Badminton Foundations

Overview

This 60-minute lesson for Year 9 PE students focuses on building foundational badminton skills: grips, basic serve, underhand clear, and footwork patterns. Students will also develop tactical awareness around rallying, including keeping the shuttlecock in play, hitting to space, and forcing opponent movement. The lesson is designed in line with the National Curriculum for England (PE Programme of Study, Key Stage 3) with direct links to KS4 skill progression.

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National Curriculum Links

Key Stage 3 (Years 7–9)

• Developing technique in isolation and small competitive situations
• Pupils should be able to perform and apply skills, strategies and ideas confidently and consistently in games and similar activities.
• Pupils should begin to understand and implement tactics to influence games.

National Curriculum PE Programme of Study Objectives

• Pupils should be taught to:
  • develop competence in a broad range of physical activities
  • apply tactics and compositional ideas to suit different situations
  • perform skills and techniques effectively and accurately under pressure

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Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson, pupils will:

1. Demonstrate correct badminton grips (forehand and backhand) with confidence.
2. Perform a consistent basic serve and an underhand clear with appropriate form and control.
3. Apply footwork patterns smoothly to position themselves effectively during rallies.
4. Understand and apply simple tactical concepts: maintaining a rally, hitting shuttlecock into space, and forcing opponent movement.
5. Exhibit improved control and consistency during small-sided rally drills.

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Equipment Needed

• 11 badminton nets or markers (depending on available space, 1 net per 2 pupils)
• 21 badminton rackets (1 per pupil)
• 21 shuttlecocks (preferably feathered or nylon)
• Cones for footwork drills and court marking
• Whistle and stopwatches (optional)

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Lesson Structure

Time	Activity	Description/Details	Curriculum Focus
0 – 5 mins	Introduction & Warm-Up	• Quick dynamic warm-up focusing on agility and footwork – e.g., ladder drills or shuttle runs. • Brief explanation of lesson aims and safety briefing.	Developing physical and mental preparation for activity.
5 – 15 mins	Grip Technique & Shadow Practice	• Demonstrate and explain forehand and backhand grips. • Pupils practise grips with racket without shuttlecock, shadowing strokes slowly with partner. • Teacher circulates giving corrective feedback to ensure grip accuracy.	Skill acquisition in isolation (grip), alignment with KS3 development of technique.
15 – 25 mins	Serve & Underhand Clear Introduction	• Teacher models the basic serve and underhand clear. • Pupils practise serves aiming for control and consistency. • Progress to practising underhand clears to a designated target (cones or marked areas). • Use feedback loops for form correction.	Technical skill development, accuracy, and execution under minimal pressure.
25 – 35 mins	Footwork Patterns Drill	• Demonstrate basic badminton footwork – split step, lunges, side-steps. • Pupils perform footwork drills set with cones mimicking court movement patterns. • Emphasise quick positioning and balance.	Developing physical competencies, coordination and movement relevant to badminton.
35 – 50 mins	Rally Practice in Pairs	• Pupils pair up (11 pairs + 1 trio). • Begin rallying focusing on control, using serves, clears and grips. • Teacher introduces tactical focuses:  - Keeping rally alive through consistent shots.  - Hitting shuttle to open space.  - Forcing opponent to move. • Teacher monitors, provides targeted feedback.	Applying skills in competitive scenarios, tactical awareness per KS3 & preparatory for KS4 controlled execution.
50 – 58 mins	Mini-Match Competition	• Small-sided games: 2v2 or singles if space allows. • Pupils try to apply all learned skills and tactics. • Teacher acts as referee and coach, providing feedback and encouragement.	Controlled execution under pressure, decision making and tactical understanding.
58 – 60 mins	Cool Down & Reflection	• Gentle stretching focusing on legs, arms, shoulders. • Whole-class reflection discussion:  - What skills improved?  - What tactics worked?  - Areas for personal focus next session.	Promoting physical recovery and fostering metacognition in PE.

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Assessment and Feedback

Formative Assessment:

• Observation during skill practice and drills, checking grip, serve technique and footwork execution.
• Peer and self-assessment during rally practice on rally consistency and tactical choices.
• Teacher questioning during reflection to gauge pupils’ understanding of tactics.

Summative Assessment:

• End of lesson mini-match performance focused on demonstration of control, tactical awareness and consistency.
• Use Teacher Assessment Record Sheet to mark skill execution and tactical application aligned with KS3 PE attainment targets.

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Differentiation

• Support:
  • Pair less confident pupils with strong players for modelling and encouragement.
  • Use larger targets and slower shuttle feeding to build confidence.
• Challenge:
  • Encourage more advanced pupils to attempt drop shots or drives during rallies.
  • Introduce limited time challenges for footwork drills to increase pressure.

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Cross-Curricular & SMSC Links

• Social: Emphasise communication and teamwork during rallies and doubles matches.
• Moral: Encourage fair play and respect in competition.
• Cultural: Briefly mention badminton origins and its global popularity, highlighting diversity in sport.
• Health & Wellbeing: Discuss importance of warm-up and cool-down in preventing injury and improving fitness.

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Teacher’s Notes & Tips

• Position yourself centrally to give immediate feedback during drilling and rallying phases.
• Use praise strategically to build pupil confidence—focus on effort and improvement.
• Record or take photos for pupils to visually see grip and stance corrections (if allowed).
• Adapt drills quickly if some pupils progress faster or slower.
• Ensure safety by checking courtspace and equipment before activities.

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By following this lesson plan, teachers will deliver a highly structured, National Curriculum-aligned badminton session that builds Year 9 pupils’ technical, tactical, and physical skills in an engaging environment, laying strong foundations for higher-level performance.