Primary PE Resource Directory by Dr Vicky Randall
If I were writing this blog before 2010, the resources and texts I could share on Primary Physical Education (PE) would be limited. The subject’s relatively short history as an academic discipline led to only a few specialised texts that were available. The revised National Curriculum in 2000, however, marked a turning point, paving the way for the development and publication of key resources, including:
- Jim Hall’s (1999) The Primary Physical Education Handbook
- Carole Raymond’s (1998) Coordinating Physical Education Across the Primary School
- Pauline Welton’s (1997) Physical Education in the Early Years
- Anne Williams’ (2000) Primary School Physical Education: Research into Practice
The Rise of Primary Physical Education as a Scholarly Discipline
Over the following decade, Primary PE began to emerge as a respected discipline in its own right, moving beyond its previous status as a subfield of Secondary Physical Education. This period saw the establishment of a credible knowledge base, and primary PE gained recognition as a vital component of the education system.
As Gerald Griggs highlighted at the launch of our own text, An Introduction to Primary Physical Education (2nd edition, March 2022), a pivotal moment in this evolution was the publication of Teaching Physical Education in the Primary School: A Developmental Approach by Ian Pickup and Lawry Price in 2007. This groundbreaking text set a new standard for subject-specific literature, written by and for Primary PE professionals. It not only inspired those of us working in the field but also provided a blueprint for how Primary PE could be approached and taught.
Pickup and Price’s (2007) text marked a departure from the traditional view of Primary PE as a collection of activities. Instead, it introduced a developmental approach, influenced by the earlier work of David C. Gallahue and John C. Ozmun in their seminal text Understanding Motor Development: Infants, Children, Adolescents, Adults (now in its 8th edition).
Transforming Primary PE Teacher Education
The impact of Teaching Physical Education in the Primary School extended beyond the classroom, significantly influencing initial teacher education (ITE) for Primary PE. The decade that followed saw an explosion of research, pedagogical insights, and leadership in the field. For the first time, generalist pre-service teacher education programmes could offer diverse and specialised approaches to teaching PE, including:
- Developmental Movement Education (Pickup & Price, 2007)
- Complexity Thinking in Primary PE Pedagogy (Carse, Jess & Keay, 2016-2019)
- Meaningful Physical Education (Beni, Fletcher, & Ní Chróinín, 2017-2024)
A Growing Body of Knowledge and Collaboration
The field of Primary PE continues to grow, with more academics and specialist teacher educators contributing to our understanding. The number of publications in this space increases year by year, making it an impossible task to list here.
To help navigate this wealth of resources, the Primary Physical Education Teacher Education Network (PETEN)—established in 2016—has been instrumental in giving voice and advocacy to Primary PE from the perspective of teacher educators across England. PETEN collaborates to share, create and signpost resources that are currently being used in primary teacher education programmes, providing a valuable tool for educators. The attached resource is a recent exercise from a collective of higher education teacher educators who have shared what resources they are currently using to inform their primary physical education teaching.
While this signposting document only scratches the surface of the diversity and richness of resources available across primary physical education in England—and globally—it highlights the remarkable journey that Primary PE has undergone over the past 20 years. We owe a debt of gratitude to the academics, professionals, consultants, and leaders who have contributed to this journey.
I look forward to celebrating future publications and the authors who will continue to elevate the profile of primary Physical Education for years to come.
Responses