hours. We have a whole school assembly every Monday and Friday morning. The children are encouraged to bring in any medals or trophies they may have won for sporting endeavours and to report on any matches etc they may have played.



Active Week
- Our school commits to having Active School Week (#ASW) as part of the annual school calendar.
- Our school ensures that all #ASW activities are planned so that they are accessible by all pupils.
- Our school involves pupils in the design and organisation of the #ASW programme.
- Tracksuits replaces uniforms for staff and pupils for the duration of #ASW
- Our school promotes physical activity in a cross-curricular way throughout #ASW
- Our school gives physical activity tasks as homework during #ASW.
- Our school organises a whole school FUN event during #ASW.
Active Flag Timetable 2019
9:10 |
Monday “Do your talking while you’re walking”. |
Tuesday “Do your talking while you’re walk ing”. |
Wednesday “Do your talking while you’re walking”. |
Thursday “Walk to school!” |
Friday “Do your talking while you’re walking”. |
9:20 |
Walk a mile challenge. (6 laps of track) |
Cricket First and second |
Assembly Teams for sports day. |
Playground Games 1st / 2nd Infants |
Walk to school |
10:00 | 10@10 | 10@10 | Sports Day | 10@10 | 10@10 |
11:00 | Sos | Sos | Sos | Sos | Sos |
11:10 |
Walk a mile challenge. (6 laps of track) |
Cricket Third and Fourth ( 11:10- 11:45) |
Sports Day |
Playground Games 3rd / 4th |
5th 6th PE Outdoor and Adventure |
12:00 |
Walk a mile challenge. (6 laps of track) |
Cricket Fifth and Sixth (11:45 – 12:25) |
Sports Day |
Playground Games 5th / 6th |
5th 6th Outdoor and Adventure |
12:30 |
Lón Skipping (Front yard) |
Lón Music in the yard Running |
Lón Camogie Infants |
Lón Hurling |
Lón Infants Hurling |
1:00 |
Yoga / Meditation (6 week yoga sequence) |
PE 1st / 2nd Yoga/ Meditation |
PE Infants | Céilí sa Halla | Prizegiving for Sports Day |
2:00 |
Yoga / Meditation
(Go Noodle Flow / Go Noodle Empower) |
Water Safety lesson Education tab….PAWS… Click on class level. |
PE 3rd / 4th |



