Explore every episode of the podcast The PE Umbrella | Practical conversations for Primary PE teachers

Welcome to the very first episode of The PE Umbrella Archives.

This mini-series will run as a thread through the main PE Umbrella podcast as a means to re-visit classic episodes of the show that have truly stood the test of time.  As the show approaches its' 9th Birthday, I have reflected on the many incredible episodes from years gone by and just how much I learned from producing them and having those career-defining conversations.  I also acknowledge that there are newer listeners of the show who may never have heard some of the very best conversations from the shows roots.

Thus, The PE Umbrella Archives will bring back the very best episodes from the early years of the podcast (2015-2018) and re-master them for your listening pleasure.  The messages and knowledge bombs are timeless, so what are you waiting for? Come and join me in The PE Umbrella Archives, episode 1, with the sensational Professor Damian Hughes!

With me under the umbrella this week is assistant headteacher and author of the book ‘Making every PE lesson count’, James Crane.

In this episode we find out exactly how to do just that, make every PE lesson count!  So what are you waiting for?  Come on over and join us under the PE umbrella.

On this episode of The PE Umbrella podcast I am joined by the deputy headteacher at the British International School in Riyadh and co-host of the infinite learners podcast, Lewis Keens.

We discuss all things PE and in particular the importance of moving the 'right' way and staying true to our roots of movement as the unique USP of Physical education.  You won't want to miss this one.  

So what are you waiting for?  Come on over and join us under the umbrella.

Welcome to episode 148 of The PE Umbrella Podcast!

This week I am joined by co-founder of the revolutionary fitness tracker Moki, James Huggins. On this episode, we talk about Moki and the journey it has taken into the education sector. We dive into a recent study and the implications from this on what is next for Moki. Most importantly, we discuss how Moki could have a huge role to play in the direction your school take to try and get more children moving more often, linking it with the recent Creating Active Schools Framework.

So what are you waiting for? Jump under the umbrella with us and join in the conversation by tweeting me @thepeumbrella. Note pad ready!

Welcome to episode 147 of The PE Umbrella podcast!

This week I am fired up to bring you probably my best resource to date and one that I'm immensely proud of. This 40-page PDF pack provides you with everything you need in order to start and set up your own SportEd unit of work, from team sheets, reflection sheets, team roles and activity cards, it's all here! During this episode, I take you through my SportEd journey with a year 6 class and exactly how each of the accompanying sheets should be used. I'm not here to give you a breakdown of the SportEd pedagogical model, but rather share with you some resources that may inspire you to take the plunge and start your journey!

To assist you in your listening, head over to www.peumbrella.com and pick up the FREE accompanying PDF of this incredible SportEd pack from the show notes page or the activities section of the site. So what are you waiting for? Come on over, and join me under The PE Umbrella!

Welcome to episode 146 of The PE Umbrella Podcast!

This week I talk you through the recent fork in the road presented to me in running and producing the PE Umbrella podcast. I have set up a Patreon account in support of the show and the future direction of the podcast and wanted to fill you all in on the details! Fear not, the show is going nowhere, but I wanted to make you aware of the WHAT, WHY and HOW behind creating my Patreon page and how you may be able to support. If you could take even 1 minute of your time to check the page out I'd be super grateful. www.patreon.com/thepeumbrella

If you'd like to find out more then jump under the umbrella with me!

Welcome to episode 145 of The PE Umbrella Podcast!

This week I am podcasting solo and incredibly excited to bring you this reflection episode. Without exaggeration, this week was one of my most favourite few days teaching that I've probably had in at least 2 years, and I'm going to share with you why! It took courage and a realisation that I needed to push myself out of my comfort zone, and I mean REALLY out of my comfort zone. It involved dancing. If you'd like to find out more then jump under the umbrella with me and join in the conversation by tweeting me @thepeumbrella.

Welcome to episode 144 of The PE Umbrella Podcast!

This week I am joined by Jenna Hope & Yasmin Alexander, founders of The Yoghurt and Juice Network and qualified nutritionists who specialise in nutrition education for children, parents and teachers. As a first for the PE Umbrella podcast, and a deviation on more traditional interviews, this episode centres around the importance and amazing benefits that good nutrition and a high-quality diet plays in wellbeing, cognitive performance, concentration and even behaviour.

