Gymnastics 3 - Lesson 3

In the third lesson of a Year 5 gymnastics series, students aim to master various landings on and over a vault with a focus on successful take-off from a springboard, squat-through vaults, and controlled, precise landings. The lesson begins with a warm-up where students are divided into four groups, each performing a hurdle step across mats marked with flat markers to simulate a springboard. This activity not only warms up the students but also reinforces the key teaching point of using speed and arm movement to transition smoothly from one marker to the next, jumping high from the second marker. Pupils are encouraged to discuss their prior vaulting experiences and the setup of a vault routine, with opportunities to extend the exercise by increasing the distance between mats or introducing an actual springboard for those excelling.

During the main 30-minute session, the class continues in their four groups, now incorporating a vault and springboard setup. Two groups practice squat landings onto the vault while the other two work on straddle landings, focusing on key techniques like upward jumps, hand placements, and maintaining balance. Teachers have the flexibility to adjust the height of the vault or distance to the springboard to cater to different skill levels. A variation of the squat vault, known as the squat-through vault, is also introduced, where pupils run up to the springboard, perform a hurdle step, and then squat through the vault before landing on mats. The lesson concludes with a cool-down where groups review each other's performances, offering feedback and self-assessment, discussing what they enjoyed about the lesson and identifying their own strengths and weaknesses in the routines they have practised.