Across all areas of the National Curriculum at Riverside Primary School, teachers  set suitable learning challenges, respond to pupils’ diverse learning needs and modify the curriculum to remove any potential barriers to learning and assessment for particular individuals or groups of pupils. Teachers have an excellent knowledge of the needs of all pupils in their classes and are able to plan personalised and differentiated learning experiences which meet the needs of individual pupils. Inclusion is always at the centre of any teaching approach.

Supporting pupils with SEND in PE

Sport England (2018) shared that disabled adults are twice as likely to be inactive as non-disabled adults whilst Activity Alliance (2020) discovered that 70% of disabled people believe that sport is not for somebody like them.

It is imperative that we provide positive experiences in physical education that support learners with SEND to develop a love of exercise and the skills needed to lead a healthy, active lifestyle. A key role for teachers is to support all learners in having positive experiences and high aspirations in sport and exercise.

An inclusive physical education curriculum should both engage and inspire young people to lead healthy and active lifestyles and broaden their experience of sport and fitness activities. Physical education and sport should be accessible regardless of a young person’s disability or needs. Basing a curriculum and activities around a broad variety of sports and physical activities helps provide new, exciting experiences that will spark an interest and motivate learners to be more physically active and enjoy the associated health and social benefits this can bring.

Our inclusive curriculum enables us to ensure that all learners thrive in PE lessons regardless of their physical and learning needs.

Children with special needs will be encouraged in all aspects of PE appropriate to their ability. Teachers will plan tasks to match pupils ability to enable pupils to progress and demonstrate achievement.

Provision will be made for pupils who need to use –

* Different equipment including different sized equipment, equipment with a different grip and weight

* Adult support to model skills, break down activities into smaller steps and support with the repetition and over-learning of skills. 

* Peer support to motivate and model skills.

* Pictures around the room

* Use of videos

* Adapting games eg distance – move closer to a target to support

* Encourage children to participate in lessons

* Use the learner’s preferred communication methods be that verbal, Makaton, symbols or a combination of them all to ensure that lessons and activities are accessible.

* Use key words, signs, symbols and simple language to understand the teachers instructions

* Adaptations to the physical environment and space to make all PE lessons inclusive for wheelchair users and learners with a range of physical needs.

* Balloons with rice in to support visually impaired learners in a tennis session.

*  Large, bright, shiny, tactile resources for sensory learners

* Using assistive resources to support learners in target sports, e.g ramps to play boccia, cricket and ten pin bowling.