PDHPE in primary schools encourages understanding of self and others, promotes physical activity, and emphasizes informed decision making. It supports students' physical, social, cognitive, emotional, and movement skill development. PDHPE uniquely contributes to the curriculum by developing the whole student. It focuses on health, physical activity, and fundamental movement skills, which are important to establish during primary school. The goal is for students to lead healthy, active lives and adopt responsible roles in society.

1. PAMELA DALTON STUDENT NO. 17507295
The Importance of
PDHPE in Primary
Schools!

2. Within the primary curriculum PDHPE:
 Encourages an understanding and valuing of self and others
 Promotes physical activity
 Emphasises informed decision making leading to effective
and responsible action
 Physical, social, cognitive and emotional growth and
development patterns
 The development and maintenance of positive interpersonal
relationships
Cont.......
Board of Studies. (2007). Syllabus: Personal Development, Health and
Physical Education K-6, Sydney, Australia. 5-8.
“The [PDHPE K-6] syllabus makes a unique
contribution to the total school curriculum
in that it is directly concerned with
supporting the development of the student
as a whole person.”

3. (Cont.)
Within the primary curriculum PDHPE:
 The factors influencing personal health choices
 Living and learning in a safe secure environment
 The adoption of an active lifestyle
 Fundamental movement patterns and coordinated actions of
the body
 Skills that enable action for better health and movement
outcomes.
Board of Studies. (2007). Syllabus: Personal Development, Health and
Physical Education K-6, Sydney, Australia. 5-8.
“The aim of the syllabus is to
develop in each student the
knowledge and understanding, skills
and values and attitudes needed to
lead healthy, active and fulfilling
lives.” (8)

4. PDHPE is the key learning area that focuses on movement skills:
The primary years are an important time for the development of
fundamental movement skills. A failure to gain these skills in
primary years creates a barrier to ongoing physical activity in
adolescence and adulthood. If not developed at this time
they are seldom learnt in later life.
Addressing health in primary years
is paramount.“Students should be
concerned not only about their own
health but also about better health
for all now and in the future.”
http://k6.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au/wps/wcm/connect/8042669d-
8d52-48a9-a04d-181cfe9ced0d/pdhpek6_principal.pdf?MOD=AJPERES

5. Health and Movement is a priority of
PDHPE. “Incorporated into the school
program are skills of
communicating, decision making,
interacting, moving and problem
solving.”
•Active lifestyle
•Dance
•Games and Sports
•Growth and Development
•Gymnastics
•Interpersonal Relationships
•Personal Health Choices
•Safe Living
The skills are introduced and reinforced through the subjects of:
The priority for the Health and Physical Education curriculum is to:
provide ongoing, developmentally appropriate and explicit learning
about health and movement. The Health and Physical education
curriculum draws on its multidisciplinary evidence base to ensure that
students are provided with learning opportunities to practise, create,
apply and evaluate the knowledge, understanding and skills of the
learning area
http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/healthandphysica
l education/Rationale

6. PDHPE incorporates all aspects of an
individual’s wellbeing inclusive of
social, mental, physical and spiritual
development.“The syllabus [forms]
the basis for students to adopt a
responsible and productive role in
society” (8)
The Personal Development, Health and Physical Education
K-6 Syllabus makes a unique contribution to the total
primary curriculum in that it is directly concerned with the
development of the whole person.
http://k6.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au/wps/wcm/connect/8
042669d-8d52-48a9-a04d-
181cfe9ced0d/pdhpek6_principal.pdf?MOD=AJPERES