So what are you waiting for? Jump under the umbrella with us and join in the conversation by tweeting me @thepeumbrella. Note pad ready!

Welcome to episode 143 of The PE Umbrella Podcast!

This week I am joined by the superstar of ALL things Moving & Learning, international speaker and co-author of The Kinesthetic Classroom, Mike Kuczala. On this episode, we simply chat about ALL things Moving and Learning and how movement itself is absolutely critical to the teaching and learning process. We dive into some knowledge bombs all about the brain-body connection and how to best prepare it for learning, how to utilise movement breaks and how physically active learning can enhance retention and motivation to learn. Not only that, but Mike shares plenty of actionable tips and strategies that you can take away and try out this week in classroom teaching or PE.

So what are you waiting for? Jump under the umbrella with us and join in the conversation by tweeting me @thepeumbrella. Note pad ready!

Welcome to episode 142 of The PE Umbrella Podcast, and the last episode of this decade!

This week I am bringing you a reflection of the year gone by with some of my most thought-provoking discussions and clips from guests of the show! I urge you to go back and tune in to the full episodes with these guests and every other person who has jumped under the umbrella with me. It's been quite a ride and I can't wait to see you all under the umbrella again in 2020!

Jump under the umbrella with me and join in the conversation by tweeting me @thepeumbrella. Note pad ready!

Welcome to episode 141 of The PE Umbrella Podcast!

This week I am joined by Nikki Linsdell & Jessica Foster to talk about all things Gymnastics and how the 'Partner School Programme' can reignite and support your curriculum gymnastics provision as well as extracurricular offer. We delve into what the programme is and the support it can offer you as a teacher, coach or PE lead. Nikki & Jessica also share their favourite activities from the programme itself and explain how it caters for the least to the most confident teachers out there!

Gymnastics is always an area that I find teachers and coaches alike 'struggle' with and are more apprehensive about teaching, so if that's the case, this episode is for you!

So what are you waiting for? Jump under the umbrella with us and join in the conversation by tweeting me @thepeumbrella. Note pad ready!

Welcome to episode 140 of The PE Umbrella Podcast!

This week I am podcasting solo and bringing with you a deep reflections episode all about cognitive biases. Having been fascinated with this topic for the past month or so, I took it upon myself to select some cognitive biases that many of us (and our students) will display (whether we think we do or not) and how we can look out for/manage them in our daily lives. I am by no meant an expert in this area, but rather somebody who feels there is value in acknowledging that they exist and the advantage it can be if we understand them more. During this episode I discuss:

- Self-serving bias

- Anchoring bias

- The Ikea Effect/Sunk cost fallacy

- Confirmation Bias

- Bandwagon effect

- Social Loafing

Jump under the umbrella with me and join in the conversation by tweeting me @thepeumbrella. Note pad ready!

Welcome to episode 139 of The PE Umbrella Podcast!

This week I am joined by the CEO for the AfPE, Sue Wilkinson. On this episode, we simply chat about ALL things primary PE and where we currently are on our journey as professionals to continue striving for improvement.

I could go into all of the details here, but that would be spoiling it. Want to know more? Then come and join us!

Jump under the umbrella with us and join in the conversation by tweeting me @thepeumbrella. Note pad ready!

With me under the umbrella this week is another one of the most high-profile guests I have ever had on the show.  He is the other half of the Ellis clan, Jiu Jitsu savage, master doodler, and all-round kind-hearted soul, my son, Oliver.

In this episode I learn about how he views PE as he approaches his final few months of primary school and summarise how these may have been shaped.

I'm very proud of both Oliver and Penelope and the honest and articulate answers they have shared over the past few weeks.

Welcome to episode 138 of The PE Umbrella podcast!

This week I am fired up to bring you another awesome resource activity, just in time for the festive season starting :D Crack the Codes is a team building, communication-focused activity that is perfect for an OAA unit of work and can be played indoors or out. I have used this activity with students in Year 3 all the way up to adults! It could even be used in KS1 in my honest opinion.

