New
New
Year 8

Performing balances of increasing difficulty

I can perform increasingly complex balances with control.

New
New
Year 8

Performing balances of increasing difficulty

I can perform increasingly complex balances with control.

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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 complex balances requires keeping the core engaged for stability.
  2. Move: using slow and controlled movements to enter and exit balances increases control and stability.
  3. Think: when balancing, focusing on a fixed point can help maintain control and stillness.
  4. Feel: pushing yourself to attempt more challenging balances improves your skills, building confidence and precision.
  5. Connect: physically supporting others in challenging balances helps them kinesthetically feel the correct technique.

Keywords

  • Balance - the ability to maintain a stable and controlled body position

  • Stability - the ability to maintain control of the body while performing static or dynamic movements

  • Core - the group of muscles in the abdomen, lower back, hips and pelvis that provide stability, strength and control for movements

Common misconception

When pupils are teaching, they do not use the additional materials and therefore provide incorrect teaching points or unsuitable adaptations for their group.

Ensure pupils are using the additional materials to support their understanding of each skill and make sure they know how to provide adaptations so that everyone in the group can achieve success when performing the skill.


To help you plan your year 8 physical education lesson on: Performing balances of increasing difficulty, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

A cooperative teaching approach such as this is reliant on pupils having the communication skills and confidence necessary to lead small groups. Ensure you have leaders in each group and differentiate by this skill rather than physical ability. Have adaptations for each balance to help pupils.
Teacher tip

Equipment

1 mat between 2

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).

4 Questions

Q1.
Which jump requires you to bring your knees towards your chest without leaning forwards?
Correct answer: tuck
straddle
pike
Q2.
Which body part is most important for maintaining balance?
Correct answer: core muscles
arms
feet
Q3.
What is the action of changing the direction the body is facing by rotating the body around a vertical axis?
Correct answer: turning
balancing
jumping
Q4.
Which of the following is an example of a static balance?
a roll
Correct answer: headstand
cartwheel

4 Questions

Q1.
As well as developing your skills, what can you improve by attempting more challenging balances within a sequence?
Correct answer: confidence
strength
communication
Q2.
What can you focus on to help you perform balances with control and stillness?
a moving object
the floor
Correct answer: a fixed point
Q3.
What can you do if a pupil is unable to perform a balance in a lesson and you are teaching them?
provide another balance
Correct answer: provide adaptations
provide another teacher
Q4.
How can you help other pupils to kinesthetically feel the correct technique when performing a balance?
Correct answer: provide physical support
provide verbal feedback
demonstrate the balance

Additional material

Download additional material