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Using core tasks to improve pupils’ progress and levels of achievement

What are Core Tasks?

• Core tasks are related to the QCA/DFES schemes of work
• They give pupils the opportunity to use what they have learnt in an authentic context that is suitably challenging for their age and ability
• The Core Tasks provide a complete piece of work (similar to work being displayed on the wall in another subject)
• They have been designed to match the physical maturity, mental and emotional maturity of most children in an age group
• Enable pupils to make progress by improving the quality of their performance in a particular task
• The Tasks grow in complexity and difficulty as pupils progress through a series of tasks
• They have been written so that pupils can visualise a task: they know what it looks like and what to aim for
• Enable teachers to recognise and validate pupils’ progress

How do the Core Tasks fit into the NC?

Each Core Task covers the 4 aspects of Knowledge, skills and understanding and linked together to evaluate and improve performance

How do I use Core Tasks in my planning?

• A pupil is ready to work at the pitch of a particular Core Task when they can accept its key concepts and skills
• As progress in made through the task the pupils move from hesitant performance applying a small range of solutions to fluent, accurate performance drawing on a wide range of skills and ideas
• Once performance is at this high level and the core task is no longer challenging, the pupil is ready to more on
• Identify a core task suitable for your pupils and use this as a starting point to plan lessons

Why use Core Tasks?

• Gives pupils a clear focus and sense of direction
• Can understand why they are learning skills
• Therefore more enthusiastic and motivated
• Pupils are proactive in asking teacher ways to develop skills

Discuss Core Tasks in lesson 1 and ask the pupils what skills they need to achieve the task

How to show success?

• Filming
• Complete evaluation forms
• Taking photos
• Records of who attend after school clubs
• Talk to lunchtime supervisors

How to link lunchtime activities to Core Tasks?

• Identify focus of each term’s PE lesson
• Devise activities on laminated cards: take photo of child performing activity and written description
• Leave card in zone and allow children to choose challenge/ activity

How to use Core Tasks as the base line?

• Begin by describing the Core Tasks and ask pupils to set own targets
• Assess the pupils in this first lesson.
• Use this assessment as the basis for the next lesson
• The lesson is more focused as both staff and pupils are clear about their specific goals
• This continuous formative assessment is used to track pupil’s progress and target setting

Core tasks:

go to unit map >

Display them in the hall and on the PE notice board in the classroom

Adapting core tasks for games success

Adapting core tasks for games success:

Adapting core tasks for games success:

Planning sheet for core tasks

Unit map

How the units can fit into the Curriculum

Using Core Tasks to track pupil’s progress:

The table below shows which year(s) each unit is for. Where a unit number appears against more than one year group, it can be taught in either or both of them.

Click on the column titles to view the learning outcome overviews

Click on the relevant section to go to the Units of work and Core tasks within each unit

contacts | acknowledgements | useful links | © Ashton Park SSP 2009

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