Thousands of young people will take part in a nationwide series
of inclusive sport festivals in the run up to the 2020 Paralympic
Games.
Children’s charity the Youth Sport Trust is leading a consortium
of organisations commissioned by the Department for Education to
increase opportunities for young people with special educational
needs and disabilities (SEND) to enjoy Physical Education, school
sport and physical activity.
The Inclusion 2020 project will see 50 primary, secondary and
special schools across England organise inclusive countywide
‘Learning and Discovery’ sport festivals ahead of summer 2020.
At the events, 3,000 pupils of all abilities will experience a
variety of Para sports and get the opportunity to compete. They
will be supported by a team of Youth Sport Trust athlete mentors
including ParalympicsGB swimmer Kate Grey.
The Youth Sport Trust will support 50 Lead Inclusion Schools -
hubs of expertise on inclusive PE and sport - to act as champions
in their local areas. As well as staging festivals, they will be
responsible for training staff and sharing best practice with
other schools to improve the provision of PE, school sport and
physical activity for young people with SEND.
With funding from the Department for Education, Inclusion 2020
will aim to reach tens of thousands of pupils, 2,800 schools and
train 6,000 teachers and coaches ahead of the 2020 Games. The
consortium of organisations led by the Youth Sport Trust includes
Activity Alliance, the British Paralympic Association, Nasen
(National Association of Special Educational Needs) and Swim
England.
In addition to inclusive sport festivals, the Inclusion 2020
project will also see:
- Locally-led
reviews of swimming provision for young people with SEND, with
new opportunities created for them to learn to swim and develop
water confidence
- Teachers
trained to adapt curriculum PE to place a greater focus on using
the subject to teach life skills, using the Youth Sport Trust’s
My Personal Best programme
- Pupils
supported to become young ambassadors who advocate for inclusion
within their schools and support others to achieve their daily 30
active minutes of physical activity during the school day
Minister for Children and Families said:
“With excitement already building for Tokyo 2020, we are
delighted to be funding this project which is a great opportunity
to make sure all pupils can enjoy the benefits of staying active
– let’s hope it may even inspire some future Olympic and
Paralympic stars.
“We want every child – including those with special educational
needs and disabilities – to have the opportunity to find a sport
they love, and this funding will build on the £320 million we are
providing through the PE and Sport Premium to help primary
schools encourage all of their pupils to lead active lives.”
Youth Sport Trust Chief Executive Ali Oliver
said:
“Schools have come a long way in improving the provision of sport
and play for young disabled people, but we know there is still
more we can do.
“Taking part in fun and inclusive sport and play unlocks so many
other life benefits. It improves wellbeing, increases confidence
and helps build relationships and a sense of belonging. It can
help forge friendships and foster inclusive and respectful
environments within schools.
“Ahead of Tokyo 2020, we want to build excitement and inspire
children and young people. Inclusion 2020 offers a fantastic
opportunity to work with schools, teachers and parents to ensure
that having special educational needs or a disability is no
barrier when it comes to benefitting from high-quality PE, sport
and physical activity.”
