Lesson 1 - Leadership Basics
Young Leaders Through Practice
•Year 8
•Leadership
•Start Planning Better PE Lessons
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What makes someone an effective leader and how can you inspire others through clear communication?
Learning Objectives
- Perform activities with control, poise, and composure
- Demonstrate leadership skills through effective communication and modelling
- Enjoy competing and challenging themselves to improve their leadership abilities
Key Outcomes
- Students will lead small groups through activities with clear instructions and demonstrations
- Students will provide constructive feedback to peers on their leadership performance
- Students will evaluate and modify game structures to improve engagement and challenge
Equipment & Resources Required
Keep with teacher initially, then pass to student leaders
Alternative: Any television remote, or a cardboard cutout shaped like a remote
Distributed to 6 activity stations around the hall
Alternative: Bean bags, plastic cups, small hurdles
Placed at relevant activity stations (rolling activities)
Alternative: Tennis balls, playground balls, basketballs - variety of sizes works well
Given to initial catchers, easily scrunchable for throwing
Alternative: Bands, sashes, or different coloured tops
Display key leadership qualities: Communication, Enthusiasm, Safety, Creativity
Alternative: Printed visual aids showing leadership qualities
Key Vocabulary
The ability to guide, motivate, and organise a group to achieve a common goal
Sharing information clearly through verbal instructions, demonstrations, and body language
Managing your movements with precision and maintaining composure under pressure
Performing with confidence, grace, and calm composure
Constructive comments that help someone improve their performance
Showing others how to perform an activity through clear, visible modelling
Setting an example through your own actions and behaviour
Organising activities to minimise risk of injury and ensuring a secure environment
Skill Progression Pathway
Understanding where pupils are coming from and where they're going
Prior Learning
- Students have experience following instructions in PE
- Students have worked in groups and pairs in previous lessons
- Students understand basic safety principles in physical activities
Current Skills
- Leading small groups with clear verbal instructions
- Demonstrating physical activities with control and poise
- Providing and receiving constructive feedback
- Evaluating game structures and suggesting improvements
Next Steps
- Planning and delivering complete warm-up activities to the class
- Adapting leadership style to different group dynamics
- Creating original games with appropriate challenge levels
- Developing advanced communication techniques including non-verbal cues
Milestone Indicators
Key Teaching Points
- Effective leaders communicate clearly with projected voice, eye contact, and confident body language
- Demonstrations must be performed with control and poise - moving slowly and precisely so others can see and understand
- Constructive feedback follows the structure: 'What went well... Even better if...' and must be specific not vague
- Games must be balanced with appropriate challenge - too many catchers/too few runners (or vice versa) reduces engagement
- Safety is a key leadership responsibility - leaders must consider risks and organise activities to minimise danger
- Enthusiasm is contagious - leaders inspire others through their energy and positive attitude
- Effective leaders explain clearly, demonstrate with precision, and then support learners with encouragement and feedback
Common Misconceptions
- Misconception: Leadership means being loud and bossy. Reality: Effective leadership is about clear, respectful communication and inspiring others through example.
- Misconception: Only confident, outgoing people can be leaders. Reality: Different leadership styles are effective - quiet, thoughtful leaders can be just as successful as energetic ones.
- Misconception: Feedback means pointing out what's wrong. Reality: Constructive feedback starts with positives and offers specific suggestions for improvement.
- Misconception: Demonstrations should be performed at full speed to show skill. Reality: Demonstrations should be slow and exaggerated so everyone can see and understand the technique.
- Misconception: Games are fun when they're easy to win. Reality: Appropriate challenge and balanced competition create engagement - too easy becomes boring.
- Misconception: Good leaders never make mistakes. Reality: Leaders learn from mistakes, accept feedback, and adapt their approach - that's how they improve.
- Misconception: Control and poise means moving slowly and carefully all the time. Reality: Control means managing your movements with precision whether fast or slow, and poise means maintaining composure and confidence.
