Think of kids doing PE and you’ll probably picture the usual team games. But it can be easy to forget that schoolchildren need to have mastered the basic building blocks of movement before they can participate confidently in these sports.
Fundamental Movement Skills (FMS) includes activities that most of us probably take for granted, including running, jumping, balancing, throwing and catching. These develop once a child starts to move, and will form part of every single physical activity they’ll do in the future.
6th May 2025
Essentially, FMS, which kids need to develop and practise as they grow, are divided into three broad areas:
1. Locomotor skills – running, skipping, jumping
2. Manipulative skills – throwing, kicking and catching
3. Stability skills – balance, co-ordination, spatial awareness
FMS are not just for PE sessions, but will also develop during regular play, and the more opportunities for movement youngsters have, the more they grow in confidence and ability.
At this stage in a child’s education, running, jumping and throwing tend to evolve into more structured activities as kids learn tactics, controlled movement and coordination. But without a firm foundation, balance and agility can falter, meaning pupils struggle to take part in exercise with confidence.
Indeed, this is the point at which we often start to see the biggest dip in children’s engagement in physical activity and sports.
The idea is that, by the time they reach secondary level, pupils’ FMS should be developed to the extent that they can apply them to many different activities and sports. Yet participation, confidence and enjoyment remain lower than they should be. And although many do appreciate how to move well, this isn’t always applied in PE sessions. So engagement can drop off, especially among the less confident. Youngsters need frequent chances to develop their skills or movement quality can decrease, so FMS need to be an integral part of movement patterns for life.
In its’ review of PE as a subject, Ofsted identified an inconsistent approach to FMS, and expressed concern at how many go through school without fully developing movement skills, affecting confidence, ability and participation in sports.
Therefore, schools should prioritise the basics of movement before introducing sport-specific skills. The approach should be clear and structured, so that children continue to build on what they can do. Other concerns included the dip in engagement at secondary level, plus a lack of structured activity, while pupils with greater ability weren’t always stretched.
Ofsted also called for more chances to practise movements across the school day, not just in PE classes, and all year round, not only during drier periods.
So schools need spaces that naturally encourage agility, coordination and balance through active play. The regulatory body adds that outdoor areas shouldn’t just be places where kids go for breaks, but ought to provide opportunities for being active, including work on core strength, coordination and motor skills.
Outdoor gyms provide many benefits for children and promote FMS by encouraging climbing, balancing and other physical activities. Gross motor skills, balance, coordination and overall physical strength all improve, as do body and spatial awareness. This equipment also enhances fine motor skills through gripping, twisting and other movements needing precision and control.
Finally, there are social advantages to outdoor gyms, and cognitive benefits including concentration, decision making and problem solving, which also help when children go on to participate in organised team sports.
Fresh Air Fitness is the leading provider of high-quality outdoor gym equipment for a wide range of clients including schools. We share Ofsted’s concerns over the importance of basic movement skills, and believe that our outside exercise equipment can form part of the solution.
We serve both the primary and secondary sectors, as well as higher education sites and schools supporting pupils with special educational needs.
Let us help you build movement skills into the school day. Our dozens of products include, on top of our adult range, our line-up of pieces for Key Stages 1 and 2 and 3 and 4. Browse the ranges today, and check out great deals such as 15% saving on a package of five pieces of outdoor gym equipment for primary schools, fitting eight users at a time and with delivery and installation included.
Get in touch online or call 01483 366934 with any queries.
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