During this episode, I will talk you through the setup of the activity, the layers/progressions & how to make the activity easier or harder. To assist you in your listening, head over to www.peumbrella.com and pick up the FREE accompanying PDF of Crack the Codes from the show notes page or the activities section of the site. This downloadable includes an activity sheet, codes to crack, a key words poster and a reflection sheet.

So what are you waiting for? Come on over, and join me under The PE Umbrella!

Welcome to episode 137 of The PE Umbrella podcast!

Joining me Under the Umbrella this week, all the way from China, is Rachel Ford. Having spent her whole career, since qualifying as a PE teacher, abroad, Rachel has a great depth of experience teaching in different settings and with children ranging from secondary to primary.

This week, we take a deeper look at her recent venture into teaching kindergarten PE and her learning curve throughout this. She shares with us her greatest successes and what she feels are her 3 strongest qualities as a teacher. Not only that, but we delve into the show favourites of class management tips, favourite warm-ups and worst ever lesson!

So what are you waiting for? Come on over and join us Under the PE Umbrella.

Welcome to episode 136 of The PE Umbrella podcast!

Joining me Under the Umbrella this week is Primary PE Teacher, Dominic Tollan. Dominic has taught PE for 15 years with secondary PE training and has worked in an ASN (Additional Support Needs) school as part of his journey towards becoming a Primary PE teacher.

During this episode, we jump into the discussion about WHO should be teaching Primary PE? Class teacher? PE Specialist? Coaches? We sift through the pros and cons for all of these! Dominic also describes himself as a teacher in 3 words only and tells us his recipe for a perfect Primary PE Lesson!

Not only that, but he even takes the time to talk us through some show favourites including his top class-management tip, favourite warm-up and the worst lesson that he ever taught!

As always, get that note pad and pen ready... Come on over and join us Under the PE Umbrella.

Welcome to episode 135 of The PE Umbrella podcast!

Joining me Under the Umbrella this week is Brianne Turner. Brianne has a background of Primary Teaching and being a PE lead in a primary setting before joining her current role as head of Primary School engagement at Burnley FC in the Community.

During this episode, Brianne describes herself as a teacher in 3 words only, she provides us with a recipe for her perfect Primary PE Lesson and we talk about PE in the Early Years setting!

Not only that, but she even takes the time to talk us through her top class-management tip, her favourite warm-up activity and the worst lesson that she ever taught!

Get that note pad and pen ready for some Primary PE sharing... Come and join us Under the PE Umbrella.

Joining me Under the Umbrella this week for episode 134 is Non-Perfect Dad, Richard Shorter.

As somebody working alongside sports teams to help deliver their culture and environment to nurture their players' character, I knew immediately I had to have Richard on the show. With three children of his own, he knows the trials and tribulations that come along with parenting, but equally, understands what an important job parents play and the impact it can have on their children, particularly from a sporting perspective. As non-perfect Dad, Richard spends his time speaking to parents and large organisations to help them transform their own way of thinking and this is something especially applicable to the Primary classroom and PE setting. After all, other than their parents, children probably spend the next most amount of time with their classroom teachers, upwards of 30 hours a week, meaning our influence and impact is huge, hopefully stretching far beyond the classroom walls.

You will be immediately captivated the second you hear Richard speak, I can promise you that. During the episode, we have many talking points, but the bulk centres around how we, as teachers & parents, can develop character, self-confidence and self-esteem in the children we work with daily. Buckle yourself up for some fascinating, deep conversation! Get that note pad and pen ready.

Come on over and join us Under the PE Umbrella.

Welcome to episode 133 of The PE Umbrella podcast!

Joining me Under the Umbrella this week is Rich Allman. Rich is THE guy when it comes to Primary PE. I spent a long time working around North Yorkshire and kept hearing his name. "You have to speak with Rich" or "He is the best Primary PE teacher around", were phrases I regularly heard. I simply had to connect with him. Rewind to May 2019 and at long last, I met Rich in person at the Active Schools Conference in Leeds. Safe to say he didn't disappoint and we had a great connection. He agreed to appear on the show and I'm delighted to finally be bringing you our chat for episode 133.

