Fundamentals — Running, Jumping and Throwing — Year 1 Lesson Plan
National Curriculum: PE KS1 — master basic movements including running, jumping, throwing and catching; develop balance, agility and co-ordination; apply these in a range of activities
Overview
Pupils develop the fundamental movement skills of running, jumping and throwing through games, challenges and exploration. They practise different ways of travelling, experiment with jumping for height and distance, and throw a variety of equipment with increasing control. The lesson builds physical confidence and vocabulary to describe movement.
Learning Objectives
- Perform different types of running — fast, slow, on the spot, dodging — with control.
- Jump in different ways: two feet to two feet, one foot to two feet, for height and distance.
- Throw a ball, beanbag and quoit using a pushing action with a preferred hand.
- Describe what their body is doing using simple movement vocabulary.
Key Vocabulary
Suggested Lesson Structure
Pupils move freely around the space — walk, jog, skip. On a signal: freeze. Change signal to mean: jump, spin, sprint. Introduce 'traffic lights': red = stop, amber = jog, green = sprint. Progressively add dodging around cones.
Focus 1 — Running: demonstrate sprinting with arm drive and high knees; pupils sprint between cones in pairs. Focus 2 — Jumping: practise standing broad jump, land on two feet with bent knees (show soft landing vs. stiff landing). Attempt one-foot takeoff to two-foot landing over a low hurdle. Focus 3 — Throwing: underarm throw of a beanbag at a target hoop on the floor; overarm throw of a soft ball at a wall target. Discuss: which throw goes further? Which is more accurate for a short distance?
Circuit of four stations (2 mins each, rotate): (1) Sprint relay between cones. (2) Standing broad jump — mark landing spot with chalk. (3) Underarm throw into a hoop from increasing distance. (4) Overarm throw at a wall target. Teacher observes and gives individual feedback on technique.
Personal challenge: each pupil picks one activity (run, jump or throw) and tries to beat their own best — sprint faster, jump further or throw more accurately. They self-count how many targets they hit out of ten throws, or how many times they can jump in 30 seconds.
Return to a circle. Each pupil demonstrates one thing they improved. Review: what does your body need to do to jump far? (Swing arms, push off hard, land with bent knees.) What helps you throw accurately? Cool down: slow stretches for legs and shoulders.
Common Misconceptions
- Pupils often land stiff-legged after jumping, risking injury — reinforce bent knees on landing every time.
- Thinking throwing harder always means throwing further — accuracy and release angle matter as much as force.
Prior Knowledge
Pupils should already be able to:
- Basic gross motor skills developed through Early Years physical play.
- Awareness of personal space and simple PE rules from EYFS/Reception.
Want a personalised version of this lesson?
Use Staffroom to generate a complete lesson plan tailored to your class — add context about ability, recent learning, or specific pupils and get a plan ready to teach. Free trial, no card required.