Physical Education

Discover how Physical Education at our school builds fit, confident and well-rounded students through sport, movement and healthy lifestyle habits.

Last updated 10 June 2026

Curricular Goal

Physically Active and Healthy Learners

The Physical Education Department wants to cultivate active and responsible students by developing their knowledge, skills, attitudes and values that contribute to a healthy and physically active lifestyle.

Four children in yellow uniforms do gymnastics on balance beams and mats in a school gymnasium.

Purpose of Physical Education

The purpose of Physical Education is to develop physically competent and confident individuals who enjoy a lifetime of active and healthy living safely and responsibly.

Group of children in yellow uniforms holding toy fruits and food near a colorful play market setup indoors.

Goals of Physical Education

1. Movement Competence. Students are competent and confident to participate in a range of physical and outdoor activities.

2. Healthy Lifestyle Practices. Students have a personal commitment to healthy lifestyle practices in physical activity, nutrition, sleep, outdoor time and hygiene.

3. Safety Mindset. Students apply risk assessment to manage daily and physical activities with respect to self, others and the environment.

4. Core Values. Students make informed and responsible decisions with regard to personal behaviour and social interactions based on sound values-based judgements.

5. Enjoyment. Students enjoy and value physical activities and healthy living in a sustainable way.

The learning experiences leading to the goals of Physical Education at the primary level are organised according to the three learning areas and content areas/strands as shown below.

Table with Learning Area, Content Area, and Strand columns covering Physical Activity, Outdoor Education, and Physical Health topics.

Most content areas for Physical Activity (i.e., Dance, Games and Sports, and Gymnastics), Outdoor Education, and Physical Health and Safety are introduced at Primary 1. For the other content areas under Physical Activity, Athletics is introduced at Primary 4 and Swimming is to be completed by Primary 6.

A balanced participation in Athletics, Dance, Games and Sports, Gymnastics, Swimming and Outdoor Education, with Physical Health and Safety blended into the six areas, is essential to teach students the critical movement skills and concepts. These essential building blocks for developing movement competency provide the necessary movement vocabulary and experiences for learning and performance.

Three school scenes: student filming gym class on tablet, masked girl writing, and a student involvement assessment display board.

Curriculum Framework

Physical Education seeks to develop the whole child to bring about a nation of physically competent and confident individuals who enjoy a lifetime of active and healthy living safely and responsibly.

The three learning areas of Physical Activity, Outdoor Education, and Physical Health and Safety are pivotal in providing the content for design and enactment of students’ meaningful learning experiences in, about and through movement, leveraging the physical and social environment in providing real-life contexts to strengthen students’ learning. A balanced and well-designed Physical Education curriculum, delivered through effective pedagogies and purposeful assessment will enable students to apply the skills, knowledge, practices and values to lead an active and healthy lifestyle, and acquire the 21st century competencies to thrive in the fast changing and complex world. Below shows a diagrammatic representation of the Physical Education Curriculum Framework.

Circular diagram showing Physical Education Curriculum Framework with Movement at center, surrounded by layered rings of environment and learning themes.

Developing 21st Century Competencies through Physical Education

To help our students thrive in a fast-changing world, MOE has identified competencies that have become increasingly important in the globalised world of the 21st century.

Circular diagram with Core Values at center, surrounded by social-emotional skills and outer ring of learner competencies.

Physical Education (PE) is more than just playing sports or exercising. It's about developing important qualities in students that will help them succeed in life. PE focuses on six core values: Respect, Resilience, Responsibility, Integrity, Care, and Harmony. These values are connected to how students think, feel, and act, which are part of what's called Character and Citizenship Education (CCE).

In PE classes, students learn not only how to move and play sports but also how to be better people. There are specific goals for each value, and students are given different activities to help them learn and practise these values as they grow through school. These activities are designed to help students become better problem solvers, critical thinkers, and communicators.

A girl in a yellow shirt sits on a gym floor holding a tablet while classmates exercise on blue mats nearby.

Four boys in yellow school uniforms collaborate around a blue table, writing on worksheets with pencils and a ruler.

For example, when students dance or do gymnastics, they get to be creative and express themselves. In team sports, they learn how to work together, communicate effectively, and solve problems on the spot. All of these activities help students build important skills for the future, especially in today's digital world.

So, PE isn't just about physical health—it's also about building character and preparing students for success in life.

