The PE Umbrella

In this episode of The PE Umbrella podcast I am joined by Steph Tilbury from Get Set 4 PE for an honest and thought-provoking conversation about confidence, relationships and what it really takes to create great primary PE experiences.

Drawing on her own experiences as a pupil, a PE teacher and now a PE specialist, Steph shares why you don't need to be a PE expert to make a lasting difference to children's lives. We explore how getting to know the child in front of you, understanding their barriers and creating a safe, supportive environment can transform their experience of PE.

We also discuss the challenges generalist teachers face, the importance of enthusiasm and adaptability, and some simple ways to help every child feel confident enough to have a go. It's a reminder that great PE isn't just about what children can do, but how they feel and what they take away from the experience.

So what are you waiting for? Come and join us under The PE Umbrella

How long do your children spend standing still in the first five minutes of your PE lesson?

It’s a question most of us rarely ask but might be the most useful one you ask this week. In this third solo reflection, I draw on conversations with Tom Quarmby, Emma Powell, Gareth Williams, Kev Sanders and others to explore why the opening of a lesson sets the tone for everything that follows.

Along the way I touch upon why the lesson starts before the children reach the hall, why moving first and talking second changes the feel of a class and one simple habit that helps you notice the children you’d otherwise miss.

No guest again, just an honest look at the part of the lesson most of us think about least.

So what are you waiting for? Come and join me under The PE Umbrella.

In this weeks episode of The PE Umbrella podcast I want to talk about something very important. Every primary PE lesson has one. The child in the middle. Not struggling visibly, not causing disruption, not standing out in any way. Just doing enough. Going through the motions. Present in the lesson without really being in it.

This child is the hardest to reach in primary PE. Not because they’re difficult but because they’ve learned not to be and in a busy lesson with 29 other children to manage, not causing a problem can look a lot like being fine. In this episode, I speak more about this child and what it means for us as teachers as we shape the future relationships with physical activity of all children that we teach

So what are you waiting for? Come and join me under The PE Umbrella.

I have spent the last year in conversation with researchers, academics, and practitioners from across primary PE and beyond and somewhere in the middle of all of it, I realised something, I was being taught as much as he was teaching.

This week I am back to my PE Umbrella roots. No guest, no interview chair. Just me reflecting honestly on what recent conversations have done to how I think about primary PE.

What’s been confirmed and given better language. What’s been challenged and pushed toward something more precise. What’s been deepened in ways that change what I emphasise, what I notice and what questions I now ask of every lesson and every curriculum.

If you’ve been following the podcast, this is the episode that ties it together. If you’re new, this is a pretty good place to start.

So what are you waiting for? Come and join me under The PE Umbrella.

In this episode of The PE Umbrella podcast I am joined by Kev Sanders, Lecturer in Primary education at Liverpool Hope University.

Kev and I have a brilliant conversation about what really makes primary PE meaningful, going beyond simply planning and delivering a lesson. We chat about engagement, the power of games, giving children meaningful choices and creating experiences that leave them wanting to come back for more.

We also explore the importance of reflection, questioning and creating a positive learning environment where children can develop physically, socially, emotionally and cognitively.

There are plenty of practical ideas and honest reflections along the way, with a real focus on keeping PE purposeful, enjoyable and something children want to be part of.

So what are you waiting for? Come and join us under The PE Umbrella

In this episode of The PE Umbrella podcast I am joined by Zoie Golding MBE.

Zoie and I get stuck into a fascinating conversation about dance, movement and some of the perceptions that can surround them. We explore why dance can sometimes feel like a difficult word to use in education, particularly for boys, and how challenging those perceptions can open up some really powerful experiences for children.

We talk about emotional intelligence, the impact dance can have on boys’ lives, and whether simply using the word ‘movement’ might help more children feel that creative movement is for them.

It’s a conversation full of honest reflections, fresh thinking and plenty to get you thinking differently about how we approach dance and movement with children in your settings.

So what are you waiting for? Come and join us under The PE Umbrella

In this episode of The PE Umbrella podcast I am joined by AfPE CEO Kate Thornton-Bousfield.

We have a wonderful conversation about where primary PE is heading, the changes taking place across the curriculum, and what all of this might mean for the experiences children have in PE.

We explore physical literacy, inclusion and what it really means to put the learner at the heart of our decision-making. We also talk about the important role of teachers and coaches, the opportunities that curriculum change can bring, and why we shouldn’t wait for someone else to tell us what great PE should look like.

It’s an honest conversation about taking ownership of our curriculum, making thoughtful choices and, ultimately, creating PE experiences that children genuinely want to be part of.

So what are you waiting for? Come and join us under The PE Umbrella

In this episode of The PE Umbrella podcast I am joined by Gill Connell for a conversation about something that sits at the heart of everything we do in PE, movement.

Gill shares her fascinating perspective on how movement helps shape the developing brain, and why it matters so much for children's learning, development and readiness for school. We explore everything from crawling and the development of the midline to the way children move from real experiences towards more abstract learning, and why movement is about so much more than physical development.

We also talk about the growing impact of technology, the importance of movement-rich environments, and how teachers can use movement intentionally to support children's cognitive, social and emotional development.

Above all, this is a conversation that challenges us to think differently about movement, not as something that sits alongside learning, but as a fundamental part of how children learn and grow.

So what are you waiting for? Come and join us under The PE Umbrella

In this episode of The PE Umbrella podcast I am joined by Nicola Cosgrove for a fascinating conversation about student ownership and what can happen when we give children more of a say in their PE experiences.

Although Nicola teaches secondary PE, there are plenty of ideas here that can translate directly into primary settings. We explore what genuine ownership actually looks like, moving beyond simply letting pupils lead activities and towards giving them meaningful opportunities to make decisions, take initiative and shape their own learning.

We discuss the role of choice, trust and flexibility, and how giving pupils greater ownership can influence motivation, engagement, confidence and the way they think about themselves as learners.

Nicola also shares some wonderfully practical approaches, including how simple routines can become stepping stones towards greater independence, and how technology can help children and teachers reflect on learning.

It's a conversation that challenges us to consider whether we're giving children enough opportunity to have a voice in PE and what might happen if we trusted them with a little more.

So what are you waiting for? Come and join us under The PE Umbrella

In this episode of The PE Umbrella podcast I am joined by Daniel Lycett for a thought-provoking conversation about what great primary PE can look and feel like for children.

We explore the importance of physical competency, helping children see themselves as capable movers, and creating PE experiences that give them opportunities to explore, make choices and challenge themselves.

We also get into gamification, motivation and autonomy, asking whether we've sometimes made PE too focused on competition when children may actually value the opportunity to simply move, play and discover what they can do.

Along the way, Daniel shares some of the common traps we can fall into when designing PE and challenges us to think carefully about the experiences we're creating and the impact they might have on how children view themselves as movers.

It's a conversation about movement, motivation, confidence and, ultimately, creating a positive culture around PE that children want to be part of.

So what are you waiting for? Come and join us under The PE Umbrella