Building friendships through inclusive sporting opportunities
Why Get Set?
Oaklands (Hounslow, London) recognised that the Get Set network offered many opportunities to inspire its students with severe learning disabilities using the Games as a focus. It was keen to develop a network of friends in the local community through activities which would encourage sporting participation and competition, friendship, and opportunities for students to work with their mainstream peers.
The Olympic and Paralympic Values could be used to build on the school ethos of enabling every student to maximise their full potential.
The Journey So Far
Students have participated in Hold onto Sport (HOTS), a Borough led project, working collaboratively on a range of challenges in a Games based learning project. In the HOTS finals Oaklands picked up medals for designing and making a meal for an athlete, for putting together a physio program for a team of bowlers participating in the Olympic Games and for showing creativity throughout the project.
Two students from the Sixth Form who have been selected by the School Sports Partnership to be Young Ambassadors have been busy promoting the Values by organising sports clubs within school. Basketball and cheerleading have been particularly popular.
A Change4life club led by two of Oaklands’ young people has engaged students in Boccia. The team have participated in many tournaments in school and in the local community. An extended curriculum has been helping get students active through opportunities in Games-inspired sports including sailing, basketball and cycling.
Positive Values
Engagement with learning and behaviour has increased through a focus on physical activity, working as a team and learning through doing. An emphasis on the Olympic and Paralympic Values has strengthened areas such as teamwork, respect, equality, and determination all of which are central to the students at Oaklands.
And the highlights for students?
Seeing Paralympic athletes succeeding in sport has inspired students who have met Olympic and Paralympic athletes at events. They have enjoyed experiencing a wide range of sports and seen these regularly on television and in other media.
Towards 2012
Regular assemblies using Get Set resources will enable students to gain an understanding of other cultures and nationalities and a themed curriculum will focus on different countries that athletes will represent. Oaklands has applied for a link school in Australia; it hopes to broaden its cultural experiences and develop meaningful learning opportunities across the globe.
Students will continue to be offered a range of sporting opportunities and subject based lessons incorporating the Values to encourage a more student led and active approach to learning. Certificates will be awarded to celebrate achievement in focussed areas. Further activities will include a Let’s Get Cooking Club cooking food from different countries and collecting Sainsbury’s Active Kids vouchers to purchase new inspirational sports equipment.
Oakland aims for all students to:
- Have inclusive opportunities to watch and participate in high quality sporting events
- Build friendships, develop team skills and have fun
- Find an activity that they can engage in and continue participating in.
