PDHPE in Primary School

2. WHAT IS PDHPE?
• PDHPE stands for Personal Development Health and Physical
Education
• There are multiple ways in which PDHPE is significant to students
learning:
• Physical, social, cognitive and emotional growth and development
patterns
• The development and maintenance of positive interpersonal
relationships
• The factors influencing personal health choices
• Living and learning in a safe secure environment
• The adoption of an active lifestyle
• Fundamental movement patterns and actions of the body
• Skills that enable action for better health and mobility

3. SKILLS IN PDHPE
Students develop a range of skills that assist in their learning and growth
as individuals.
• They develop communication skills that enable them to express feelings
and opinions to others and respond to the opinion of others in their
class
• They also develop decision making skills that allow them to make
informed and cohesive decisions relevant to different topics
• They develop skills for interacting by encouraging them to interact
positively towards others
• They develop movement skills that allow them to understand and use
different ways of moving their body
• They also develop problem solving skills by observing, questioning and
researching different ways of solving a situation or problem.

4. THE IMPORTANCE OF STAYING HEALTHY
Students learn locomotor and non-locomotor skills that allow them to
understand the importance of physical activity.
• Locomotor skills include: walking, running, sprinting, hopping,
skipping, jumping and marching
• Non-locomotor skills include: stretching, bending, twisting, pivoting,
swinging and balancing
• They also learn manipulative skills such as throwing, catching, rolling,
stopping, kicking and striking
• Students participate in games that promote these skills to emphasize
healthy living and encourage students to participate in regular physical
activity
• Students also learn about the food types that are healthy and unhealthy
• They also learn to understand the impact of not exercising and not
eating healthy foods

5. GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT
Students are taught to understand the different stages that individuals have
in their lives.
• Students learn the differences and similarities between individuals and
gain knowledge about the characteristics of peers in their class.
• They identify their own strengths and weaknesses in decision making,
problem solving, communicating as well as physical activities.
• They learn to value their own abilities and use them in everyday life
• They also become aware of the struggles and difficulties that exist with
life changes such as puberty, grief, loss and changes in family
situations.
• They also identify aspects of the body that constitute change and
development.

6. SAFE LIVING
Students develop and understand ways of staying safe in different
environments and the appropriate actions to be used when placed in an
unsafe environment.
• They identify the difference between safe and unsafe environments by
exploring the school environment and the community environment
• They demonstrate ways to improve unsafe environments
• They also develop strategies that respond to dangerous environments
or situations
• They also learn about the responsibilities involved in safe living and
ways to avoid becoming unsafe
• They also recognize the consequences of being involved in a
dangerous situation and its impact on the individual and the community