The Premier League has joined BBC Children's and Education and ParalympicsGB to launch Super Movers for Every Body, using the inspiration of top-flight football and talented athletes to engage with disabled children and those with special educational needs in sport and physical activity.
Currently 1.5 million children in England have special educational needs or are disabled, but only one in four disabled children take part in physical activity at school. Super Movers for Every Body is designed to tackle this issue and get everybody moving.
Engaging all students
A host of exciting free online curriculum-linked resources are available for teachers and parents to access on BBC Teach, including Super Movers for Every Body follow-along films featuring CBBC stars, ParalympicsGB athletes and Premier League mascots, as well as other downloadable activities to engage with children.
Primary school teachers across the UK are also able to register for a free Super Movers For Every Body equipment pack, funded by the Premier League, to help them deliver inclusive sports activity for all students aged five to 11. These packs contain a range of equipment including audio balls and foam javelins, plus resource cards designed to facilitate various fun activities, including Blind Football, Para-athletics and Boccia, a target ball sport which tests both muscle control and accuracy.
Developing inclusivity
Seven-time Paralympic champion Hannah Cockroft understands how valuable initiatives such as Super Movers for Every Body can be to help develop and maintain a sense of inclusion.
“It’s all about ensuring no child misses out on PE and sport in schools, whether they are disabled or non-disabled," said Cockroft, an ambassador for Super Movers, "It encourages everyone that they can move, they can be active and they can be included.
“Giving teachers and children the confidence, skills and knowledge they need to ensure nobody is left out is so important to me. We need to recognise that every child can do sport, it is just about finding the right activity and making any adaptations to find the way that is right for them.
“I have so many skills from taking part in sport that have been so valuable in all aspect of my life and I want every child to have the opportunity to develop those skills.”
The equipment packs and online resources will empower teachers, parents and caregivers to introduce new sports to children during both the school term and summer holidays, providing them with new opportunities as the build-up to the Paralympics in Paris this August gets under way.
Embracing sport
“We’re thrilled to launch the next phase of Super Movers, now joined by ParalympicsGB alongside the Premier League in our partnership," added Helen Foulkes, Head of BBC Education.
"With the upcoming summer poised to inspire countless children to embrace sport, it's so important that teachers have the resources and equipment necessary to facilitate this journey for all pupils.
"Super Movers for Every Body is a programme designed to be inclusive and accessible to all, embodying the belief that sports and physical activity are for Every Body."
Clare Sumner, Chief Policy and Corporate Affairs Officer at the Premier League, said: “Super Movers for Every Body complements our successful Premier League Primary Stars programme, which uses football to inspire primary school children to be active and develop essential life skills.
“By providing over 3,000 inclusive equipment packs and working with great partners, we aim to break down potential barriers to participation and inspire children to try fun new sports that help them build connections, embrace each other’s differences and develop a life-long love of being active.”
Encouraging allyship
England’s all-time leading goal scorer in blind football, David Clarke, who is CEO of ParalympicsGB, believes that the programme will both help ensure no primary school age pupil is left on the sidelines during PE lessons, and also break down barriers.
“Super Movers for Every Body will empower teachers and parents with the skills they need, and provide thousands of schools with the equipment, to deliver inclusive sporting sessions which challenge perceptions of what disabled people can do," said Clarke.
“Equally importantly, it will also promote the power of allyship and give children a greater understanding of the benefits of creating a truly inclusive environment at an age where they will have those skills for life.
“Disabled people of all ages tell us that representation plays a crucial part in breaking down barriers to participation and this is why I am so proud that these valuable resources feature a host of disabled athletes demonstrating the unique power of sport to connect us.”
Super Movers For Every Body will complement the year-round delivery of Premier League Primary Stars in primary schools.
To apply for an inclusive PE equipment pack and explore all the free resources on offer, head to the Super Movers for Every Body website. Schools have until 7 June 2024 to register and if successful will receive their pack from September 2024, the start of the next school year.