During this episode, Rich describes himself as a teacher in 3 words only, he gives us tips for maximising a small teaching space, he tells us all about Physically Active Learning and provides us with a recipe for a perfect Primary PE Lesson!

Not only that, but he even takes the time to talk us through his top class-management tip, favourite warm-up and the worst lesson that he ever taught! You will understand after only a few minutes that Rich is the real deal, so you best get that note pad and pen handy!

Come on over and join us Under the PE Umbrella.

Joining me Under the Umbrella this week for episode 132 is Richard Cheetham MBE.

With numerous years in his field, Richard is currently the leader of coach education, research & development at the University of Winchester. He draws upon and reflects on his role and those he has worked most closely with to drop some serious value bombs under the umbrella today. We start off by diving into a coaches skill set and ask Richard what role they can/should play in primary PE. There was (and continues to be) an interesting debate around this and Richard shares his thoughts. This leads us down various Rabbit holes including the importance of enthusiasm, learning environments, creating continuation desire, moving stories and much much more!

Not only that, but he even takes the time to talk us through his top class-management tip and favourite warm-up! If you don't own a notepad, it will be worth investing in one just for this episode, trust me!

So what are you waiting for? Come on over and join us Under the PE Umbrella.

Welcome to episode 131 of The PE Umbrella podcast! Joining me Under the Umbrella this week is sports coach and founder of Fitter Future & Challenge Sport Education, Ricky Lawrence.

With many years of coaching under his belt, and a team of coaches now working for him, Ricky is on the front lines delivering PE and PPA in our Primary Schools. During our conversation, we try to put to bed the differences between Sports and PE, we talk about how at Challenge Sport Education, they assess each and every child and we also ask Ricky what makes their approach to PE delivery Innovative and Creative. Not only this, we dive into Fitter Future and discuss its application for getting your classes more active!

In addition to all of this goodness, we ask the show usuals and have Ricky share his top class-management tip, all-time favourite warm-up game, as well as the worst lesson that he ever taught!

So what are you waiting for? The rant cannon is loaded! Come on over and join us Under the PE Umbrella.

Welcome to episode 130 of The PE Umbrella podcast!

Joining me Under the Umbrella this week is Elementary Physed teacher, Cliff Roop. This week I'm excited to return to more of a 'regular' show format as I interview Cliff and dive into his teaching experience. He shares with us his PE philosophy and how he turned a corner in his life and profession and fell back in love with teaching PE again.

Not only that, but we delve into the show favourites of class management tips, favourite warm-ups, best and worst ever lessons!

So what are you waiting for? Come on over and join us Under the PE Umbrella.

Welcome to episode 129 of The PE Umbrella Podcast!

This week I am joined by Youth Sport Trust schools director, Stuart Kay. On this episode, we dive into what it means to take a whole school approach to PE, School Sport and PA. How can we accomplish this? How can we get staff to buy in? Are we playing a 20-year game? Is it even possible? We lay the cards on the table and have a completely honest discussion of where the land lies and where we think it is going!

So what are you waiting for? Join in the discussion with us Under the PE Umbrella!

On this episode of The PE Umbrella podcast I invited my daughter to talk with me about Primary School PE.

This brief chat provides an insight into the inner workings of Penelopes mind when it comes to the subject of PE and how she perceives it.  As with everything, context is key.  Penelope has a dad who lives and breathes primary PE.  I afford her the opportunity to attend out-of-school activities to further her physical, social and emotional development because I value it so highly and I am under no illusions that these can, and probably do bias some of her views.

However, this short episode was recorded in one take and Penelope had no prior warning of the questions I was going to ask beyond knowing they would be about PE.  It was fascinating to hear the thoughts of essentially our 'target audience' as practitioners, and the messages, whether intentional or unintentional, she is picking up.  

Stay tuned at the end of the recording as I try to unpick and make sense of some of her answers...

Welcome to episode 128 of The PE Umbrella Podcast!

This week I am joined again by Mr Energetic Education himself, Dale Sidebottom! As you would expect, Dale brings the energy, passion & knowledge bombs to the show in this action-packed episode. I'm excited for you to hear all about Jugar Life, Dale's latest adventure of wellbeing, kindness and play. We could all do with more of this in our life and Dale explains to us how to make this a reality!

