Sportsafe’s Colchester Headquarters is just half an hour’s drive away from the impressive shoreline and nature reserve that is Tollesbury Wick. Here, thousands of wildfowl and waders, including large flocks of Golden Plover, Lapwing and Wigeon, live alongside sheep and cattle for the sustainable management of this freshwater marsh. The rough pasture, whilst capturing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, also houses ant hills of the Yellow Meadow Ant and is the perfect habitat for small mammals such as Field Voles and Pygmy Shrews – creating the ideal hunting ground for numerous birds of prey species. Each species has its role in creating an inclusive ecosystem that works for the overall good of all.
This landscape provides the perfect backdrop to Sportsafe’s own inclusivity ethos within the world of sport. Schools that create a sports ‘ecosystem’ that includes every student tend to see greater positivity in the school culture as a whole. Everyone can be part of every sport; everyone can be active at breaktime; everyone has a role and a skill in the physical curriculum as well as academic lessons; everyone feels better for participating and contributing.
If school sports facilities and equipment are designed to be more inclusive, every student and staff member can experience the health, fitness and social benefits of PE and sport – which potentially leads to the positive sports vibe extending to the wider community. Positive pupils inspire parents to support more matches; school facilities can become hubs of activity outside school hours as whole families catch the sporting bug; external coaches are attracted to the area and a greater diversity of sports and social occasions furthers the momentum. The whole school begins to buzz with confidence and purpose.
It is with this ethos in mind that Sport England has produced new guidance to help ensure sport and leisure facilities are safe, welcoming and accessible to all – Accessible and inclusive sports facilities (AISF). This guidance encourages the design of spaces that reduce or remove barriers to being more active. ‘Facilities are not just functionally accessible but intuitive, inviting, and capable of both attracting and meeting the needs of our increasingly diverse communities.’
‘The core principle is to provide equal opportunities for everyone to engage in sport and physical activities, which can significantly contribute to individual and collective well-being.’ The importance of inclusive sport programmes in strengthening community bonds – Sport Academy
From our own extensive experience working with schools across the UK, the Sportsafe team has seen the positive impact on students’ interest, confidence and participation in school life overall if they are able to participate fully in the sports provision, whatever their capabilities.
When commitment to inclusivity is realised through thoughtful encouragement, facilities and equipment, sport and PE become a great leveller and inspiration – not the lesson that divides those who can from those who can’t.
‘Sports have long been recognized not only for their physical benefits but also for their ability to bring communities together. In recent years, the focus has shifted towards creating inclusive sports programs that cater to diverse populations, including individuals with disabilities, marginalized communities, and people of all ages and backgrounds. These programs not only promote physical activity but also foster social integration, enhance mental well-being, and build a sense of belonging among participants. Accessibility is key and facilities, equipment, and transportation must be accessible to all participants, regardless of their abilities.’ Community Engagement through Inclusive Sports Programs – SportsMinds
With this in mind, here are some ideas to consider in your school sport inclusivity planning:
- A bright, attractive, safe multi-use games area (MUGA) screams out for use by everyone. Professional markings and superior surfacing enable different games to be played in the same area and in all weathers – and many are wheelchair-friendly too.
- Secure fencing with covered spectator areas make for comfortable viewing and encourage those who cannot actively play a particular game to still be involved, maybe as supporter, score keeper, umpire, school website match reporter, or school magazine sports photographer.
- Outdoor fitness suites are immensely popular as part of a formal lesson or for individual and independent exercise around lesson time. You can create a bespoke arrangement to suit the precise requirements of all your pupils, enabling wheelchair users or those with limited physical ability to workout alongside their more agile peers. No one is left on the sidelines and everyone can be part of the group.
- Portable equipment enables games and matches to be set up anywhere anytime, so non-league everyday games don’t have to take a backseat to fixtures all the time. Not being in the county team doesn’t mean your students can’t get their Basketball endorphin rush too!
- Investing in some flexible sports and activity equipment to supplement or enhance your fixed installation also means that you can quickly adapt any activity to include everyone. You can even encourage your pupils and students to create their own designs to suit their abilities. Just the act of having agency in the layout of equipment will encourage students to see things from another’s perspective, creating an understanding, empathy and tolerance that might otherwise be missing.
- Making your school changing facilities and locker rooms as user-friendly and accessible as possible can make the difference between sport being only for standardised the set and for everyone. If you create welcoming and adaptive changing areas that offer appropriate privacy, space and storage to accommodate all needs then all students can enjoy the confidence of being ‘normal’ and carry this confidence with them into other aspects of school life.
- Accessible storage can also boost general confidence! It really is no fun when the teacher asks you to collect something you cannot reach or never chooses you to help because you might not be strong or flexible enough to handle the equipment. Storage options and equipment transport that enables all students to ‘pull their weight’ doesn’t just share the lesson set up load, it also gives every student the chance to be useful and helpful – enhancing their role in the overall school community.
- Take a look in detail at the sports and PE your school offers and have a think about whether there may be some options you have not yet considered that may be inclusive for more of your students. For example, trampolining may seem to be a bit of a challenging activity which involves a lot of waiting around for turns, but there are so many innovative equipment options now that enable everyone to trampoline whilst still encouraging the group support system and organisation skills that build a positive culture throughout the school.
There can be no doubt that sports serve as a remarkable vehicle for promoting social inclusion and diversity and the sense of belonging, purpose and participation carries over into all other aspects of school culture and life.
