Year 4 Pre-Inter-School Festival Session Plan 2
SPORT: Gymnastics
TOPIC: Rolls and Balances
Session Aims:
Equipment:
1. Pupils will learn three rolls using the key gymnastics shapes
Gymnastics Mats, CD Player, Music Track
2. Pupils will be able to explore and create individual and partner balances
3. Pupils will devise, perform and repeat sequences that include, key shapes, rolls and balances
Session Overview
Risk Assessment
Balancing is the action of holding a still position for a set amount of time. The aim of the lesson is to let the Ensure the area and equipment is
children explore balancing and create balances for themselves using different body parts.
safe and the children are dressed
A roll is a complete rotation of the body across the ground, there are many variations of rolls in gymnastics, appropriately and are injury free
the pupils will be learning two basic rolls which are created by using some of the key shapes.
Theme
Timing
2-5
mins
5 mins
Rolls and Balances – Week 2
Session Part
Content
Coaching Points
Q. What is a balance?

Balancing can be described to the children as being frozen in position where one
or more parts of the body are in contact with the floor
Prompt through Q and A
Introduction
Q. What is a roll?
Turning over / rotating
Warm Up
Warm up
progression
Alphabet Soup:
Ask the pupils to move around the
area
When the whistle is blown they
must find a space on their own to
work in
Call out a letter of the alphabet
The pupils must make the shape of
that letter with their body
(See the diagrams for examples)

Progression – in pairs, the pupils try and create letters in lower case and upper
case as instructed by the teacher.




Encourage the pupils to use different
points of contact with the floor
Encourage the pupils to make the
letters at different levels
Show demonstrations of good letters,
use of level, different points of contact,
and creativity to the rest of the class
SAFETY – Do not allow pupils to
balance on their heads
Encourage the children to take their
time to think and create clear, quality
shapes.
This plan has been created by Sports (UK). We cannot accept liability for any of the content within the plan. Deliverers of the lesson or
coaching session should ensure that all precautions are taken for the lesson to run safely following Health and Safety guidelines.
Year 4 Pre-Inter-School Festival Session Plan 2
Rolling Practice:
Spread mats around the area - ensure they are spaced out safely
Ask the pupils to get into pairs on a mat
10
mins
Skill
Development


Introduce each roll in turn highlighting the key teaching points of each (see Page 
4)

Pupils should take turns to practice the rolls, one should be performing the roll
whilst the other is watching their partner and giving feedback based on the
teaching points given
Ensure the key shapes for each roll are
performed correctly
Ensure the rolls are performed in a
controlled manner
Encourage the children to use correct
technique
Follow the mat safety rules - only one
child performing a roll at a time - Take
turns
1. Teddy bear roll
2. Tuck roll
3. Log roll
Progression :
- More able pupils can try a tuck roll to stand
- Forward rolls can be done by more able pupils. Safety – must ensure
forward rolls are to technically correct – Head should not make contact
with floor, controlled.
This plan has been created by Sports (UK). We cannot accept liability for any of the content within the plan. Deliverers of the lesson or
coaching session should ensure that all precautions are taken for the lesson to run safely following Health and Safety guidelines.
Year 4 Pre-Inter-School Festival Session Plan 2
Diagram 1 – Four foot balance
Partner Balance Challenge:
Q. What is a partner or group balance?
A. When you are using your partner or group to hold a still position. If one
partner was removed, the other would fall
10
mins
Skill
Development
In their pairs, pupils must work together to complete different balances. The
teacher will set challenges for the pairs. The teacher will call out different body
parts and these are the only things that can be touching the floor e.g. 4 feet (see
diagram 1) or two knees, four feet (see diagram 2)
Other suggestions:
- 4 hands, 2 feet
- 1 back, 2 feet
- 2 knees, 2 hands
Progression:
- Perform adaptations of the partner balances practiced – create their own.
- Pupils now form groups of 4
- Teacher will call out more body parts
- Pupils must balance as a group
Q. What is a sequence in gymnastics?
A. A sequence is a series of actions that are linked together - they can include any
type of actions e.g. balances, shapes, travelling, jumps, rolls
Q. What do you need to think about when creating a sequence?
A. What actions you are going to link together - how they are going to be linked;
the order they are going to be performed in; how they are going to be performed speed, direction, level
15
mins
Performance
In their pairs ask the pupils to create a sequence linking together shapes they
have learnt in this lesson and in the previous lesson. Play the music track whilst
the pupils are practicing, this should prompt them to think back to the characters
and how they could include a balanced linked to this
The sequence must include at least;
- 2 rolls
- 4 Shapes
- 2 Balances
Once the pupils have developed a routine ask some of the pairs to perform theirs
for the rest of the class
Diagram 2 – Two knees, Two feet




Encourage correct technique of
shapes and rolling
Encourage smooth transition between
shapes
Encourage the pupils to show control
of shapes and method of rolling
Get pupils to think about how to link
the actions together - smooth
transitions between each action

Encourage the audience to give
feedback
- What did they like about the
performance?
- What could be improved if the
performance was to be done again?
This plan has been created by Sports (UK). We cannot accept liability for any of the content within the plan. Deliverers of the lesson or
coaching session should ensure that all precautions are taken for the lesson to run safely following Health and Safety guidelines.
Year 4 Pre-Inter-School Festival Session Plan 2
5 mins
Plenary /
Conclusion
Q. How can you make a balance easier?
A. Put more parts of the body in contact with the floor creating a wider surface area to prevent falling over
Q. What key shape is used in the tuck roll?
A. Tuck Shape
Q. What key shape is used in the teddy bear roll?
A. Straddle
Rolling – Teaching points
Teddy Bear Roll
1. Ask the child to sit in a straddle shape - legs straight
and wide apart; toes pointing, back straight
2. Keeping the arms straight, hold the back of each leg
below the knee (or at the ankles if possible)
3. Lean over to one shoulder bringing opposite leg over
and staying in a straddle shape
4. Rolling across the top of the shoulders to the other
shoulder and sit up back to a straddle shape but facing
the opposite direction
5. Encourage the children to use their stomach muscles to
stay in a straddle shape throughout the roll, bringing
legs within
aroundthe
in time
the roll of
onto
shoulders
This plan has been created by Sports (UK). We cannot accept liability for any of thetheir
content
plan.with
Deliverers
thethe
lesson
or
6. Tight, Neat, Quality rolls.
coaching session should ensure that all precautions are taken for the lesson to run safely following Health and Safety guidelines.
Year 4 Pre-Inter-School Festival Session Plan 2
Tuck Roll
 Sitting on their bottom ask the child to make a tight
tuck shape with feet and knees together, knees tucked
into the chest and hand placed on the lower legs
 Ensure the head is tucked forward with the chin on the
chest
 Staying in this shape ask the child to roll back and forth
- onto their back and back onto their bottom


Tuck Roll to Stand
Staying in this shape ask the child to roll back then
forwards pushing the feet into the ground and transferring
their weight over their feet to push legs straight and to
stand up
Encourage the child to roll at a speed that allows them to
perform the roll forwards and backwards in a controlled
movement but with enough speed to stand up
This plan has been created by Sports (UK). We cannot accept liability for any of the content within the plan. Deliverers of the lesson or
coaching session should ensure that all precautions are taken for the lesson to run safely following Health and Safety guidelines.