So strap yourself in for knowledge bombs and laughter as we talk about how you and your own students can experience the Jugar Life yourselves!

Come on over and join us Under the PE Umbrella!

Welcome to episode 127 of The PE Umbrella podcast!

This week I am fired up to bring you yet another awesome resource activity! Avengers Assemble is a collection of carousel activities running through an underlying challenge of collecting the 6 Infinity Stones. Best suited to EYFS/KS1, but equally applicable for LKS2, your students will be rehearsing their agility, stability and object manipulation skills as they take on a variety of Physical & Mental challenges. As you listen along you'll learn:

- how to set the activities up

- which umbrellas you can focus on

To assist you in your listening, head over to www.peumbrella.com and pick up the FREE accompanying PDF of Avengers Assemble from the show notes page or the activities section of the site! So what are you waiting for? Come on over, and join me under The PE Umbrella!

Welcome to episode 126 of The PE Umbrella podcast! Joining me Under the Umbrella this week is Matthew Alan. With over 7 years of experience teaching Primary school PE, Matthew now teaches in Dubai in a school with 4000 students!

We are able to dive into work-life balance challenges as he shares his own tips. We also dive into strategies for working with students who have SEN and how we can best accommodate them in our lessons!

Not only that, but we delve into the show favourites of class management tips, favourite warm-ups and worst ever lessons! So what are you waiting for? Come on over and join us Under the PE Umbrella.

Welcome to episode 125 of The PE Umbrella podcast! Joining me Under the Umbrella this week is Seth Foster.

With over 15 years of experience working with the children and young people of Yorkshire schools, Seth has accumulated a wealth of knowledge when it comes to PE. He uses his experience being a disability sports coach, a mindfulness paws B teacher and his extensive PE teaching experience to share with you his thoughts Under the umbrella today.

Much of our conversation talks about the current PE landscape in the UK and how it has evolved during his 10 years working for the Pennine Sports Partnership. We share ideas of how being present and mindful should be a focus of our lessons and how to create a great learning environment. Not only that, but he even takes the time to talk us through his top class management tip and favourite warm up!

As always, this is simply one knowledge bomb after another, so get the note pad and pen ready! Come on over and join us Under the PE Umbrella.

Welcome to episode 124 of The PE Umbrella Podcast!

This week I'm excited to bring you a reflection episode in which I share with you my top tips for delivering PE to the EYFS age group. There are 8 tips in total, many of which can be applied across the primary age range but are particularly effective in EYFS.

So what are you waiting for? Come and join me under The PE Umbrella for some EYFS PE knowledge bombs!

Welcome to episode 123 of The PE Umbrella podcast!

Joining me Under the Umbrella this week is primary school headteacher Chris Willan.

During this episode, we talk about how Chris has firmly embedded a culture of high-quality PE, Physical Activity and school sport across his school, and the exceptional impact this is having on the learning of his students.

Chris takes us on a journey, from his early days coaching to becoming a forward-thinking and ambitious head that uses PE as a driver for his school's success. We dig deep into the PE spend and what has worked for him to ensure impact and sustainability. We also dive into the new Ofsted framework announcement and what that means for our beloved subject.

Not only that, but he even takes the time to talk us through his worst ever lesson, top class management tip and favourite warm up! It's simply one knowledge bomb after another in this outstanding interview, so buckle yourself in and get the note pad and pen ready! Come on over and join us Under the PE Umbrella.

Welcome to episode 122 of The PE Umbrella podcast! Joining me Under the Umbrella today is National Board Certified PE teacher Kyle Bragg. As the 2018 Arizona Elementary teacher of the year, Kyle brings lots to the table for this PhysEd chat. During this episode we talk about the importance of student voice/choice and how undertaking his NBC qualification has supercharged his teaching, amongst other PE dialogue!

Not only that, but we have the usual show favourites to sink our teeth into as well...

- His top class-management tip

- The worst lesson he ever taught

- His favourite warm-up activity EVER!

- The one piece of equipment he absolutely could not live without!