SEN Adaptations
ADHD
- Keep activity sections short (none longer than 4-5 minutes in same role). Provide leadership opportunities early when focus is strongest. Use clear, visual boundaries for all games. Allow movement breaks between instruction periods. Provide fidget-friendly roles: equipment manager, timer, demonstrator. Give specific, immediate feedback frequently. Use energetic, varied activities to maintain engagement. Allow standing during reflection discussions if sitting difficult. Provide clear, simple instructions one step at a time.
dyspraxia
- Use larger, softer balls for better grip and control during ball activities. Reduce complexity of movements - simpler travelling actions during line leadership. Allow extra practice time before demonstrating to others. Provide slower-paced options in games. Use visual demonstrations extensively - show don't just tell. Allow written notes or cards when leading activities if verbal processing difficult. Reduce balancing challenges - fewer cones, larger base of support. Partner with supportive, patient peers who won't rush them.
autism spectrum
- Provide visual schedule showing lesson structure and timings at start of lesson. Give advance warning before transitions: '2 minutes until we change activity'. Create quiet zone or calm corner if student needs sensory break. Use clear, concrete language avoiding idioms. Provide written instruction cards at stations to supplement verbal instructions. Allow extra processing time when asked to respond or lead. Reduce group size if large groups overwhelming - smaller groups of 3-4 instead of 5-6. Maintain predictable routines within the lesson structure.
visual impairment
- Use high-contrast bibs for catchers (bright yellow or orange). Provide verbal cues throughout games: 'Catchers are approaching from your right'. Pair with sighted buddy for chasing games if needed. Use auditory signals in addition to visual for commands. Provide tactile remote prop. Allow closer positioning during demonstrations to see clearly. Use verbal descriptions of demonstrations: 'I'm rolling the ball around my waist, now moving it up to my shoulders.'
hearing impairment
- Ensure student can see your face when giving instructions - clear lip-reading opportunity. Use visual signals in addition to verbal commands for Controller Game (hand signals: stop, play, etc.). Provide written instruction cards at each station with clear diagrams. Position at front during demonstrations with clear sightlines. Use interpreter if available. Pair with buddy who can alert to command changes. Consider vibration signals or visual cues (flags, lights) for game starts/stops.
physical disability
- Adapt Controller Game movements to wheelchair-accessible options (forward/backward, spinning, arm movements). Modify chasing games: wheelchair users can be 'safe zones' that free frozen players. Provide seated versions of activity stations: ball rolling around body adapted to upper body only, counter-balance with hands rather than whole body. Reduce space/distance requirements for less mobile students. Allow use of softer, lighter balls if grip strength limited. Ensure pathways are wide enough for wheelchair access between stations.
Cross-Curricular Links
English
Public speaking and oracy skills when leading groups. Using subject-specific vocabulary accurately. Providing constructive feedback with precise language. Listening and responding appropriately to others. Presenting information clearly and coherently to different audiences.
Maths
Calculating appropriate ratios of catchers to runners for game balance. Timing activities and rotations accurately. Estimating and measuring spaces for station setup. Understanding proportion in team/group sizes. Problem-solving using logical reasoning.
Science
Understanding heart rate changes during warm-up and cool-down. Recognising the body's response to different intensities of exercise. Muscles working during different movements. Forces involved in movement - pushing, pulling, balance. Observing, hypothesising, and testing solutions (scientific method applied to game problems).
Computing
Following and giving clear, sequential instructions (algorithmic thinking). Problem-solving and debugging when game structures don't work. Testing solutions and iterating based on results. Understanding that clear communication prevents errors.
Geography
Spatial awareness and using directional language. Understanding positioning and movement through space. Mapping movement patterns. Concepts of distance and proximity in game strategy.
PSHE
Developing leadership and responsibility. Building confidence through public speaking and demonstration. Giving and receiving constructive feedback respectfully. Resilience when facing challenges or receiving criticism. Teamwork and supporting others. Communication in relationships. Understanding different leadership styles. Self-assessment and reflection on personal development.
Teacher Guidance
Positioning
During warm-up and games: stand at corner or side of hall where you can see all students simultaneously. During station activities: circulate continuously, spending 20-30 seconds observing each group. During student-led whole-class activities: stand near but slightly behind student leader to support if needed but allow their independence. During reflections: position centrally where all can see and hear you, consider sitting or crouching to student eye-level.
