Schools Minister, , is calling on schools
to enhance physical education (PE) and school sport opportunities
for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities
(SEND), in the spirit of the Paralympic Games.
The government's Inclusion programme is available to all schools
in the country, through both expert support and free resources,
and can help schools enhance opportunities for young people with
SEND to engage in PE and school sports, including some of the 22
sports featured in the Paralympics.
Now in its fourth year, the programme works with a network of 52
lead schools to support local counterparts, including mainstream
schools, special schools, and alternative provision
settings, providing advice and training to upskill the school
workforce to make their PE and sport more inclusive.
The government recently launched a Curriculum and Assessment
Review to drive high and rising standards for all pupils and
tackle the barriers which hold them back, including pupils with
SEND. The review will consider how best to open up access to
subjects such as PE and sport, music, art, and drama.
School Standards Minister, said:
Following a summer of major sporting events including the
Olympics and Paralympics, the profound impact sports can have on
young people has been clearer than ever – shaping their character
and fostering a sense of belonging.
Every child, regardless of their circumstances, background and
abilities should have access to, and benefit from, quality
sporting opportunities both inside and outside of school.
It's fantastic to see so many organisations coming together to
break down barriers to opportunity and improve the quality and
accessibility of PE and school sport provision for pupils with
SEND.
Delivered by a consortium of the Youth Sport Trust,
ParalympicsGB, Swim England, Activity Alliance and nasen, the
programme offers a unique opportunity for young people to draw
inspiration from the Paralympic spirit and be encouraged to
participate in physical activities within their schools.
Over the last three years of the programme:
- Almost 15,000 young people have taken part, with over 3,000
trained as leaders.
- Over 4,000 schools have been given advice, training, and
guidance.
- Almost 850 events for young people have been delivered.
The programme has achieved this by sharing best practice and
creative thinking on how schools can adapt their PE and school
sports delivery to meet the needs of all their
pupils.
The Inclusion programme is not the only initiative supporting
young people to get involved in sport. For example, School Games
Organisers (SGOs) are essential in ensuring that all
children have the opportunity to take part in local sport and
physical activity competitions.
In the 2022/23 academic year, the country-wide network of 450
SGOs provided 2.2 million opportunities for school children to
engage in local and inclusive sporting competitions across 40
different sports and activities.
Ali Oliver MBE, Chief Executive Officer at the Youth Sport Trust,
said:
The Inclusion 2024 programme embeds the four core values of the
Paralympic Movement – determination, equality, inspiration and
courage – across PE and school sport. With the eyes of the world
on the incredible athletes taking part in the Paralympic Games,
now is the time to harness the nation's love of para sport to
leverage change, so every child can experience the joy and life
changing benefits of play and sport at school.
Inclusion 2024 is led by schools and informed by a consortium of
network partners with expertise in inclusion and creating
opportunities. I'm proud to say over the last three years,
Inclusion 2024 has supported the development of inclusive PE and
sport in 5,000 schools through 55,000 interactions - including
competitions, staff training, volunteer development and local
events.
In our mission and with support from the Department for
Education, we are united in our belief that every child should be
able to participate in PE and school sport, and we are determined
to work together to make this a reality.
, Chief Executive of
ParalympicsGB, said:
Physical education is fundamental to children's happiness,
allowing them to have fun whilst they develop motor skills, build
confidence, and improve physical and mental health. This is
particularly the case for pupils with SEND.
ParalympicsGB, as part of the launch of the Equal Play campaign,
heard from many education experts that teachers often feel
unprepared to deliver inclusive PE due to insufficient training
and support. Initiatives like Inclusion 24 are essential to
ensure teachers are equipped to support the inclusion of young
disabled pupils. We need all schools to be supported to ensure
that no disabled child is left on the sidelines.
Schools are supported with a free range of resources as part of
the Inclusive
Education Hub to help make their PE and sport more
inclusive.
The Inclusion 2024 programme works to reimagine the role PE and
school sport can play for pupils with SEND, with a focus on links
to character education and extending positive impacts to broader
school engagement, including attendance and behaviour.
