Key Stage 3 PE · Outdoor and adventurous activities

KS3 outdoor and adventurous activities: teamwork and trust

Outdoor and adventurous activities ask pupils to take on challenges that test both their thinking and their bodies, either alone or as a group. In Key Stage 3 the focus is on working as a team, building trust, and solving problems, using skills from earlier years but in harder and less familiar situations. Pupils also grow in confidence and learn to take sensible risks.

Outdoor and adventurous activities, explained

The National Curriculum asks secondary schools to teach pupils to take part in outdoor and adventurous activities which present intellectual and physical challenges. Pupils are encouraged to work in a team, building on trust and developing skills to solve problems, either individually or as a group. The activities are not specified, so schools choose. Many use orienteering and map work on the school grounds or a local park, team problem-solving tasks, and activities on residential trips such as climbing, canoeing, hill walking or ropes courses.

The intellectual challenge is real. Pupils plan routes, read maps, use compass directions and work out how to solve a puzzle with limited equipment. A typical team task might be to move everyone across a marked area using only a few mats, or to rebuild a pattern from memory with each pupil able to see only part of it. The challenge is to share ideas, listen, test a plan and change it when it does not work, which are skills that matter well beyond PE.

Trust is built through activities where pupils rely on each other. This may mean spotting for a partner, giving clear directions to a teammate who cannot see, or taking a turn as leader. Teachers set clear rules and always supervise these tasks closely. Many teachers use a “challenge by choice” approach: everyone takes part, but each pupil decides how far to push themselves, and no one should be pressured into something that makes them uncomfortable. Good teachers talk openly about fear and encourage pupils to take on a challenge at their own level.

Safety is taught as part of the activity. Pupils learn to look at an environment and think about what could go wrong, how to reduce the risk, and what to do if something does. Reviewing at the end, by asking what worked, what did not and what the team would do differently, is the part that turns a fun activity into learning. The curriculum also asks pupils to build on and embed the physical skills learned earlier, such as balance, coordination and stamina, in these new settings.

Words your child will hear

Orienteering: Finding your way between marked points using a map, and sometimes a compass, as quickly as you can.
Compass bearing: A direction measured as an angle clockwise from north, used to navigate.
Map key: The list of symbols on a map and what they stand for.
Leadership: Guiding a group by listening, organising and making decisions with others.
Risk assessment: Thinking about what could go wrong, how likely it is and what to do to make it safer.
Spotting: Standing ready to support a partner during a task so they can take a risk safely.
Review: Looking back at an activity to decide what worked and what to change next time.

What the National Curriculum says

The programme of study for Key Stage 3 says:

Pupils should be taught to take part in outdoor and adventurous activities which present intellectual and physical challenges and be encouraged to work in a team, building on trust and developing skills to solve problems, either individually or as a group
Pupils should build on and embed the physical development and skills learned in key stages 1 and 2, become more competent, confident and expert in their techniques, and apply them across different sports and physical activities.

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

Try it: solving a team crossing challenge

A team of six must cross a marked “river” about five metres wide. They have three floor mats and no one may touch the floor in the river area. How should they go about it?

Understand the task and the rules. Everyone repeats back what the goal is, what is not allowed and how they will know when they have finished. This prevents misunderstandings later.
Share ideas before choosing one. Each person suggests a plan, however rough. The team realises that mats will have to be passed forward as people move. In many versions of this task, a mat that nobody is touching is taken away, so someone must always keep contact with each one.
Agree a plan and roles. They decide who goes first, who moves the mats and who watches for safety. They test a small part, such as moving the first two people, before trying the whole crossing.
Adjust when something goes wrong. If a mat slides or someone steps off, they stop, say what happened, and change the plan rather than blaming a person.
Review at the end. The team asks what helped (listening, clear instructions), what slowed them down (talking over each other) and what each person would do next time.

The crossing is possible with careful planning and repeated adjustments, but the point is the process: everybody’s voice is heard, roles are shared, and the team reviews what it learned. Success is about working well together as much as finishing.

Common mistakes and how to help

The loudest or most confident person should be in charge

In a group task someone takes over quickly, and others stay quiet. Good ideas from quieter pupils get missed.

What helps: Encourage turns at leading and a rule that everyone offers one idea before the team decides. A leader’s job is to make sure the whole team is heard.

If the first plan fails, the team has failed

Pupils are used to getting answers right at the first attempt. In problem-solving tasks, though, the first attempt is often a test.

What helps: Talk about trying, learning and trying again. Ask “what did we find out?” instead of “who got it wrong?”.

Trust means doing whatever you are told, or being daring

Trust tasks can look like tests of bravery. But trust is built by being reliable, listening and speaking up when something feels unsafe.

What helps: Make clear that saying “I’m not comfortable with that” is allowed. A team that looks after each other is more trustworthy than one that dares each other.

Holding a map any way round, as long as you can see it

If the map is held the wrong way round, a feature on your left appears on the right of the map, so pupils set off in the wrong direction.

What helps: Turn the map so that what is on it matches what you can see around you. In orienteering this is called setting the map, and it solves many navigation errors.

How to help at home

Draw and use a simple map. Sketch a map of your garden or a local park with a few landmarks, then take turns hiding a small object and finding it from the map. This is basic orienteering without any equipment.
Plan a walk together. Ask your teenager to plan a family walk, choosing the route, estimating the time and thinking about what to bring. Going with an adult keeps it safe, and planning is a real problem-solving task.
Team puzzles. A jigsaw, a board game that needs cooperation, or a challenge such as building the tallest tower from newspaper and tape all need people to share ideas. Afterwards ask what helped the team.
Take turns as leader. Let each family member lead a short activity in turn, while the others follow and give feedback. It shows how leading and listening work together.
Stay safe outdoors. Go out with an adult, tell someone the route, and stay away from roads, open water and steep ground. For climbing, water sports or anything with real risk, rely on trained instructors.

Builds on

Key Stage 2: Outdoor challenges: individual
Key Stage 2: Outdoor challenges: teamwork

Leads on to

Key Stage 4: Outdoor and adventurous activities

Everything in Key Stage 3 PE

Updated 20 October 2026.