Ensuring Quality P.E. Provision in Our Schools

The mental health and wellbeing of children and young people has become a prominent focus for all of us over the past few years.

From the virtual podium of the 2021 EIS AGM, Learning Rep and P.E. Teacher, Dominic Tollan, signalled the importance of ensuring quality physical education in every school in Scotland as an integral part of the health and wellbeing agenda. The focus was sharpened at the 2022 AGM, to ensuring the quality of primary P.E. provision by suitably qualified GTCS registered teachers.

Change scene to a recent sunny April evening at Gleniffer High School in Paisley, and a group of primary and early years teachers participate in ‘Planning Progressive Lessons in Primary P.E.’. The very practical workshops saw participants adopt the roles of their pupils, to experience how to build simple but highly effective and adaptable P.E. lessons within their own contexts, using the resources readily available to them.

The course was a culmination of input from primary, early years, and P.E. teachers from across Scotland. Resounding messages were that teachers would welcome opportunities and time to collaborate with specialist colleagues, understand how to use space and resources available to them, and generally build confidence in delivering P.E. lessons. With feedback from participants highlighting the benefits of the practical tools and tips, and excitement to try them out back in the classroom, the first delivery of this course has been a resounding success.

Commenting on the near year-long development of the course, Dominic states. “From a Learning Rep perspective, it is heartening that an issue raised at local level and carried through the EIS AGM has gone full circle and provided an important professional learning opportunity for teachers, which impacts positively not only on P.E. but education as a whole.

“Hopefully this will encourage EIS members and Learning Reps to bring forward important issues to be presented at AGM and also supported by Learning Reps locally and nationally.”

And this course is a first step in a longer journey to ensuring consistency and quality of P.E. in schools. Building on feedback from a focus group of P.E. teachers from across Scotland, we are developing opportunities to explore collaborative working and learning, which will be launched early in the 2023-24 academic year.

Visit the EIS website for key learning and resources from ‘‘’Planning Progressive Lessons in Primary P.E.’.