Lesson 3 - Communication & Management
Young Leaders Through Practice
•Year 7
•Leadership
•Start Planning Better PE Lessons
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How can we lead others effectively when we can't use words?
Learning Objectives
- Develop and apply different methods of non-verbal communication in challenging situations
- Demonstrate effective behaviour management strategies as a leader and official
- Evaluate personal leadership approaches and identify areas for improvement
Key Outcomes
- Students will successfully guide partners using only non-verbal communication
- Students will officiate games whilst managing challenging behaviours appropriately
- Students will reflect on communication effectiveness and adapt their strategies
Equipment & Resources Required
Place in visible location if using cones instead of hand signals
Alternative: Coloured bibs, laminated cards with numbers 1-3
Distributed before Cross the River activity
Alternative: Eye masks, bandanas, scarves - ensure washable
Scattered randomly across designated river area creating obstacles
Alternative: Paper plates, chalk circles, hoops
Position parallel with 2-3 metres between them for Stand in Order activity
Alternative: Lines on floor (less challenging), low beams, rope laid straight
One ball placed at each game pitch
Alternative: Any type of ball suitable for small-sided games
Sorted into team sets before Game Application section
Alternative: Team bands, pennies
Set up four small-sided game areas approximately 15m x 10m each
Alternative: Chalk lines, existing pitch markings
Distributed to referees during Game Application, sanitised between users
Alternative: None - whistles essential for officiating
Key Vocabulary
Communicating without speaking, using gestures, body language, facial expressions, or sounds
Strategies used to maintain positive conduct and address inappropriate behaviour
Acting as a referee or umpire to ensure fair play and enforce rules during games
Finding solutions to challenges by thinking creatively and trying different approaches
Working together with others towards a common goal
Fully concentrating on and processing information from another person
Skill Progression Pathway
Understanding where pupils are coming from and where they're going
Prior Learning
- Basic understanding of teamwork from Key Stage 2
- Experience following instructions from teachers and coaches
- Basic awareness of fair play and sportsmanship
Current Skills
- Non-verbal communication techniques (gestures, visual cues, body language)
- Active listening and observation skills
- Conflict resolution and behaviour management as an official
- Adapting communication methods to different situations
Next Steps
- Leading larger groups independently
- Officiating competitive matches with confidence
- Mentoring younger students in leadership activities
- Developing personal leadership styles
Milestone Indicators
Key Teaching Points
- Non-verbal communication can be more effective than words in many situations - use multiple methods (visual, auditory, tactile) for greatest success
- Effective communication requires planning, practice, and adaptation when initial approaches don't work
- Trust is essential for leadership - leaders must act to maintain others' safety and confidence
- Behaviour management requires calm, clear, immediate responses with fair and consistent consequences
- Good leaders protect all team members and ensure everyone is treated with respect
- Problem-solving often requires trying multiple approaches before finding success - persistence is key
- Leadership involves both leading others and knowing when to follow - both roles are valuable
- Reflection on performance is how leaders improve - self-awareness is a crucial leadership skill
- Authority as a leader (like a referee) comes from confidence, fairness, and clear communication
- Challenging yourself to step outside your comfort zone is how you develop leadership skills
Common Misconceptions
- Misconception: 'Leaders are born, not made.' Reality: Leadership skills are learned through practice and reflection. Everyone can develop leadership abilities.
- Misconception: 'Communication is just about talking loudly or clearly.' Reality: Communication involves multiple methods - verbal, non-verbal, visual - and choosing the right method for the situation.
- Misconception: 'Being a leader means being in charge and telling everyone what to do.' Reality: Leadership often involves listening, supporting, facilitating, and sometimes following others.
- Misconception: 'Behaviour management means being strict and punishing people.' Reality: Effective behaviour management is about clear expectations, fairness, prevention, and helping people make better choices.
- Misconception: 'If someone doesn't understand me, it's their fault.' Reality: Leaders take responsibility for ensuring their communication is clear and adapt their methods if needed.
- Misconception: 'Officiating is easy - just watch and blow a whistle.' Reality: Officiating requires quick decision-making, confidence, fairness, and managing complex interpersonal situations under pressure.
- Misconception: 'If I can't do something perfectly first time, I'm not a good leader.' Reality: All leaders make mistakes and learn from them. Growth comes from reflection and trying again with improvements.
SEN Adaptations
ADHD
- Structure activities with clear time limits (use visible timer). Provide frequent changes of activity and role. Use movement-based activities (this lesson is ideal). Give specific, focused tasks rather than open-ended. Offer leadership roles that involve physical activity (referee over scorekeeper). Provide fidget tool during seated reflection if needed. Praise effort and specific behaviours frequently.
dyspraxia
- Reduce complexity of movements during warm-up if balance challenging. For Cross the River, reduce number of obstacles and provide larger pathways. Allow student to be guide first to build confidence. On bench, position near middle with supportive peers either side. During officiating, pair with another referee for support. Break down complex instructions into smaller steps. Provide additional practice time. Celebrate their efforts and specific improvements.
autism spectrum
- Provide visual schedule of lesson structure at beginning. Give advance warning before transitions. During behaviour management scenarios, clarify explicitly that it is role-play, not real conflict. Offer alternative to blindfold if sensory issues (closing eyes or modified version). Allow processing time before expecting verbal responses. Provide quiet space available if student becomes overwhelmed. Use clear, literal language without idioms.
visual impairment
- Use bright, contrasting coloured equipment. Provide additional verbal descriptions during demonstrations. Allow student to feel equipment and spatial arrangements before activities. Partner with supportive peer who can provide clear audio cues. For blindfold activities, student already experienced in navigating without sight may excel - position as expert/helper.
hearing impairment
- Ensure student can always see teacher's face and demonstrations clearly. Use visual signals in addition to whistles (flags, hand signals). Provide written/visual instructions for complex activities. During non-verbal activities, student may excel as communication is already adapted. Partner with peer who knows basic BSL if applicable.
physical disability
- Modify Cross the River - allow wheelchair users to navigate around obstacles with partner giving directions. For Stand in Order, use alternative (students standing in line rather than on bench). Adapt officiating role - can be assistant referee managing score/time rather than pitch referee. Focus on cognitive and social leadership aspects. Provide alternative movements for warm-up (seated arm movements, wheelchair mobility patterns).
