PE & Sport at Dame Dorothy Primary School

At Dame Dorothy, we believe that a high-quality PE curriculum and a healthy lifestyle bring significant benefits to every child’s wellbeing, confidence, and achievement. That’s why we are committed to creating exciting opportunities both inside and outside school for children to take part in a wide range of sports and physical activities.

Developing Skills & Confidence

The government’s PE grant is being used to enhance our staff’s knowledge and skills in PE. By working alongside top coaches, our teachers are gaining the confidence and capacity to deliver outstanding lessons in gymnastics, dance, tennis, and more. These investments are building a sustainable foundation for high-quality PE teaching in the future.

Partnerships & Pathways

We are proud to have built strong sporting links with Castleview Enterprise Academy and Boldon Lawn Tennis Club, providing pupils with further opportunities to develop their skills and compete.

Swimming is a vital life skill, so all Key Stage 2 classes attend swimming lessons at the Sunderland Aquatic Centre. Our most able swimmers have gone on to join the City of Sunderland swimming squad.

Sporting Achievements

Our football squad has been Division C winners several times in recent years, with both boys and girls representing Sunderland Boys and Sunderland Girls teams. We also have a dedicated girls’ football team competing in local leagues.

Within school, children benefit from expert coaching in football, gymnastics, dance, and tennis, as well as orienteering—now fully mapped and in use on our school site. These efforts have been recognised with:

• Gold Standard Award

• Great Active Sunderland Schools Charter Gold Award

• Platinum Award

Leadership & Lunchtime Activity

Our Young Leaders and Girls Active programmes are hugely successful in promoting active lifestyles during breaks and lunchtimes. Older KS2 pupils develop leadership skills by leading playground games and supporting younger children—showing maturity, responsibility, and teamwork. Dame Dorothy is proud to be recognised across the city as a leading school for the Young Leaders programme.

Everyday Fitness & Community Spirit

Our ‘Path to Wellbeing’ initiative ensures every child runs multiple laps each day to raise their heart rate, building fitness into the daily routine. This has inspired our weekly running club, open to pupils aged 6–11, staff, and active parents. The club is hugely popular, and each May, we take part in the Sunderland City 3k event.

Looking Ahead

PE and sport are thriving at Dame Dorothy, but we know we can achieve even more in the years ahead. As the only school in the North East with a dedicated PE school uniform worn daily, we are leading the way in embedding fitness into everyday life—helping children stay healthy, confident, and ready to succeed.