PDHPE (Personal Development, Health and Physical Education) is important in primary school for several reasons. It helps develop lifelong skills like communicating, interacting, problem solving and decision making. It also promotes healthy living and an active lifestyle by teaching fundamental movement skills, nutrition, and encouraging physical activity and healthy eating. Additionally, PDHPE supports students' social health, growth, and development as they learn to make friends, respect others, and understand their changing bodies. It also promotes safe living practices through exploring safety rules, emergency procedures, and risks. PDHPE provides a fun way for students to be physically and socially active through student-centered learning and creative game development and play.

1. PDHPE
RATIONALE
Why PDHPE is important in Primary School
Education

2. Helps Develop Life Long
Skills
Skills which are developed through PDHPE will be used over a
lifetime…
• Communicating
• Interacting
• Problem Solving
• Decision Making
• Moving

3. Promotes Healthy Living
and Active Lifestyle
Active Lifestyle- PE
• Development of a range of
fundamental movement-
based skills
• Encouragement of students
of being active to help
maintain physical health
Healthy Living- PDH
• Nutritional information
provided for kids
• Encouragement of students
to partake in healthy eating
practices
 HEALTHY LIVING 

4. Social Health, Growth
and Development
• Students learn how to make friends, to
respect each other and to work together
effectively
• Students are able to develop their own person
identity and values
• Students develop an understanding of the
body and how the body develops as they
grow older

5. Promotes Safe Living
Practices
• Ideas about personal safety and
safe/unsafe situations are developed.
• Road and Water safety is explored and
practiced.
• Students explore rules around play- why
they are there and how they promote
safety
• Emergency procedures are explored

6. PDHPE IS FUN 
• PDHPE provides many opportunities for students to work
together through student-centred learning.
• Students encouraged to be creative in the development and
playing of games.
• Students are actively engaged in thinking about who they are
and what makes them special.