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Lesson 2 of 12
  • Year 9

Setting goals for training

I can set SMART goals to improve my athletic performance.

Lesson 2 of 12
New
New
  • Year 9

Setting goals for training

I can set SMART goals to improve my athletic performance.

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These resources were created for remote use during the pandemic and are not designed for classroom teaching.

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Move: performing at our very best when running requires applying the correct technique consistently.
  2. Think: tweaking technique before training to achieve a goal gives you a better chance of making progress.
  3. Think: understanding a realistic level of improvement helps you set a SMART goal that is achievable and relevant to you.
  4. Feel: reflecting on what you could improve helps you feel more in control of your development.
  5. Connect: giving focused feedback on technique and discussing your SMART goal helps you support each other’s progress.

Keywords

  • SMART goal/target - a clear goal that is specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-bound

  • Improvement - making gradual progress in fitness or performance

  • Technique - how well a movement is performed, including posture, rhythm and coordination

Common misconception

Pupils often struggle with setting a realistic goal for themselves, often have plans that are too ambitious for the time available or opportunity to train towards it.

Pupils should be aware that progress over several weeks can be marginal and that fitness gains take time and consistency. They can use the resources provided to help set realistic goals.


To help you plan your year 9 physical education lesson on: Setting goals for training, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

Beware that the acronym SMART can vary in different sources. For example, in GCSE PE, the “R” in SMART can represent different things depending on the exam board (OCR = recorded, Pearson = relevant). For this unit, SMART refers to Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time-bound.
Teacher tip

Equipment

worksheets, prompt sheets

Content guidance

  • Risk assessment required - physical activity

Supervision

Adult supervision required

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Prior knowledge starter quiz

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4 Questions

Q1.
What do we call a measurement taken to track improvement?

an estimate
Correct answer: a benchmark
a distance

Q2.
Which benchmark time indicates how quickly you can accelerate?

800m time
negative splits
Correct answer: 30m sprint time

Q3.
What can reflecting on your performance help you to do?

Correct answer: guide your targets
copy other people
guess your strengths

Q4.
Why is accurate timing important?

win races
Correct answer: track progress
gloating over others

Assessment exit quiz

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4 Questions

Q1.
Which is a realistic improvement in 10 weeks?

20% or more
Correct answer: 2–8%
no change

Q2.
What does setting a SMART target help with?

Correct answer: motivation
how you look
copying other people

Q3.
Why get qualitative feedback on technique?

to look nicer
to avoid training
Correct answer: focus technical improvement

Q4.
How should you act as the observer during qualitative analysis?

distracted and uninterested
Correct answer: focussed and respectful
loud and disruptive

Additional material

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