Updates

• Inclusion Live 2025
• Tender for Department for Education programme
• Spring termly reporting

Events

• YST Annual Conference – secure your free place
• Monthly networking calls

Opportunities

• Join the School Games consultation group
• Wheelpower National Junior Games
• Deaflymics – free youth engagement programme

Spotlight 

• Continuous Provision in PE report from Durham Trinity School

Updates

Inclusion Live 2025

Thank you to everyone who attended Inclusion Live and shared the booking link with your networks! We had over 2,000 registrations to sessions across the week with just over 1,000 attending live (these are total registrations, not unique people). It was great to have so many practitioners on the webinars from a range of settings and the feedback so far has been very positive. The recordings and resources are now on the website for you to watch back here.

Tender for Department for Education programme

The Department for Education have recently invited organisations to tender for a grant programme for three financial years (2025-26, 2026-27 and 2027-2028*) to develop and deliver a programme that improves and increases PE, school sport and physical activity opportunities available to pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). A programme that is open to both primary and secondary pupils (Key Stages 1-4) in mainstream schools, academies, special schools and alternative provision settings across all nine regions of England. The Youth Sport Trust will be bidding for this tender on behalf of the existing Inclusion 2024 Consortium to build on the incredible successes from the Lead Inclusion School Network to date. We will keep you informed on this process, but would welcome any thoughts or ideas you may have around what is currently working or not working. Please send any thoughts to [email protected]
*funding beyond 2026 is subject to the Spending Review

Termly Reporting

A friendly reminder that the Spring term reporting deadline is Friday 28 March. Maddy will be sending you the latest event data to help you complete your reporting, so do look out for that in your inbox at the start of March.

Events

Monthly Networking Calls February

This month’s networking calls will be an open space to share best practice, meet other Lead Inclusion Schools and ask any questions you may have!

• Lead Inclusion School Networking Call Tuesday 18 February 12pm – you can sign up here.
• Lead Inclusion School Networking Call Thursday 20 February 3.45pm – you can sign up here.

Youth Sport Trust Conference 2025

Each Lead Inclusion School can redeem one free place at the Youth Sport Trust Annual Conference on Wednesday 26 March 2025, at the Telford International Centre.

To secure your free place, please use discount code YST25Inclusion. For guidance on how to sign up using the discount code, please follow these steps in our booking guide.

One free place can be used by a member of staff involved in the Lead Inclusion School work. If you would like additional members of staff to attend the conference, they will need to purchase an additional ticket. Please note the free ticket is for the day conference only. If you wish to attend the awards dinner the night before, please purchase this ticket separately. Unfortunately we are unable to provide expenses or accommodation, but details of local hotels can be found on our accommodation page.

You can book your place here. 

Opportunities

School Games Consultation Group Opportunity

We want to take this opportunity to thank Dave Rohman for representing the Lead Inclusion Schools in the School Games Consultation Group. Dave will be stepping down from this position at the end of the year, as he leaves his position at the LIS. The SG Consultation Group provides an opportunity for our network to influence upcoming events, policies and changes within the School Games. As a consultant alongside School Games Organisers, Active Partnerships and National Governing Body representatives nationally, this is an opportunity for you to share ideas, network and shape future thinking. The consultation group meet quarterly in Loughborough (expenses covered), for a day of consultation.

If you'd like to represent our network, please express interest by contacting the SEND inbox ([email protected]) by Friday 28 February. Kelly is happy to have a call with anyone interested that has further questions surrounding the opportunity.

Entry now open for WheelPower’s National Junior Games - 24-27 June 2025

The WheelPower National Junior Games is an annual sports event held at Stoke Mandeville Stadium. The Games are a great way for children with physical disabilities to discover over 20 sports in a safe, welcoming and friendly environment.

This event is supported by sports coaches from National Governing Bodies alongside local volunteers who encourage the children to give everything a try and develop their skills. The event is also very much a social event where friendships and contacts are made. 16 year old Lauren, a participant at last year’s event said:

“It’s my first year here and its been amazing. I’ve tried pretty much every sport and all the coaches and volunteers have been so good. They have filled me with so much confidence and despite my initial nerves I even gave wheelchair fencing a go and absolutely loved it. Thank you WheelPower, it’s been an amazing opportunity.”

The event also provides many eye-opening moments for parents and carers as they witness first hand the amazing benefits that come from being active and playing wheelchair sport.

To register a school group, or individual (attending with a parent), please go to the WheelPower website. For any queries, please contact WheelPower’s Sport Team at [email protected]

Destination Deaflympics - UK Deaf Sport’s free youth engagement programme

Deaf 8-16 year-olds travel virtually to the 2025 Tokyo Deaflympics, trying out new activities and learning about Deaflympians and DeaflympicsGB.

Deaf young people are 50% less likely to be active than their hearing counterparts. Many are not aware of any local deaf sport opportunities nor the Deaflympics and elite deaf sports.

The passport challenge visits previous Deaflympic host nations and students play versions of Deaflympic sports, supported by BSL captioned videos. Inspiration comes via filmed messages from past and future hopeful Deaflympians.

The National Curriculum linked programme (differentiated for KS2 and KS3/4) can be used flexibly across a half term, term or desired period. Specialist sports equipment is not required.

Printed resources for deaf students in mainstream can be requested via Destination Deaflympics - UK Deaf Sport. Schools can access all resources digitally here for PE, citizenship or tutor.

Spotlight

Pete Ramsey from Durham Trinity School, one of our Lead Inclusion Schools in the North East, has written a report summarising their successful implementation of Continuous Provision in PE. To learn more about how this initiative has made PE a more inclusive environment for neurodiverse students, read the report here.