Observation Focus
Watch for leadership qualities: voice projection, eye contact, body language, enthusiasm. Monitor safety throughout - controlled movements, spatial awareness, appropriate challenge levels. Observe engagement levels to identify when interventions needed. Note specific examples of excellent leadership to celebrate later. Watch for students struggling to provide specific support. Identify growth and improvement to highlight.
Intervention Points
Step in immediately if: unsafe behaviour observed, student leader struggling significantly and needs support, game balance severely affecting engagement, students showing signs of distress or exclusion. Do NOT intervene when: students are productively struggling with leadership challenges, game problems are emerging naturally for learning, minor mistakes that are learning opportunities, student leaders managing independently even if not perfectly.
Demonstration Notes
When demonstrating leadership: exaggerate key elements like voice projection, eye contact, enthusiastic tone, controlled movements. Show both effective and ineffective examples for contrast (briefly). When demonstrating activities: move slowly and clearly with exaggerated form for visibility. Position yourself where all students can see from their location. When supporting student leaders: demonstrate quietly beside them, model the behaviour, then step back and let them try.
Verbal Cues
- •'Speak louder so the person at the back can hear you!'
- •'Make eye contact with different people around the group'
- •'Demonstrate it slowly so everyone can see clearly'
- •'Give SPECIFIC feedback - what exactly was good?'
- •'Show me controlled movements with poise'
- •'What's the problem here? How could we solve it?'
- •'Remember the three steps: Explain, Demonstrate, Support'
- •'Is this game challenging enough? Too easy? Too hard?'
- •'Leaders inspire with enthusiasm - show your energy!'
Safety Considerations
Space & Surface Requirements
Space Requirements
Minimum hall size: 15m x 20m (300m²). Full hall required for chasing games. Clear of obstacles, equipment stored at perimeters. Adequate space between activity stations (4-5m minimum). Visible boundaries marked or communicated.
Surface Check
Clean, dry, non-slip surface essential. Check for any wet patches before lesson. Ensure no equipment left in playing area. Check floor is free from debris. Suitable for running, stopping, and directional changes.
Equipment Safety
Safety Checks
- •Check balls are properly inflated - not over or under-inflated
- •Ensure cones have no sharp edges or cracks
- •Bibs should be soft fabric, easily scrunchable, with no hard components
- •All equipment in good condition with no hazards
- •Remote prop has no sharp edges or small parts that could detach
Risk Management
Key Risks
- •Collisions during chasing games - particularly Spiderman Tag and Fishes in the Net
- •Slips and falls during rapid direction changes
- •Bib throws hitting face or head during Spiderman Tag
- •Overstretching during counter-balance or back-to-back activities
- •Balls rolling into pathways causing trips
- •Students moving backwards without looking during Controller Game
Risk Mitigation
- •Establish clear boundaries before all games and enforce throughout
- •Demonstrate and insist on controlled movements not reckless running
- •Model gentle bib throws at body not face - emphasise and monitor
- •Ensure matched pairing for partner activities - similar size and strength
- •Remind students to look over shoulder when moving backwards
- •Build progressively from walking to faster movements
- •Maintain adequate spacing between activity stations
- •Stop games immediately if unsafe behaviour observed
- •Ensure students warm up thoroughly before vigourous activity
- •Monitor for fatigue - students tired make poor safety decisions
Supervision & Emergency Procedures
Supervision Points
- •Position with clear sightlines across entire hall during all games
- •Circulate during station activities - 20-30 seconds per station
- •Monitor high-activity games (chasing) particularly closely
- •Watch for students being over-competitive or unsafe
- •Stand near when students leading whole-class activities to support if needed
- •Scan continuously - not focused on one area for extended time
- •Position at corner or side during whole-class movement for maximum visibility
Emergency Procedures
STOP command immediately halts all activity. Assess situation quickly - is student injured, upset, or unwell? Provide appropriate first aid if trained and required. Send student to seek additional help if necessary. Do not leave class unsupervised. Contact first aider or emergency services depending on severity. Complete accident report form. Inform parents/carers of any injuries. Resume activity only when safe to do so.