So what are you waiting for? Come on over and join us Under the PE Umbrella.

Welcome to episode 121 of The PE Umbrella podcast and another absolute belter of an episode!

This week, I welcomed Victoria Randall to the show, a key figurehead behind the writing and then publishing of the report into the Primary PE and Sport Premium, that sought to unpick how effective it truly has been! This episode dives deep into many of the findings from the report and we discuss some key recommendations that have been subsequently put forward.

- Teacher training

- Use of coaches

- Teacher workload

- Getting core status

- What is a 'specialist' and is this dangerous?

As the interview progresses, many interesting points are raised, and as a classroom teacher myself, one who empathises with teacher workload and how schools view PE, I was keen to throw my opinions into the hat. Even more so than other episodes, I'd like this to spark off some professional dialogue over social media, so please get in touch @ryansporting to let me know your thoughts on any of the topics raised in this episode!

What are you waiting for? I'll see you Under the Umbrella!

Welcome to episode 120 of The PE Umbrella podcast and a very special episode indeed! This week, I teamed up with Jorge Rodriguez from The Global PhysEd Voxcast for his second appearance on The PE Umbrella!

The rulebook for the usual interview format is somewhat ripped up this week as we take on a less structured interview and general PE chat around the transitions that Jorge has made in the past year, taking him to Saudi Arabia and teaching alongside some of the best in the business at KAUST school!

Jorge is an intelligent, thoughtful and articulate educator and he really brings his A-game in this episode, sharing more knowledge bombs and insights into his PE setup. We dive deep into the cultural shift he has experienced and how he has had to build relationships fresh from the ground with the help of 'positive discipline' techniques. We also dive into the social and emotional aspects he has brought to his PE classroom as well and hash it out over a variety of pressing issues.

You don't want to miss this one, so I'll see you Under the Umbrella!

Welcome to episode 119 of The PE Umbrella podcast! Joining me Under the Umbrella today for this episode is gymnastics consultant and PE teacher Nikki Linsdell as we look to further break down the barriers to primary gymnastics and build upon the discussion I had with Gemma Coles in episode 117!

In this episode, Nikki breaks down exactly what gymnastics should look like across the primary age range and shares with her tools for planning whole units/single lessons. In addition to this, we talk about the importance of having gymnastics as a staple to any PE curriculum and how we can still deliver high-quality gymnastics regardless of space/equipment available to us.

Of course, we have the show favourite questions as we talk about Nikki's worst ever lesson and share her all-time favourite warm-up activity.

So what are you waiting for? Come on over and join us Under the PE Umbrella.

On this episode of The PE Umbrella podcast, I am joined by professor of Physical Education and Pedagogy at Loughborough University, Dr Ash Casey.

In this conversation, we learn how Ash formed his relationships and perceptions around Physical Education and how these have been challenged and evolved through the years.  We also learn some insights into Models-based practice and in particular, Cooperative learning as a model through which to deliver a Physical Education unit of learning.

So what are you waiting for? Come and join us under the umbrella.

Welcome to episode 118 of The PE Umbrella podcast! Joining me Under the Umbrella this week is primary school headteacher Ian Holmes.

During this episode, we talk about how Ian utilises Physical Activity as a driver for his school ethos to make a difference to the physical and mental health of his children. We discuss the barriers he has overcome, how he has spent the PE budget and what plans he has for the school going forward. Ultimately, Ian is a remarkable example of a forward-thinking headteacher who is looking at the bigger picture, and one who has successfully integrated physical activity and quality PE into the lives of the children of his school!

Not only that, but he even takes the time to talk us through his worst ever lesson, top class management tip and favourite warm up!

So what are you waiting for? Come on over and join us Under the PE Umbrella.

Happy 2019, and welcome to episode 117 of The PE Umbrella podcast!

Joining me Under the Umbrella today for this episode is Gymnastics superstar Gemma Coles. During this episode, we unpick primary Gymnastics and talk over issues relating to lack of confidence amongst teachers to small spaces to what we should ACTUALLY be teaching!

If you want some actionable advice and ideas to take away that you can implement, then this is your one stop shop! Gemma shares activity ideas, modifications and a breakdown of what a gymnastics lesson should look like for you!

