Health and Physical Education in Primary Schools

This book encourages primary school practitioners to think differently about the way in which health and physical education (HPE) is delivered in schools. Drawing on evidence from a long-term collaborative practitioner action research project, EveryBody Counts, the book shows that it is possible to challenge the orthodoxy and to reshape practice to better suit the needs and interests of all children. Featuring the voices of practitioners and the ‘lived’ experiences of teachers, the book includes snippets and stories of thought and practice, supported by and linked to the research literature on topics including curriculum change, student-centred models, and pedagogical approaches in HPE. Every chapter includes rich accounts of how the teachers grappled with their own understandings of what HPE could potentially look like in their classes, as well as the range of new topics, practices, and pedagogies they used and with what effect. Questions at the end of each chapter encourage the reader to think critically about their own professional practice. This book is illuminating reading for trainee and in-service teachers and practitioners working in primary schools or working with young children.