Stay ConnectedThe PE Umbrella is a podcast for primary teachers & those working in the primary PE space who want practical, actionable ideas they can use straight away.
Hosted by Ryan Ellis, each episode features honest conversations with educators from around the world, sharing real strategies, lessons, and experiences from the field.
With over 200 episodes to date, the focus is simple: cut through the noise and help you deliver better primary PE with confidence, clarity, and impact.
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.
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.
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