So what are you waiting for? Come on over and join us Under the PE Umbrella.

Welcome to episode 116 of The PE Umbrella podcast!

Joining me Under the Umbrella today are two of the finest PE minds in Yorkshire right now, boasting a wealth of experience and knowledge in Primary PE. They are Niall O'Brien and Dan Wilson!

During this episode we discuss the role and importance of Health & Wellbeing in schools today, and if it is given high enough priority over other areas. We also dive into what things we can do to have the greatest impact on the trajectory of a school and how it utilises PE as part of its ethos. In addition to this, we talk about healthy competition & preparing children for life!

Not only that, but we have the usual show favourites to sink our teeth into as well...

- Their top, class management tip

- The worst lesson they have ever taught/seen

- Their favourite warm-up activity EVER!

- Their biggest learning curve this past year

So what are you waiting for? Come on over and join us Under the PE Umbrella.

Welcome to episode 115 of The PE Umbrella podcast! Joining me Under the Umbrella today is elementary school PE teacher of 36 years and soccer coach, Mr Jim Harte!

Through a career spanning over 3 decades, it's fair to say that Jim has seen it all and with that comes a wealth of experience to draw upon. The greatest strength of Jim, in my opinion, is his willingness to innovate and continually reinvent himself as a teacher, pushing his teaching pedagogy and ideas to this day.

During this episode, we talk about the changes to education that Jim has witnessed, as well as some huge creative successes that he has brought to the PE program at his school! Not only that, but we have the usual show favourites to sink our teeth into as well...

- His top, class management tip

- The worst/best lesson he ever taught

- His favourite warm-up activity EVER!

- His biggest learning curve this past year

So what are you waiting for? Come on over and join us Under the PE Umbrella.

Welcome to episode 114 of The PE Umbrella podcast! Joining me Under the Umbrella today is football coach and PE teacher working at Leicester City for the Premier League Primary Stars scheme, Ryan Bromyard!

During this episode, we talk about the advantages of having a coaching background before undertaking a role teaching PE, as well as the differences and how Ryan has overcome those barriers. We also dive into a discussion about his own teaching traits and how they are helping inspire the next generation of children to stay active! Not only that, but we have the usual show favourites to sink our teeth into as well...

- His top, class management tip

- The worst/best lesson he ever taught

- His favourite warm-up activity EVER!

- His biggest learning curve this past year

So what are you waiting for? Come on over and join us Under the PE Umbrella.

Welcome to episode 113 of The PE Umbrella podcast! This week I am fired up to bring you yet another awesome resource activity, PLUS my warm-up of the week, a last-minute inclusion into today's show!

SHHHH! Don't wake the bears is a unique twist on the old classic 'Rob the Nest' and seeks to fully engage the students in some wonderful learning. Best suited to EYFS/KS1 age groups, your students will be rehearsing their agility, stability and object manipulation skills as they take food from the forest...Just be careful though, the bears won't be happy!

As you listen along you'll learn:

- how to set the activity up

- which umbrellas you can focus on

- how to build up the layers

To assist you in your listening, head over to www.peumbrella.com and pick up the FREE accompanying PDF of 'SHHHH! Don't wake the bears' from the show notes page or the activities section of the site! So what are you waiting for? Come on over, and join me under The PE Umbrella!

Welcome to episode 112 of The PE Umbrella podcast!

Joining me Under the Umbrella today is senior lecturer from Sheffield Hallam University, Sarah Williams!

Originally from New Zealand, Sarah spent her early years teaching as a classroom teacher before becoming a primary PE specialist and then onto her current role.

During this episode, we dig into Sarah's teaching past and discover her joy for teaching and how we believe primary PE should be structured.

We also discuss plenty of the show favourites to bring you some real PE knowledge bombs.

- Her top class management tip

- The worst/best lesson she ever taught

- Her favourite warm up activity EVER!

- What we should be teaching in Early Years PE

So what are you waiting for? Come on over and join us Under the PE Umbrella.

Welcome to episode 111 of The PE Umbrella podcast!

