In this essay, research has been brought together to discuss formal and educational gymnastics. Reference to the national program; old, current and new are used to justify why it is important to include physical education in the school curriculum. Discussion of the effect of the 2007 and 2014 curriculum on gymnastics and why some teachers teach gymnastics and others do not. The joy of controlling your weight and taking yourself “head over heels” is a unique sensation of movement that all children have the right to feel. as part of their formal education. This is a quote from Lynda Nilges and a perfect description of what educational gymnastics is. It allows children to develop skills through natural and expressive actions within their limits and at their own pace. Formal or fundamental gymnastics, on the other hand, is more traditional and structured, as it follows a more activity/skill specific approach. Traditional/formal gymnastics is described as a series of stunts that are presented to students in a more formal and developmentally appropriate manner. With this type of gymnastics, the emphasis is on skills and sequences performed on traditional main pieces of equipment such as beams, bars, floor, etc. and all students, regardless of body shape and/or skill level, are judged and held to the same standards. . Educational gymnastics, on the other hand, allows each child to self-assess or create movements that defy gravity to improve elements such as flexibility, balance, coordination and strength. While formal gymnastics is more competition based and educational gymnastics emphasizes achievement and skill acquisition by each student. According to Benn and Benn (2007), gymnastics is at the heart of physical education (PE) as a medium for article......Reference list:Association for Physical Education. Advice on the new national curriculum 2014. http://www.afpe.org.uk/advice-on-new-national-curriculum. [accessed 21/03/14] Benn, B. and Benn, T. (2000) “Gymnastics – the debate reopened, teaching gymnastics skills” British Journal of Teaching Physical Education. 31 (1) pp. 35-38.Benn, B. Benn, T. and Maude, P. (2007) A practical guide to teaching gymnastics. Leeds: Coachwise Limited. Mitchell, D. Davis, B. and Lopez, R. (2002) Teaching fundamental skills in gymnastics. Leeds: Human Kinetics.Nilges, N. (2000) Teaching Educational Gymnastics. Columbia: University of South Carolina. White, J. (2004) Rethinking the curriculum: values, goals and objectives. London: RoutledgeFalmer.Waters, M. (2013) The new secondary school curriculum. What has changed and why? London: Qualifications and Curriculum Authority