Summer Sports Relay

Overview

Unit: Summer Sports Adventure
Lesson: 2 of 2
Duration: 45 minutes
Class Size: 25 students
Year Group: UK Key Stage 2 (ages 8-11)
Focus: Agility, speed, coordination, teamwork, and sportsmanship through a relay incorporating summer sports skills

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Learning Objectives

By the end of the lesson, pupils will be able to:

• Demonstrate improved agility, speed, and coordination through varied summer sports activities.
• Collaborate effectively within a team, practising communication and strategic thinking.
• Exhibit positive sportsmanship, encouraging peers and responding constructively to competitive situations.
• Apply skills learned from prior lesson (e.g. throwing, catching, sprinting) in a relay race context.

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Curriculum Links

• Physical Education National Curriculum for England (2014):
  • Pupils should develop competence to excel in a broad range of physical activities.
  • Pupils should be taught to: use running, jumping, throwing and catching in isolation and in combination.
  • Play competitive games, modified where appropriate.
  • Develop an understanding of how to improve in different physical activities and sports and learn how to evaluate and recognise their own success.
• Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education (PSHE):
  • Develop collaboration and respect during group activities.

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Equipment Needed

• Cones (for marking stations and lanes)
• Relay batons or soft objects to pass
• Tennis balls, frisbees, beanbags, skipping ropes (for skill stations)
• Stopwatch or timer
• Whistle
• First aid kit

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Lesson Structure

1. Introduction and Warm-up (7 minutes)

• Gather the class in a circle. Explain the focus on teamwork and the relay challenge ahead, building on last week’s summer sports skills.
• Lead dynamic warm-up (example: jogging laps, high knees, arm circles, gentle stretches). Emphasise warming muscles and preventing injury.
• Hook: Ask pupils what skills from last lesson they think they’ll use today – quick sharing to build engagement.

2. Explanation and Demonstration of Relay Stations (8 minutes)

• Divide the class into 5 teams of 5. Each team will rotate through 5 stations; each station represents a summer sport skill from previous lesson:

  Station 1: Sprint and Baton Pass

  • Sprint 20m and pass the baton accurately to the next runner.

  Station 2: Frisbee Accuracy Challenge

  • Run 10m then throw frisbee through a target hoop before jogging back.

  Station 3: Beanbag Balance and Sprint

  • Balance a beanbag on head or hand while sprinting 15m. Drop beanbag = penalty seconds.

  Station 4: Tennis Ball Catch and Throw

  • One catch and throw within team members before sprinting back and changing players.

  Station 5: Skipping Rope Agility Sprint

  • Fast skips for 10m, drop rope = start again.

• Demonstrate each station keeping instructions clear and brief.

• Highlight safety protocols and encourage encouragement between teammates.

3. Relay Challenge (25 minutes)

• Teams line up and complete stations in rotation, passing to next teammate at each station.
• Teachers and assistants score each team on accuracy, speed, and teamwork with simple tally charts.
• Encourage cheering and positive feedback among teams.
• Monitor for any potential tiredness or frustration and offer support to children who need it.

4. Cool-down and Reflection (5 minutes)

• Gentle walking and breathing exercises to lower heart rate.
• Circle discussion: What skill was most challenging? How did teamwork help? What can they improve for next time?
• Reinforce importance of sportsmanship – praising good examples noticed during the session.

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Differentiation

• Provide modified tasks for lower ability pupils, e.g., shorter sprint distances, larger target areas for throws.
• Encourage more skilled pupils to strategise team order (fastest runner first, or best thrower for accuracy stations).
• Provide supportive peer partnerships when needed.

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Assessment and Feedback

• Formative: Observations of each child’s participation, effort, teamwork and skill application during the relay.
• Peer feedback: Students praise teammates and offer constructive comments in reflection session.
• Teacher highlights progress based on previous lesson’s skills (e.g., improved catching accuracy or sprint endurance).

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Beyond the Lesson

• Suggest children record their relay times or achievements in a “Summer Sports Journal” to track progress.
• Encourage families to try summer sport activities together outside school to strengthen lifelong physical activity habits.

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Notes for Teachers

• Adapt stations and timings if space/weather conditions change.
• Use positive reinforcement to maintain motivation, especially in competitive moments.
• Focus on enjoyment and personal improvement over winning, reinforcing the values of the national curriculum.

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This lesson combines skill application with energetic teamwork, ensuring pupils actively engage with core physical development goals while fostering resilience and respect through fun competition.