A survey of physical education in primary school This report will provide a concise survey of the developmental stages of physical education. In addition to providing an overview of the current topic in primary schools, this assignment will also look at the issue of teaching on a practical basis and examine how physical education can develop a child. Using information gathered from primary and secondary research, which was conducted whilst attending a primary school as a six week placement, the final stages will provide some criticism and offer some recommendations on how physical education can be improved or developed in the future. Having experienced physical education at all academic levels, I was very interested in researching the primary stages of the subject as I believe it is the most valuable learning period for any child. This belief is reinforced by the quote that "it is widely accepted that the younger the child, the more he learns through physical activity" (P. Wetton, 1988). This, although an outdated quote, coincides with the British Heart Foundation's view that "learning at an early age is important for establishing good exercise patterns throughout life" (2004). If taught effectively, physical education can be very beneficial for a child in terms of sociological, physical and mental well-being and development. For example, Figure 1 highlights several physiological, sociological, and psychological benefits that develop from a good physical education program. Physiological, Sociological, Psychological... at the center of the article...... cal traits. Physical education is more beneficial at a young age as the child's personality allows them to learn more and develop more (refer to figure 1).* Teaching is an area that needs development and improvement as the results show that physical education is not a specialist/preferred subject compared to core subjects. subjects such as mathematics and science (refer to Figure 3).* A general consensus reveals that there is a need for more hours dedicated to physical education in the national curriculum, as well as the development of school sport as a whole. In summary, this assignment reveals that whilst there are some areas of physical education, whether in the national curriculum or teaching, which need improvement or attention, there is evidence that the subject itself is beneficial to an individual in terms of development and progression.