Athletics - Lesson 1

The first lesson in the Year 6 Athletics curriculum aims to enhance pupils' sprinting and hurdling abilities with a focus on fluency and speed. The learning objectives set for this lesson include the ability to sprint at maximum speed, utilize the correct stride pattern in hurdling, and analyse the changes in speed between sprinting and hurdling. Key vocabulary such as 'sprinting', 'hurdling', 'distance', 'speed', and 'strides' are introduced. Essential equipment comprises of cones in varying colours, a stopwatch, and hurdles of different heights. The warm-up activity involves quick starts over a 20m distance, with pupils practicing sprints from various starting positions, such as standing, kneeling, and lying down, to improve their start technique and sprint through the finish line.

The main part of the lesson, lasting 30 minutes, includes two key activities. 'How far can you go?' challenges pupils to sprint for 5 seconds and mark their distance with a cone, aiming to surpass their previous distances with each attempt. Key teaching points emphasize the importance of listening to commands, maintaining a straight sprint line, and coordinating arm and leg movements. The second activity, '1, 2, 3 over', involves pupils clearing hurdles with a focus on identifying their lead leg and maintaining a consistent stride pattern. This exercise also encourages teamwork, as pupils take turns and tag the next group member after completing their hurdle run. The lesson concludes with a cool-down activity where groups alternate between hurdling and sprinting, competing to see which group can cross the finish line first, thus reinforcing the techniques learned during the session.