Skipping Pathways

Overview

Students develop skipping readiness and continuous skipping through a structured pathway: stepping, hopping, two-foot jumping, and combining these movements with a rope. Mixed-ability partners practise safely, encourage one another, and reflect on balance, timing, and perseverance.

Learning intentions

• WALT move safely using stepping, hopping, and two-foot jumping.
• WALT keep a steady rhythm while using a skipping rope.
• WALT choose a manageable challenge and practise with perseverance.
• WALT encourage a partner and give useful feedback.

Success criteria

• I can stay light on my toes and keep my balance.
• I can step, hop, and jump in time with a rhythm.
• I can attempt a continuous skip at my own level.
• I can name one thing I did well and one next step.

Curriculum links

• Health and PE — Movement skills: running, hopping, and skipping using different pathways, including forwards, backwards, and lateral movement.
• Health and PE — Movement skills: staying on the toes to move forwards, backwards, and side to side.
• Health and PE — Movement skills in net and wall games: moving lightly and responsively while tracking an object or rope.
• Key competencies: managing self; relating to others; participating and contributing.

Lesson structure (40 minutes)

1. 0–5 min · Welcome and safety hook. Teacher opens the hook and learning intention slides, asks, “What helps a skipper keep going without stopping?”, then establishes boundaries, safe spacing, carrying ropes safely, and the stop signal. Students share ideas, check their personal space, and practise freezing safely on the signal.

2. 5–10 min · Warm-up pathways. Teacher leads a follow-the-leader pathway around cones, changing between walking, stepping, hopping, two-foot jumping, and gentle side steps; students copy the movement while staying on their toes. Teacher briefly revisits the movement pathway slides and highlights soft knees, looking forwards, and controlled landings.

3. 10–16 min · Movement rehearsal. Teacher demonstrates the pathway without ropes: “step-step”, “hop-hop”, “jump-jump”, then combines the patterns into a simple skipping rhythm. Students work in mixed-ability pairs, with one partner moving and the other watching for balance and rhythm; partners swap after each pattern. More confident skippers may demonstrate a rhythm such as “step, step, hop” for the group.

4. 16–28 min · Skipping pathway. Teacher gives each pair a rope and models the manageable challenge ladder shown on the skipping pathway slides: A. step over a still rope; B. swing the rope forwards and step over it; C. swing and jump with two feet; D. attempt one skip, reset, and try again; E. link two or more continuous skips. Students choose a level, practise for short turns, and encourage their partner with specific language such as, “Keep your eyes forwards,” “Try smaller jumps,” or, “You kept your rhythm.”

5. 28–35 min · Pathway challenge. Teacher sets out a forward pathway with cones and invites students to travel through it using their chosen movement: stepping, hopping, two-foot jumping, or skipping. In pairs, one student completes the pathway while the other observes one focus—balance or timing—then they swap. Students who are ready add a side-to-side section or create a short rhythm pattern for their partner to copy. The teacher supports beginners with a slower rope turn or no-rope arm circles.

6. 35–40 min · Partner reflection and close. Teacher gathers students in a circle and displays the reflection and plenary slides. Partners take turns completing: “My balance was…”, “My timing was…”, and “I persevered when…”. Each student demonstrates or describes their next manageable challenge before ropes are returned safely.

Resources

• Skipping ropes, one per student or pair
• Cones or floor markers
• Open, level activity space
• the skipping pathway slide deck
• Optional visual movement prompt cards
• Water bottles and first-aid kit

Assessment

• Observe whether students stay light on their toes, bend their knees, land safely, and control their movement through forward and side-to-side pathways.
• During partner practice, listen for students using encouragement and check whether they select and persist with a manageable challenge.
• Use the final partner reflection to assess students’ understanding of balance, timing, and perseverance; note each student’s next step for the following session.

Differentiation

• Support beginners with no-rope practice, a still rope, slower turns, larger spaces, and the option to step over rather than jump. Use clear demonstrations and repeat the sequence one movement at a time.
• Pair students strategically so partners can model without taking over. Give beginners the sentence starters, “I noticed…” and “You could try…”.
• Challenge confident skippers to link several skips, travel forwards or sideways, vary the rhythm, or teach a rhythm pattern while maintaining safe control.
• For students needing additional sensory, physical, or language support, offer a shorter or lighter rope, visual demonstrations, extra processing time, and permission to pause and reset. Keep competition low-pressure and celebrate effort and progress.