Safety in Gymnastics for Children

At The Primary Gymnastics Academy, safety is at the heart of everything we do. Our Scheme of Work has been developed in line with afPE’s Safe Practice in Physical Education, School Sport and Physical Activity guidance and is designed to ensure both teachers and pupils feel confident and secure when delivering school gymnastics lessons.

Gymnastics Safety

Our Commitment to Safety

  • All lesson plans include clear safety notes and teaching points, with bold highlights for higher-risk skills (e.g. backward rolls, vaulting)
  • Every skill is supported by a video demonstration, showing correct technique and safe landings
  • Our primary school gymnastics specialists provide teachers with progressive practices to build competence gradually, ensuring no pupil is pushed beyond safe limits

Who Can Teach Gymnastics?

Teachers

Anyone teaching school gymnastics must be competent to do so safely. Competence can be demonstrated through qualifications, training, or experience (afPE).

Coaches

External staff delivering gymnastics in schools must hold a British Gymnastics NGB Level 2 award. Other awards, such as the Gymnastics Teacher Award (Intermediate Primary) or Gymnastics Activity Instructor, are not recognised for leading curriculum or after-school gymnastics (afPE).

Ultimately, a qualified teacher retains overall responsibility for curriculum PE.

Safety Resources

All schools subscribing to our Scheme of Work receive access to two dedicated resources inside our online Toolkit:

  • Safety in Gymnastics - Full Guidance Document (aligning with our scheme afPE regulations
  • 1-Page Safety Checklist - a quick reference for staff to use in the hall

For more details, Sign into your members page or view afPE’s full guidance here: afPE Safety in Primary Gymnastics (PDF)

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