Children in yellow shirts dribble and play with balls in an indoor gymnasium with colored cones on the floor.

PAMtastic Week

PAMtastic Week is a unique thematic collaboration between the Physical Education, Art and Music Department. This is held in the 6th week of Term 1, 2 & 3. PAMtastic week is a platform to develop students holistically across all domains - Moral, Emotional, Social, Cognitive, Aesthetics and Physical. The objective is to promote a Healthy Lifestyle that encompasses Physical, Emotional and Health Awareness through PE, Arts (Visual) and Music activities. We wish to inspire our students with a lifelong love of learning by providing them with opportunities to explore, create, and develop skills with a common theme. Different activities for each level are specially curated to bring out the vibrancy of aesthetics in the school and as a platform to showcase student's talent and diversity, while developing their physical well-being.

Four young children in yellow uniforms and straw hats smile, with one holding a plate of colorful food.

Two boys in yellow school uniforms hold worksheets with food models placed on drawn plates in a classroom.

Four children in yellow school uniforms play with bottles and balls on a paved outdoor area near a tree.

Two school children work on a craft project at a blue desk covered with newspaper, scissors, and markers.

Professional Development

The PE Department has been very privileged to work with various professionals. Dr. Sara Ashworth, Dr. Steve Mitchell and Associate Professor Chow Jia Yi.

The late Dr. Sara Ashworth earned her MA from the University of Mississippi and an EdD from Temple University in Philadelphia, PA. From 1987-2008, Dr. Sara Ashworth taught the Spectrum of Teaching Styles in the Department of Elementary Education at Florida Atlantic University (FAU).

Dr. Ashworth observed a total of 8 PE lessons conducted by our teachers followed by post lesson discussions after each lesson on the Spectrum of Teaching Styles used in teaching episodes focusing specifically on the decision making processes and behavioural expectations. The team also explored the possibilities of using the Inclusive Style (Slanting Rope idea) to enable students with varied abilities to make decisions on performing different levels of task representation.

Four people smile while standing together in front of a large green plant arch indoors.

Dr. Steve Mitchell, a professor of physical education teacher education at Kent State University, received his undergraduate and master’s degrees from Loughborough University, England, where the tactical approach was developed. He earned a PhD in teaching and curriculum at Syracuse University.

The team of Punggol View Primary School (PGVP) Teachers worked with Dr. Mitchell over 3 weeks on the Game Centred Approach. This approach taps on inquiry, through the use of questions to allow students to take charge of their own learning. The approach was carried out over 10 lessons, with Dr. Mitchell teaching the first class of each lesson cycle before the respective teachers made modifications to the lesson for their respective classes. The collaboration involving Dr. Mitchell culminated in a demonstration class for 20 teachers and officers from PESTA and PSOEB. The team of teachers at PGVP then presented their two part collaboration at the 2020 Physical and Sports Education Virtual Conference.

Four scenes of a school soccer program: children in yellow uniforms on a field, a coach instructing, a group photo, and adults posing indoors.

Three people in black polo shirts sit around a table with green laptops and devices, smiling at the camera.

The NLP project utilizing a Constraints-Led Approach (CLA) in PE gymnastics, a subset of Nonlinear Pedagogy (NLP), involves collaboration among 9 teachers from 4 schools across different zones, with support from Dr. Chow Jiayi (National Institute of Education), Gym Coach Mr. Sng, and Physical Education & Sports Teacher Academy (PESTA).

This collaborative effort aims to revolutionize gymnastics education by embracing a student-centered approach that promotes exploratory learning and variability in practice, as advocated by Chow et al. (2016).

By empowering students with autonomy to explore and discover individualized movements, the project seeks to enhance decision-making skills and foster confidence and competence among participants. Through careful planning and delivery of engaging learning experiences, the project aims to provide students with ample opportunities to develop both their physical and cognitive abilities within the context of gymnastics.

Man in red shirt presenting beside a projector screen showing "SS3705: Nonlinear Pedagogy and the Teaching of Gymnastics."

Seven smiling people pose in front of a TCEF2023 Teachers' Conference presentation screen about gymnastics pedagogy.

A coach stands at a table while a large group sits on the floor surrounded by colorful cones and hoops in a training room.

A man in a red Physical Education and Sports Science shirt gestures while addressing a group indoors near wall-mounted posters.