Sports Activity Day for Pupils with SEND

Sports activity event for over 60 pupils with SEND took place in November in conjunction with Oldham Active Coaching.

The Harmony Trust, in conjunction with Oldham Active Coaching, recently launched its first SEND Sports Ability Roadshow.  The event took place in November at Oldham Leisure Centre where 60 children from six Harmony Trust schools across Oldham and Tameside (Alt, Greenhill, Northmoor, Richmond, Westwood and Greenfield Academies) took part in a carousel of exciting sporting activities including dance, Boccia and archery.  The children came with their teachers and Teaching Assistants who also joined in the activities.  The children had a fantastic time, with Rejoice from Northmoor Academy saying “I loved shooting the arrows. I liked everything, I had a lot of fun!” 

Aminur Rahman, Sports Co-ordinator for The Harmony Trust said: “It can be challenging for children with SEND to find accessible sports events and we are very grateful to Oldham Active Coaching for facilitating this event for us.  It has been fantastic to see the children getting to explore lots of different types of activities.  We really hope to build a life-long love of sports and this series of roadshows is just the beginning.”

Steve Ferriss, Sports Development Officer for Oldham Active continued: “We have worked in partnership with the Harmony Trust and a number of their schools for around a decade. It was a pleasure to work alongside Mr Rahman and bring the idea of an Ability Day to life. It was great for us to be able to welcome pupils from all 6 schools to Oldham Leisure Centre. They made new friends, tried new activities and got the opportunity to represent their school. The joy on the pupils’ faces throughout the whole event made it all worthwhile.”

Antony Hughes, CEO added: “’Excellence for All’ underpins everything we do at The Harmony Trust, we believe that with the right support, everyone can achieve their best, regardless of circumstances or background.  This event demonstrates the commitment and dedication of our Harmony Trust teams in making that ethos come alive for all children.  We know participation in sports can help with well-being and positive mental health and it is important that all children have access to high-quality sports provision.”