Year 6 PE: What to Teach (England)
Your Teacher Information Pack for Year 6 PE: every national curriculum statement, the tests and dates that matter, and trusted links. Tick what you're teaching and send it straight into the lesson plan maker.
- Country
- England
- Key stage
- KS2
- Ages
- 10–11
- Status
- Compulsory national curriculum subject at KS2
- Source
- National curriculum in England – Published 2013-09-11
- Last checked
- 2026-10-20
Roughly the same age as US Grades 2–5 (approximate: the systems don't line up exactly).
The KS2 programme of study for this subject covers the whole key stage; schools decide what to teach in which year. Swimming and water safety must be taught in either KS1 or KS2.
Current. The government response to the Curriculum and Assessment Review (Nov 2025) says a revised national curriculum will be published by spring 2027 for first teaching from September 2028.
What to teach
Below is the official programme of study for Year 6 PE: the statutory statements first, then any non-statutory notes and guidance, which schools don't have to follow.
Key stage 2 6 statutory statements
Introduction to Key stage 2 (official text)
Pupils should continue to apply and develop a broader range of skills, learning how to use them in different ways and to link them to make actions and sequences of movement. They should enjoy communicating, collaborating and competing with each other. They should develop an understanding of how to improve in different physical activities and sports and learn how to evaluate and recognise their own success.
Pupils should be taught to:
Key stage 2 Statutory
Pupils should be taught to:
- use running, jumping, throwing and catching in isolation and in combination
- play competitive games, modified where appropriate [for example, badminton, basketball, cricket, football, hockey, netball, rounders and tennis], and apply basic principles suitable for attacking and defending
- develop flexibility, strength, technique, control and balance [for example, through athletics and gymnastics]
- perform dances using a range of movement patterns
- take part in outdoor and adventurous activity challenges both individually and within a team
- compare their performances with previous ones and demonstrate improvement to achieve their personal best
Swimming and water safety (key stage 1 or 2) 3 statutory statements
Introduction to Swimming and water safety (key stage 1 or 2) (official text)
All schools must provide swimming instruction either in key stage 1 or key stage 2.
In particular, pupils should be taught to:
Swimming and water safety (key stage 1 or 2) Statutory
In particular, pupils should be taught to:
- swim competently, confidently and proficiently over a distance of at least 25 metres
- use a range of strokes effectively [for example, front crawl, backstroke and breaststroke]
- perform safe self-rescue in different water-based situations
Assessments and key dates
There are no national tests or checks in Year 6. Your school will use its own assessments.
Official documents
Trusted free resources
- Oak National Academy – Free, full lesson sequences for KS2 (government-funded).
- BBC Bitesize – Short videos and quizzes by key stage and subject.
Links only: we don't copy their content and we aren't connected to these organisations.
More packs
Other subjects in Year 6: English, Maths, Science, Art and Design, Computing, Design and Technology, Geography, History, Languages, Music.
Find another TIP · National curriculum overview
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: Department for Education, National curriculum in England: physical education programmes of study (GOV.UK), © Crown copyright.
Statements in the curriculum lists are copied word for word from GOV.UK; everything else on this page (headings, notes, summaries) is written by us. Classfern is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Department for Education or the Standards and Testing Agency. Always check the official documents linked on this page.
Questions teachers ask
Is pe compulsory in Year 6?
Yes. PE is a compulsory national curriculum subject at KS2 in England (national curriculum framework, figure 1).
Is the Year 6 content set out year by year?
The KS2 programme of study for this subject covers the whole key stage; schools decide what to teach in which year. Swimming and water safety must be taught in either KS1 or KS2.