Virtual Skipping League
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For PE leads and class teachers

The 30-second skipping challenge

How to run it in school: the counting rule, a free voiced timer, and the number of skips to aim for in every year group from Year 1 to Year 7.

Open the free timer Expected scores by year group
  1. 1Pair up
  2. 2Learn the counting rule
  3. 3Start the timer
  4. 4Record every go
  5. 5Compare with the expected score

What you need

No special kit, and it fits into any PE lesson, playtime or brain break.

  • A rope for each skipperSpeed ropes the right length for the child turn fastest. Standing on the middle, the handles should reach the armpits. Which rope do I need?
  • A counter for each skipperA partner, a Young Leader or an adult.
  • A 30-second timerThe free voiced timer is at vsl.org.uk/timer.
  • SpaceAbout two metres between skippers, in the hall or on the playground.
1

Pair up

Put pupils in pairs: one skipper and one counter. They swap after each go, so half the class skips at a time and everyone is involved.

Young Leaders can run a whole session at playtime: they count, call the time and note the scores for a teacher to check.

2

Learn the counting rule

Count 1 every time the rope passes under the skipper's feet.

  1. Jumping with two feet and stepping over the rope (running on the spot) both count.
  2. If the skipper trips, they start again straight away and the count carries on from the same number. It never goes back to zero.
  3. Stop counting on the final buzzer. The counter says the total out loud.

One simple rule for everyone means scores from different classes and schools can be compared fairly.

3

Start the timer

Put the free skipping timer on the whiteboard or a phone and choose a voice: skip, hop or skiptron. Tap the logo to start.

  1. It calls "Counters ready", then "Skippers ready", then counts down 5-4-3-2-1.
  2. A buzzer starts the 30 seconds.
  3. It calls "20 seconds left" and "10 seconds left", counts down the last five, and buzzes to stop.

Because the timer does the calling, you can watch the skippers. Once it has loaded it works with no signal.

4

Record every go

Give pupils as many goes as you have time for, and record every go, not just the best. Every go shows how active the class has been, and each pupil's best is their score.

In the Virtual Skipping League you can type scores in, upload a spreadsheet, or use the tap counter on a phone or tablet, which counts two pupils at once and saves each go as it happens.

5

Expected scores by year group

How many skips in 30 seconds should a child manage? These are the expected scores the Virtual Skipping League uses, set from skip-hop's 25 years of skipping workshops in schools. They're reviewed each summer as league data grows.

Skips in 30 seconds. Nearly there = 75% of the expected score; exceeding = 125%.
Year groupNearly thereExpectedExceeding
ReceptionNo expected score – just have fun skipping
Year 14+56+
Year 28+1013+
Year 311+1519+
Year 415+2025+
Year 519+2531+
Year 623+3038+
Year 7 and up26+3544+

In the league, each pupil's best gets a medal dot: bronze for nearly there, silver for expected and gold for exceeding.

Turn it into a league

The Virtual Skipping League runs the 30-second challenge as a free competition for every class in the school (or see how to run a skipping league yourself):

  • Classes compete in half-term rounds against the same year group in their SGO area, their county's Active Partnership and nationally.
  • A class's score is the average of its best 80%, with every pupil counted, so small classes can beat big ones and one absent child doesn't sink the class.
  • The School Cup compares whole schools fairly against the expected scores, and there are certificates for pupils and champion classes.
  • It builds your School Games Mark evidence as you go: participation, girls and boys, least-active pupils and young leaders.

Learning to skip in the first place? skip-hop has skills, games and lesson plans, and the league has two free taster lessons: Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2.

Questions teachers ask

Does stepping over the rope count, or only jumping with two feet?

Both count. Count 1 every time the rope passes under the feet, however the child gets over it.

What happens if they trip?

They start again straight away and the count carries on from the same number. The clock keeps running.

How many goes should each pupil have?

As many as you have time for. Record them all: every go counts as activity, and only each pupil's best counts as their score.

What if a score looks too high?

Check the counter used the rule: one per rope pass, not one per jump of the feet. In the league, a score well above the usual range for that year group asks the teacher to confirm it before it's saved.

Can children with SEND take part?

Yes. Step-overs count, and personal bests let every child see their own progress whatever their starting point.

Run it as a free league

Every feature is free for every school. Register in a few minutes and your classes can be in this half-term's round.

Register your school – it's freeRead the getting-started guide