Year 7 PE: What to Teach (England)
Your Teacher Information Pack for Year 7 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
- KS3
- Ages
- 11–12
- Status
- Compulsory national curriculum subject at KS3
- Source
- National curriculum in England – Published 2013-09-11
- Last checked
- 2026-10-20
Roughly the same age as US Grades 6–8 (approximate: the systems don't line up exactly).
The KS3 programme of study covers the whole key stage; it is not split by year.
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 7 PE: the statutory statements first, then any non-statutory notes and guidance, which schools don't have to follow.
Key stage 3 6 statutory statements
Introduction to Key stage 3 (official text)
Pupils should build on and embed the physical development and skills learned in key stages 1 and 2, become more competent, confident and expert in their techniques, and apply them across different sports and physical activities. They should understand what makes a performance effective and how to apply these principles to their own and others’ work. They should develop the confidence and interest to get involved in exercise, sports and activities out of school and in later life, and understand and apply the long-term health benefits of physical activity.
Pupils should be taught to:
Key stage 3 Statutory
Pupils should be taught to:
- use a range of tactics and strategies to overcome opponents in direct competition through team and individual games [for example, badminton, basketball, cricket, football, hockey, netball, rounders, rugby and tennis]
- develop their technique and improve their performance in other competitive sports [for example, athletics and gymnastics]
- perform dances using advanced dance techniques in a range of dance styles and forms
- take part in outdoor and adventurous activities which present intellectual and physical challenges and be encouraged to work in a team, building on trust and developing skills to solve problems, either individually or as a group
- analyse their performances compared to previous ones and demonstrate improvement to achieve their personal best
- take part in competitive sports and activities outside school through community links or sports clubs
Assessments and key dates
There are no national tests or checks in Year 7. Your school will use its own assessments.
Official documents
Trusted free resources
- Oak National Academy – Free, full lesson sequences for KS3 (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 7: English, Maths, Science, Art and Design, Citizenship, 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 7?
Yes. PE is a compulsory national curriculum subject at KS3 in England (national curriculum framework, figure 1).
Is the Year 7 content set out year by year?
The KS3 programme of study covers the whole key stage; it is not split by year.