Joining me Under the Umbrella today is Primary PE teacher, straight out of Yorkshire, Gareth Jones. Doing wonderful things just down the road from me in York, Gareth works alongside 21 schools to improve their offering of PE provision and is making a real difference. During this episode, we reminisce about our classroom teaching roles, the current state of primary PE and where we think it needs to head. Not only that but we dive into the show favourites as Gareth talks about:

- His top, class management tip

- The worst/best lesson he ever taught

- His favourite warm-up activity EVER!

So what are you waiting for? Come on over and join us Under the Umbrella for some Primary PE knowledge bombs!

Welcome to episode 110 of The PE Umbrella podcast!

This week I am excited to bring you TWO more awesome PE games to try out with your class! Lasting the test of time and first used over a decade ago, these activities are a must to have in the locker when teaching dribbling skills to your class. Heaps of fun with lots of practical teaching covering the 4 umbrellas, what's not to love about them?

Having used them successfully in KS1 and KS2 it's safe to say they will be an enormous hit! To assist you in your listening, head over to www.peumbrella.com and pick up the FREE accompanying PDF of The Lion King and Sharks & Lifeguards. You can pick it up on the show page for this episode and also on the activities page of free resources!

So what are you waiting for? Come on over, and join me under The PE Umbrella!

Welcome to episode 109 of The PE Umbrella podcast!

This week I am excited to bring you another lovely activity and accompanying PDF to use with your students called Mix Your Palette! Versatile and heaps of fun, your students will love working on their throwing accuracy and competing head to head with each other to be the first to mix their colours. Want less competition? Don't worry, students can play cooperatively to build their palette and choose their own level of difficulty!

With links to all four Umbrellas, this will give you plenty to discuss and is a delightful way to continue building the PE Umbrellas of your students whether they're in EYFS, KS1 or KS2!

To assist you in your listening, head over to www.peumbrella.com and pick up the FREE accompanying PDF of Mix Your Palette on the resources page, as well as the Umbrella reflection tool also mentioned in this episode!

So what are you waiting for? Come on over, and join me under The PE Umbrella!

This week on The PE Umbrella podcast I am joined by former secondary PE teacher, PE lead and author of the hugely successful book 'Wanna teach PE?' Ben Holden.

In this episode I was keen to explore the implications for secondary trained practitioners and their place in the primary PE landscape, and ultimately the views held on what primary PE is and what it could/should be!

So what are you waiting for? Come on over and join me under the umbrella!

Welcome to episode 108 of The PE Umbrella Podcast and another superb episode as I interview assistant producer for BBC Learning Michael Farnell.

This episode seeks to unpick the ins and outs of the wonderful Super Movers Initiative launched by the BBC and English Premier League, seeking to get children moving more in their school day. Michael talks about what the 'initiative' actually is and shares WHY it was even launched. We then talk about success stories from the initiative so far and how as busy teachers we can find time to fit it into our school day to gain maximum benefit!

So what are you waiting for? Come and join us Under the Umbrella!

Welcome to episode 107 of The PE Umbrella Podcast and another awesome interview episode with Mr Dan Fallon.

Dan is a movement specialist coach and ex-member of the royal navy. So when it comes to functional movements he really knows his stuff! In this episode, we dive into the obesity crisis in our Primary Schools and discuss how 'Lifelong' functional movements should and could become a greater staple in the school day of all children.

What is a 'Lifelong' Movement?

What does it mean? What age can they start?

What benefit would the children get?

All of this and so much more in this episode! So what are you waiting for? Come and join us Under the Umbrella!

Welcome to episode 106 of The PE Umbrella Podcast and part two of my interview with Stuart Owen.

This week we continue our quality conversation and turn our attention to Sport Diddy and skill acquisition in children. We talk about nature vs nurture and decide whether ANYBODY can truly master a SKILL. Through this discussion, we elaborate on the 3 stages of skill acquisition and the importance of Stuarts ten golden rules as a means to promote the best possible environment to learn. Underpinning all of this, we make strong links as to how this would look in the Primary PE classroom and highlight areas in which there are clear opportunities for crossover.

So what are you waiting for? Come and join us Under the Umbrella!