Tennis - Lesson 1

In the initial lesson of a tennis series for Year 4 students, the learning objectives are centred around mastering the ready position and executing basic forehand and backhand shots. The success criteria set clear goals for pupils to achieve: to be able to get into the ready position and to be able to play simple forehand and backhand shots. Key vocabulary introduced includes 'ready position', 'forehand', 'backhand', and 'smash'. The equipment required for the lesson comprises rackets, cones, and a defined playing area. The warm-up session spans 10 minutes and involves pupils moving around the area while the teacher emphasises the importance of balance and demonstrates the ready position. Pupils are then engaged in various exercises to practice stopping with control and assuming the ready position on command, with variations that include balancing on different body parts and adopting positions for different tennis shots without actually performing them.

The main part of the lesson, which lasts 30 minutes, involves pupils working in pairs within a designated area, preferably on grass. The instructor demonstrates the safe use of rackets and the importance of space. One of the key teaching points is the encouragement of using two hands on the backhand side. Activities include rolling the ball to practice stopping it with the racket on the forehand or backhand side and then pushing it back, progressing to pushing the ball back without stopping it first, and eventually engaging in floor tennis rallies. Variations and extensions of these exercises challenge pupils with more movement and accuracy. Another key teaching point is to always be ready between pushes, with the favourite hand at the bottom of the grip. The lesson concludes with a competitive rally through cones, where pupils count their push shots and compete for cones. The cool-down session lasts 10 minutes, where pupils perform controlled movements to draw shapes with different parts of their bodies, reflecting on the key aspects of balance and readiness in tennis.