Parkour, pickleball and korfball will be included in PE curriculum resources produced by Oak National Academy.
The arm’s length body has launched lesson resources for teachers that aim to engage more young people in sport and activity.
Parkour, also known as ‘freerunning’, has its roots in military training, using acrobatics, running, flipping, jumping, climbing and other skills to complete an obstacle-strewn course or terrain in the fastest and most efficient way.
It has been popularised in feature films such as Casino Royale and popular videos showing exponents scaling buildings and other structures.
New lessons on ‘fast-growing’ sports
Parkour will feature in secondary lessons, with safe instruction on key elements such as rolling and wall running. The UK became the first country to recognise parkour as a sport in 2017 and its popularity has soared in recent years.
Oak says its introductory lessons can all be executed in a standard school gym and allow teachers to use existing equipment such as beams and vaults, so there is no need for schools to invest in expensive new facilities.
Classroom resources also cover the racket sport pickleball, a gentler version of tennis, and korfball, (from the Dutch word korf for net) which is similar to netball and basketball and comprises a team of four male and four female players.
Pickleball is a fast-growing racket sport that Sport England estimates was played by 27,000 people at least once last year.
‘More comprehensive’ teaching resources
The academy will also be launching teaching resources for nine subjects over this academic year.
The resources for art and design feature contemporary Black British artists such as Alberta Whittle, Chila Kumari Burman and Frank Bowling, alongside well-known figures like Picasso and Van Gogh, and influential female artists such as Frida Kahlo, Georgia O’Keeffe and Barbara Hepworth.
By exploring a wide array of artists, Oak says pupils develop a more comprehensive understanding of artistic traditions and innovations.
The new computing curriculum is designed to enable pupils to become “confident, efficient and safe” users of technology and the internet.
Schools will be offered online safety lessons for pupils from the age of five, covering the risks of excessive screen time, responsible online behaviour, and cyberbullying.
The cooking curriculum will include recipes for British and international delicacies ranging from toad in the hole, cottage pie and scotch eggs to jollof rice, aloo gobi, sushi pinwheels, patatas bravas and plantain stew.
The new curriculum sequences will go live today.
To ‘inspire’ and ‘prepare’ the next generation
Oak National Academy chief executive Matt Hood, said: “We want to inspire the next generation of artists, tech entrepreneurs, athletes, coaches and musicians with our lessons.
“I’m delighted we are offering such a wide variety of sport in the PE curriculum, so teachers have the resources to offer everything from football and hockey to parkour and pickleball - something to engage all their pupils.
“These comprehensive and exciting new curriculum plans will help schools and teachers deliver great lessons that spark children’s interests and prepare them for life beyond the school gates.”
He added: “Digital skills are woven into our computing resources and online safety also features prominently, something we know parents care deeply about.”
Jason Elsom, chief executive of the Parentkind charity, welcomed the inclusion of online safety in curriculum resources for young pupils.
He said: “When we speak to parents, online safety and the risks of social media are consistently one of the biggest worries.”
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