No PE

[Karoleann]

DS1 started reception in September and as yet hasn't done PE at all. Its a very small school and they don't have a huge amount of space, but the have the gym allocated to them on Thursday afternoon.
We had our first parents evening in the middle of October and I raised my concerns then, the teacher assured me that they would be doing PE the following week and the first week of term. We leave his PE kit in the classroom so I balanced a little ball in one of his shoes in the top of the bag and its still not moved!
Where do I go from here. I know its a legal requirement for 2 hours a week, I don't really want to get the teacher in trouble - I just want her to do it!
Any suggestions on how I can approach the topic again?

It might be, that this early on, they're not getting changed for PE yet.

I think it's very likely they're doing PE but not getting changed.

Its not a legal requirement to do 2 hours PE, its a target or something. He probably isn't getting changed yet, as getting changed and changed back can take an hour or more at that age. Also if they are doing it in a hall, often they just remove their shoes and maybe their socks.

'Doing PE' as such isn't compulsory (or even recommended) in Reception / EYFS. However, Physical Development is, and lots of schools use PE to cover parts of this.

But they don't have to, and teaching / learning in EYFS should be more integrated that having separate lessons anyway. So, they may be doing all sorts of physical activities, indoors and out, and may or may not be getting changed.

Why not ask the teacher what physical activities they are doing? I'm sure she'll explain if it's phrased more generally than just being about PE, or getting changed.

I was a bit about the balancing the ball on the shoe thing! Does it matter very much whether they are getting changed?

Reception classes are not necessarily required to do 'PE' in terms of all getting changed, trooping off to the hall etc.

The 'Physical Development' aspects of the EYFS curriculum may also be fulfilled by activities they are doing in the ongoing indoor/outdoor provision eg. riding trikes and scooters, using bats and balls, playing with skipping ropes, running around, traditional singing and dancing games. So it may be that they are doing more of this at the present and will gradually begin using the hall slot as the term progresses. Otherwise, it is probably the case that they are just removing socks and shoes at present rather than spending 20+ minutes getting everyone changed, doing 20 minutes PE and then 20 minutes getting changed back again!

I'll ask again at the end of the week. I understand it takes time to get changed, but the more they do it the quicker it'll get. Plus there's only 15 in the class and a teacher and a teaching assistant.

Its a really tiny school and they don't have the room for bats and balls, trikes, etc,

They have a general purpose hall that's used for lunch and assembly and also gym type PE and further up the school they take them to the local park for football and rounders.

Regarding the ball thing - I was testing DS1 rather than the teacher. He's still at the "I can't remember what I did at school Mummy" stage, so I couldn't take his word for the fact that he wasn't getting changed for PE.