Howes Primary School reaps benefits from Sainsbury’s PE Training
Staff from Howes Primary School in Coventry and other local schools are reaping the benefits of inclusive PE, thanks to free Sainsbury’s Active Kids for All Inclusive PE Training. After taking part in a free workshop in January 2016, attendees are using their skills to enable more disabled pupils to enjoy their PE lessons.
Howes Primary School is a perfect example of a school who has used the Sainsbury’s Active Kids for All Inclusive PE Training to benefit both staff and pupils. Not only have they made their PE lessons more inclusive and enjoyable as a result, they also encourage all their pupils to participate in activities outside of school hours.
Howes Deputy Head Teacher, Mrs. Bollands, arranged the training after being aware the disabled pupils were not accessing school sport and physical education (PE) in the same way as their peers. They wanted to ensure all of their pupils have a positive PE experience and make sustained progress. Class teachers, PE subject leaders, a learning mentor and a teaching assistant from the school’s Hearing Impaired Unit attended the workshop.
Since attending the training, all the staff at Howes use the STEP model in their planning and delivery of lessons. Mrs Bollands said:
“Now, the hall is divided into three sections for most PE lessons with differentiated activities taking place. The teachers are also more confident in using equipment effectively”.
Others who attended the workshop said:
“Before the course I didn’t really know how to adapt my lessons for children with disabilities so I just tried to make things a bit easier for them. Now in my lessons I use the STEP model and I can really see the difference that it has made.”
“I now feel confident that a pupil who uses a wheelchair is able to participate fully in lessons.”
Since the training, pupils at Howes have seen a positive change in their PE lessons. This includes one pupil, 10, who previously struggled to throw and catch while using his waking sticks explained. He said:
“I’m now able to bring my wheelchair in and use if for PE lessons, I really enjoy PE now and am getting good at tennis.”
Another pupil said:
“I didn’t used to like PE very much as everyone else was really good. Now Miss C lets me choose different size balls and I really like it. This has made me want to join the school netball club”.
Since the training, the staff at Howes have set up an extra-curricular tennis club, which all their deaf pupils are actively involved in. One of the teachers who delivers these sessions said:
“We have a lot of fun at the deaf tennis club, the children love coming and they really look forward to it. It has inspired the pupils to be more involved in the sport, with some of them now hoping to be professional tennis players!”
Mrs Bollands concluded:
“I think that it is very important for all schools to provide inclusive PE lessons. At Howes we want children to look forward to PE and not dread it because their disability holds them back. We want pupils to develop an enjoyment of sport that will stay with them throughout their life. We feel really proud that all pupils at our school now get this opportunity due to our involvement with the Sainsbury’s Active Kids for All Inclusive PE Training programme”.
The staff at Howes are just some of the 8,200 teachers, trainee teachers and school staff across the UK who have benefitted from the Sainsbury’s Active Kids for All Inclusive PE Training Programme.
