Hockey Foundations

Overview

Today is the first lesson in a 6-part unit. Students are introduced to hockey basics, including key rules, important terminology, safety expectations, and how the playing area is set up.

Learning intentions

• Students will learn and practise safe hockey behaviour, including how to carry, handle, and use equipment responsibly.
• Students will identify common hockey terms and match them to simple situations.
• Students will explain fundamental rules and when play is stopped or restarted.
• Students will demonstrate basic skills readiness (positioning, moving with a stick, and receiving a ball) in controlled activities.

Success criteria

• I can follow safety guidelines for using sticks, moving in a space, and respecting others.
• I can name and use at least 5 hockey terms (e.g. hit, push, pass, dribble, mark, goal) in simple explanations.
• I can describe 3 core rules (e.g. where to play, safe stick use, and basic restarting).
• I can demonstrate control of the ball with a stick in small-space tasks while keeping my body and my stick safe.

Curriculum links

• Physical Literacy: moving skilfully, using equipment safely, and developing control and awareness in game-like contexts.
• Movement and participation: performing and applying fundamental movement skills and basic stick skills in modified games.
• Health and wellbeing in PE: practising safe practices, managing risk, and demonstrating respectful behaviour during physical activity.
• Values and relationships: working cooperatively with others and following rules to support inclusive participation.

Lesson structure (40 minutes)

1. 5 – Welcome and safety set-up Students gather in a circle. Teacher checks equipment readiness (sticks, balls, shin pads or suitable protective gear if available) and explains the safety focus: space awareness, no swinging sticks, keeping the stick low, and walking with equipment when not in a task.
2. 7 – Rules and terminology “quick talk” Teacher models and students repeat key terms and link them to what they will see later: hit vs push, pass vs dribble, goal area and goal, and basic restart language. Students practise a “freeze and listen” routine and demonstrate what “stop” looks like (quiet, still, stick controlled).
3. 10 – Skill station rotation (controlled ball + stick handling) In small groups of 4–5, students rotate through two stations for safety and focus:

• Station A: “Stick control” on markers—tap the ball with the flat of the stick, keep it within a short zone, then pass to a partner.
• Station B: “Move and receive”—walk/jog to a cone, stop in a marked stance, receive a rolling ball with controlled contact, and return a simple pass. Teacher gives one coaching cue per station (e.g. “keep the stick low and steady” and “eyes on the ball, then the receiver”).

4. 7 – Mini game: “Hockey lanes” (no full tackling) Using floor tape or cones, create lanes across the playing area. Students aim to move a ball down their lane by push passes only (no wild hitting). Each team tries to reach the far line and return the ball. Play is stopped frequently to reinforce safety and rules.
5. 6 – Field layout walkthrough (teacher-led) Teacher uses cones/markers to show a simple hockey field layout for what students need right now: where teams play, where goals are placed, and safe boundaries. Students help set up a small “goal” and identify where scoring happens in the modified game.
6. 5 – Cool down and exit reflection Students do a low-intensity jog or march to reduce breathing rate, then return to a seated circle. Each student shares one thing they will remember about safety or a hockey term, and teacher confirms today’s key success criteria.

Resources

• Hockey sticks (appropriate size for Year 5) for each student or shared per station
• Soft hockey balls (or other low-risk balls suitable for school use)
• Cones and floor tape for lanes, boundaries, and restart areas
• Marker discs or hoops for receiving zones
• Simple “field layout” cone set (goals and playing area markers)
• Bibs for teams (2–4 colours depending on grouping)
• Shin pads and mouthguards (if school policy and available), or reinforcement of safe posture even without pads
• Whistle or a clear “stop” signal
• First-aid kit and a designated water point
• Optional: laminated term cards (hit, push, pass, dribble, goal, stop)

Assessment

• Teacher observation checklist during stations and mini game: safe stick use, controlled contact, and staying within space markers.
• Quick oral assessment: students demonstrate understanding of at least 3 rules and 5 terms during the terminology quick talk and exit reflection.
• Formative feedback: use one specific coaching cue per student/group to improve control (e.g. keep stick low, eyes on ball).

Differentiation

• Support: reduce the distance for passes, use larger cones and slightly larger targets, and pair students so one partner can model safe receiving.
• Support for SEN: provide visual cue cards (one cue per station) and allow extra time for setup and practice before rotation.
• Extension: add a challenge—receive then make a quicker pass, or switch lanes on a signal while maintaining safe stick control.
• EAL learners: use gestures and demonstrations for each term, provide term cards, and allow responses using one-word or short-sentence frames (e.g. “A pass is when…”).
• Risk management: students who need extra guidance can start in a “coach me” micro-group with closer teacher supervision before joining rotations.