Cross-Curricular Links
English
Developing communication skills, articulating thoughts clearly during reflections, active listening skills, understanding different forms of communication (verbal, non-verbal, visual)
Maths
Organising students into equal groups efficiently, spatial awareness and positioning on benches, timing activities and games, problem-solving using logical thinking
Citizenship
Understanding rules and their purposes, respecting authority figures, responsibilities of leadership, fairness and justice, managing others' behaviour appropriately
Drama
Role-play during officiating scenarios, adopting referee role with confidence, managing conflict situations, using body language and tone effectively
PSHE
Building trust and cooperation, managing emotions under pressure, conflict resolution strategies, respecting authority, sportsmanship and fair play, resilience when facing challenges, empathy for others' perspectives
Teacher Guidance
Positioning
During warm-up: central with visibility of all students. During Cross the River: circulating constantly between pairs. During Stand in Order: position to see both benches. During officiating: central position with view of all four pitches, prepared to move quickly to any area requiring intervention.
Observation Focus
Watch for communication clarity and effectiveness, trust and cooperation between partners, problem-solving approaches, emerging leadership behaviours, referee confidence and decision-making, behaviour management strategies employed, student engagement and emotional responses, safety throughout.
Intervention Points
Intervene immediately if safety compromised (student about to collide, unsafe movement on bench, genuine conflict developing). Intervene if communication systems not working to provide coaching. Intervene if referees frozen or overwhelmed to provide prompts. Intervene if behaviour scenarios escalating beyond role-play boundaries. Otherwise, allow students to problem-solve independently.
Demonstration Notes
Demonstrate all movements in warm-up game clearly with exaggeration. Demonstrate simple communication system with a volunteer before Cross the River begins. Model appropriate referee positioning and whistle use. Demonstrate calm, clear communication approach when teaching behaviour management. Use think-aloud strategy to model problem-solving. Show examples from students who are doing well to inspire others.
Verbal Cues
- •'Eyes on my hand!' during 1,2,3 game
- •'Find space!' to encourage spatial awareness
- •'Trust your partner!' during blindfold activities
- •'Slow and steady!' during bench activities
- •'Stay calm!' to referees managing behaviour
- •'Be clear and confident!' to support referee authority
Safety Considerations
Space & Surface Requirements
Space Requirements
Large indoor hall or outdoor area minimum 25m x 20m. Clear of obstacles and trip hazards. Adequate space for four small-sided game pitches plus additional activity zones. Indoor space preferred for behaviour management activities to ensure privacy and focus.
Surface Check
Dry, even, non-slip surface essential, especially for blindfold activities. Check for any hazards on floor (water spills, equipment, uneven areas). Outdoor surfaces must be level and free from stones, holes, or debris. Benches must be on stable, flat surface.
Equipment Safety
Safety Checks
- •Blindfolds must be clean and washable - sanitise between uses or use individual blindfolds
- •Floor spots must be non-slip and flat to surface
- •Benches must be stable, structurally sound, and appropriate height (standard gym bench)
- •Check bench weight capacity and don't exceed recommended number of students
- •Balls correctly inflated and in good condition
- •Whistles sanitised between users - provide individual if possible
- •Cones with no sharp edges or cracks
Risk Management
Key Risks
- •Blindfolded students colliding with obstacles, other students, or falling
- •Students falling from benches during Stand in Order activity
- •Collisions between games during officiating section
- •Behaviour management scenarios escalating beyond role-play into genuine conflict
- •Emotional distress from challenging leadership scenarios
- •Students feeling targeted or bullied if scenarios feel too realistic
Risk Mitigation
- •Clear boundaries established with all students before blindfold activities
- •Partners briefed that they are responsible for blindfolded partner's safety
- •Maximum students on bench at any time established based on bench capacity
- •Students instructed on slow, controlled movements on benches with mutual support
- •Adequate spacing between game pitches (minimum 3 metres)
- •Teacher continuously monitoring all activities with clear sight lines
- •Behaviour scenarios clearly briefed as role-play with limits (no physical contact)
- •Safe word or signal established for students who feel uncomfortable
- •Immediate intervention protocol if scenarios become genuinely heated
- •Debrief after scenarios to separate role-play from reality
- •Check-in with individual students who struggled emotionally during or after lesson
Supervision & Emergency Procedures
Supervision Points
- •Position centrally during warm-up to see all students in motion
- •Circulate during Cross the River to monitor all blindfolded students constantly
- •Stand where you can see both benches during Stand in Order activity
- •During officiating games, position centrally to observe all four pitches
- •Be prepared to move quickly to any pitch where behaviour scenario occurring
- •Monitor both physical and emotional safety throughout
- •Maintain awareness of students at periphery who may be disengaged or struggling
Emergency Procedures
Established STOP command for immediate freeze if unsafe situation develops. First aid kit accessible and visible. Teacher knows location of nearest first aider and emergency phone. For emotional distress, remove student from activity, provide calm space, and check in privately. For physical injury, assess, provide appropriate first aid, and follow school protocols.