Developing Leadership Skills

Overview

This 5-lesson series aims to develop Year 7 SEN students’ leadership skills through sports leadership activities. It aligns with the National Curriculum for Physical Education in England, emphasising personal and social development through physical activity, with a strong focus on communication, teamwork, and reflection. Lessons combine practical leadership experience with visual aids, videos, interactive tasks, and reflection to cater for SEN pupils’ needs.

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Curriculum Links

National Curriculum for England, PE Programme of Study (Key Stage 3, Years 7-9):

• Pupils should be taught to:

• Take on different roles within a team or group, such as leader or official, and understand the responsibilities these roles require.

• Develop and use communication skills effectively in physical activities.

• Reflect on and evaluate their own and others’ performance to improve.

• Develop personal skills such as leadership, confidence, and resilience through physical activity.

• Personal development:

• Fostering teamwork, motivation, leadership, and self-management skills is crucial for pupils' broader well-being and employability.

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Lesson Series Breakdown (5 x 40 minutes)

Lesson 1: Introduction to Sports Leadership & Action Planning

Learning Objective:

• I can explain what leadership means in sport and create a simple action plan to develop my leadership skills.

Activities:

• Starter: Icebreaker game – “Pass the Ball” with a leadership twist (each pass involves a leadership trait shout-out).
• Discussion: What is leadership? Use a simple slideshow with pictures and keywords (e.g., Responsibility, Communication, Confidence).
• Visual Worksheet: Introduce “What Does a Sports Leader Need to Know?” (worksheet included below). Visual pairing and group discussion.
• Action Plan Creation: Using a template, pupils set 2-3 personal goals linked to leadership (e.g., speak clearly, listen to others).
• Reflection: Share a goal with a partner.

Resources:

• Interactive slideshow with key leadership traits illustrated
• “What Does a Sports Leader Need to Know?” worksheet (printed)
• Action plan templates with visual prompts and sentence starters

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Lesson 2: Communication Skills in Leadership

Learning Objective:

• I can identify different methods of communication and use them effectively when leading a small group.

Activities:

• Starter: Watch a short video showing effective and ineffective communication in sports leadership (silent, clear voice, hand signals).
• Discussion: Which communication methods did you see? Why are they important?
• Practical: Students lead a simple warm-up or skill drill to their peers, practising verbal and non-verbal communication (demonstration, eye contact, clear instructions).
• Peer Feedback: Partners tick off the communication check boxes on their worksheet.
• Reflection: Group discussion on challenges and what worked well.

Resources:

• Video clip (approx. 2 minutes) on sports leadership communication
• Communication checklist (from the worksheet)
• Visual aids explaining verbal/non-verbal communication

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Lesson 3: Planning and Organisation

Learning Objective:

• I can create a simple plan for a sports activity considering participants’ needs and resources.

Activities:

• Starter: Visual sorting task with cards representing injuries, ability levels, interests, and numbers (linked to worksheet content).
• Group Task: In pairs, students design a basic sports session for mixed ability participants (choose activity, equipment, teams).
• Role-play: Each pair presents their plan and explains how it includes everyone.
• Teacher-led discussion: Why does knowing participants and resources matter?
• Worksheet extension: Fill in action plan reflecting on planning skills.

Resources:

• Set of laminated cards for sorting activity
• Visual planner templates
• Example activity plans with pictures and notes

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Lesson 4: Leading a Sports Session

Learning Objective:

• I can confidently lead a small group, applying my communication and organisational skills.

Activities:

• Warm-up: Follow a leader game to reinforce leadership presence.
• Practical: Each student leads a short, simple activity (e.g., relay race, passing drills) with peers following. Use visual cue cards for instructions.
• Peer Observation: Other pupils give positive verbal or non-verbal feedback.
• Self-assessment: Students mark their action plan and identify areas of strength.

Resources:

• Instruction cue cards (visual symbols + words)
• Positive feedback cards for peers (e.g., “Good instructions!”, “Clear voice!”)
• Self-assessment checklist

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Lesson 5: Reflecting on Leadership Growth

Learning Objective:

• I can reflect on my leadership skills development and update my action plan for future improvement.

Activities:

• Starter: Watch a short interview video of a young sports leader describing their experience and benefits.
• Reflection Task: Using the action plan, students complete a “What have I improved?” and “What do I still need to work on?” chart.
• Group Discussion: Share reflections and discuss how leadership skills help beyond sport (school, home, future).
• Celebration: Certificates of achievement for completing the leadership series; group photo or presentation.

Resources:

• Reflection sheets with sentence starters and visual prompts
• Video interview (approx. 2-3 minutes)
• Certificates template

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Differentiation and SEN Strategies

• Use clear, simple language with visual symbols and pictorial instructions throughout all lessons.
• Provide repeated instructions and allow extra processing time.
• Include calming moments, such as deep breathing exercises or quiet reflection spaces.
• Use peer support and paired work to build confidence.
• Hands-on, multi-sensory activities to engage different learning styles.
• Use positive reinforcement strategies consistently.

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Assessment

• Formative assessment through observation of leadership roles taken during activities and practical tasks.
• Completed worksheets and action plans demonstrating understanding of leadership components.
• Self and peer assessments to encourage reflective learning.
• Teacher feedback focused on growth and effort.

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Included Worksheet

What Does a Sports Leader Need to Know?

Information	Why It Matters
Injuries	Keep people safe
Ability level	Choose suitable activities
Number of participants	Organise teams/equipment
Interests	Make sessions enjoyable

Fill in the boxes:

• A sports leader should know ___________________________________________________
• One way to collect information is _____________________________________________
• One way to include everyone is ________________________________________________

Communication Check Tick the methods you used today:

• Verbal: ☐ Clear instructions ☐ Encouragement ☐ Questioning
• Non-verbal: ☐ Demonstration ☐ Hand signals ☐ Eye contact

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This lesson series provides a clear pathway to build leadership skills through practical engagement, reflection, and structured support. It specifically meets the needs and learning styles of SEN students whilst fulfilling national curriculum goals in PE and personal development.