Key Stage 2 PE · Flexibility, strength and technique

KS2 PE: flexibility and strength, a guide for parents

Flexibility and strength are two of the five things the PE curriculum asks children to develop in Key Stage 2, alongside technique, control and balance. Flexibility is how far the joints can move, and strength is how much force the muscles can produce. Children build both across Years 3 to 6, mostly through gymnastics and athletics, and learn why they matter for staying active and healthy.

Flexibility and strength, explained

Flexibility is the range of movement around a joint: how far a child can reach forward, twist, or lift a leg. Strength is how much force a muscle can produce, which shows up in pushing, pulling, jumping, climbing and, just as importantly, holding a position still. The two are different. A very bendy child may find it hard to hold a balance, and a strong child may be stiff when reaching. Good movement needs both, which is why PE lessons keep returning to them.

The National Curriculum asks schools to help pupils develop flexibility, strength, technique, control and balance, and it gives athletics and gymnastics as examples of where this happens. Those are examples rather than a fixed list, so what you see depends on the school. In many schools there is no separate “flexibility lesson”. Instead, a gymnastics unit might ask children to hold a pike, straddle or tuck shape for several seconds, and an athletics unit might use sprinting, jumping and throwing, which all build leg, hip and trunk strength.

Children are taught to prepare their bodies before they stretch or work hard. A warm-up raises the heart rate and warms the muscles with moving exercises such as marching, jogging on the spot, arm circles and gentle leg swings. Held stretches, where the body stays still in a position for a slow count, usually come after the warm-up or in the cool-down at the end. The aim is a mild pulling feeling in the muscle, never pain, and no bouncing.

Primary strength work uses the child’s own body weight rather than heavy equipment. Typical activities include plank holds, squats, wall press-ups, bunny hops and animal walks such as the crab or bear. The “core”, the muscles around the middle of the body, gets particular attention because it keeps the body steady in almost every sport. Teachers also tie this to the wider aim that pupils lead healthy, active lives. Current guidance for children in the UK is an average of at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity a day, including activities that build movement skills, muscles and bones.

Another strand of this topic is learning to notice progress. Children might compare how long they could hold a balance last month with this month, or whether they can now reach further in a seated stretch. Recognising their own improvement, rather than comparing themselves with the strongest child in the class, helps keep children motivated and is part of how PE is meant to build confidence.

Words your child will hear

Flexibility: How far a joint can move, for example reaching toward your toes or turning your body to look behind you.
Strength: How much force your muscles can produce, to push, pull, lift, jump or hold a position.
Core: The muscles around the middle of the body, in the tummy and back, that keep the body steady.
Warm-up: Easy movements at the start of a lesson that raise the heart rate and warm the muscles ready for harder work.
Cool-down: Slow movements and stretches at the end of exercise to help the body settle.
Static stretch: A stretch held still in one position for a slow count, such as reaching for the toes while sitting.
Dynamic stretch: A stretch done while moving, such as slow leg swings or arm circles, often used in a warm-up.

What the National Curriculum says

The programme of study for Key Stage 2 says:

Pupils should be taught to develop flexibility, strength, technique, control and balance [for example, through athletics and gymnastics]
Aim: pupils lead healthy, active lives and are physically active for sustained periods of time.

Objectives from the National Curriculum in England, © Crown copyright, used under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Try it: planning a short strength and stretch routine

In a gymnastics lesson your child is asked to plan a five-minute routine that improves both strength and flexibility. What should they include, and why?

Start with a warm-up. About a minute of marching, knee lifts, arm circles and gentle leg swings raises the heart rate and warms the muscles. Warm muscles stretch more comfortably and are less likely to be strained.
Choose strength moves that use body weight. For example: a plank held for 10 seconds with the body in one straight line from head to heels, eight slow squats, and ten wall press-ups. Each one trains the core or the legs and arms, and each is easy to repeat and measure.
Add stretches after the strength moves, when the muscles are warm. For example: sit with legs straight and reach slowly toward the toes, then sit with the soles of the feet together and let the knees fall out, holding each for a slow count of ten. Breathe out as you reach, and do not bounce.
Check technique. In the plank the bottom should not sag or lift, in the squat the knees should point the same way as the toes, and in every stretch there should be a mild pull, not pain. If anything hurts sharply, stop.
Finish by evaluating. Note the plank time and how far the reach went. Repeat the routine in a week or two and compare, so improvement is based on your own earlier results.

A good plan has a warm-up, two or three body-weight strength moves, two or three held stretches and a way to check progress. A child might explain: “I warmed up first so my muscles were ready, I used planks and squats for strength and a seated reach for flexibility, and next week I will see if I can hold the plank for longer.”

Common mistakes and how to help

Believing a stretch should hurt to be working

Children hear “no pain, no gain” and push harder than they should, or copy someone who looks very bendy.

What helps: Teach the difference between a mild pull, which is fine, and a sharp or pinching feeling, which means stop. A comfortable stretch held for longer works better than a painful one.

Bouncing in a stretch to reach further

Bouncing feels like it gets the hand closer to the floor, so children think it is helping.

What helps: Show a slow, held stretch with a long breath out, easing a little further over a count of ten. Explain that bouncing jerks the muscle, which makes it tighten rather than relax and can strain it.

Thinking strength means big muscles or lifting weights

Strength is often shown on screen as bodybuilding, so children think it does not apply to them yet.

What helps: Point out strength in everyday movement: climbing a frame, hanging from a bar, carrying a bag, holding a balance. Primary strength work is mostly body weight and play.

Assuming bendy children do not need strength, and strong children do not need to stretch

Children tend to label themselves as either “flexible” or “strong” and stay with what feels easy.

What helps: In gymnastics, ask a bendy child to hold a shape without wobbling, and ask a strong child to reach into a wider straddle. Both qualities make a shape look and feel controlled.

How to help at home

Animal walks. Clear a space and try bear walks, crab walks and frog hops across the room or garden. Race the clock over a short distance, then ask which animal tires which muscles. Stop when your child feels tired rather than pushing on.
Hold it like a statue. Choose a balance, such as standing on one leg or a plank, and see how long your child can hold it with a steady body. Write the time down and try again next week. Keep it playful and stop before shaking turns to straining.
Stretch at the end. After a bike ride, a football kickabout or a long walk, spend two minutes on slow held stretches with a breath out on each one. Doing this when the body is already warm turns stretching into a normal habit.
Climb, hang and carry. Playground climbing frames, monkey bars and trees with a low branch build grip and arm strength, with an adult nearby. At home, carrying a light bag of shopping or a small basket of washing is real strength work too.
Move together. A family routine of five or six body-weight moves, such as squats, wall press-ups and a seated reach, is easy to do in a living room. Children tend to copy what adults do, so doing it alongside them helps.