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Year 4 - Course Content

Swimming

The children learn and work on:

• Stroke development - Front crawl, Back crawl, Breaststroke and are introduced to Butterfly
• Individual standards - against the clock
• Personal survival and Water Safety
• Water Polo

In association with the STA International Swimming & Water Safety Standards complete:

• Goldfish 1-3
• Angelfish 1-3
• Shark 1-3
• Beaver 1-5
• Water Safety Bronze
• Advanced Bronze

Health Related Fitness

The children are taught simple concepts of fitness:

• The importance of Warm Up and Cool Down
• The location of major muscles
• The effects of exercise on the body (physiological responses to exercise)
• The Breathing Rate and the effects of different intensities of exercise
• The Pulse Rate and the effects of different intensities of exercise
• The Recovery Rate and variations between individuals

Games Skills (including Short Tennis)

Pupils are taught to understand and play small-sided games and simplified versions of recognized competitive team games covering the following types:

• Invasion Games: (e.g. Basketball, Football, Touch Rugby, Uni-hoc)
• Striking/Fielding Games: (e.g. Cricket, Softball or Rounders)
• Net/Wall Games: (e.g. Short Tennis)

Emphasis is placed on the development of motor skills and hand-eye co-ordination to improve individual skills in sending, receiving, striking and traveling with a ball and in understanding the strategies linked to playing games.

Gymnastics

Pupils are taught to perform a variety of skills from the following skills categories:

• Traveling
• Balancing
• Flight

Emphasis is placed on the aesthetic qualities including body tension and extension, changes in body shape, level, speed and direction of movement.

Pupils practice, refine and repeat increasingly complex movement sequences on the floor and on the apparatus. They work both individually or with a partner and are encouraged to perform to a limited audience.

Movement and Dance

Through teacher direction, the children learn to create or compose simple dance sequences. In response to a range of music and stimuli, pupils are encouraged to explore and experiment with ideas, develop expression, rhythm, and use of imagination and non-verbal communication through movement/dance.

Athletics

Children learn to develop and refine basic techniques in:

• Running e.g. over short distances, over longer distances, in relays
• Throwing e.g. for accuracy and distance
• Jumping e.g. for height and distance

Pupils are encouraged to improve their own individual performances.

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