Young people in Alternative Provision or Pupil Referral Units get sporting chance

By Greater Manchester Moving | 14 August 2023 | TAGS: School Games, Children and young people, Stories

Children in Alternative Provision (AP) and Pupil Referral Units (PRU) across Greater Manchester are enjoying more physical activity and sport opportunities thanks to a new School Games network group.

The newly established Greater Manchester AP and PRU network group sees 25 specialist educational settings and six partner organisations work with the Greater Manchester School Games team.

The network’s hard work over the 22/23 academic year culminated in the first multi-sport event specifically for secondary aged young people in AP and PRU provision in the city region.

On Wednesday 28 June, 70 young people from ten settings across eight Greater Manchester boroughs came together at Leigh Sports Village for a festival of physical activity and sport.

Activities on the day, delivered by key partners of the Greater Manchester School Games, included dodgeball, ultimate frisbee, indoor rowing, rugby, and football.

Insight and discussion from the network was crucial to ensuring the event was right for the young people with appropriate levels of competition to ensure a positive experience.   

The group hopes to continue to develop the engagement of AP and PRU settings in School Games activities in the new academic year and offer chances for them to build further connections in GM.

Greater Manchester Moving’s School Games Lead, Jessica Simons, said:

“The festival was an important milestone in the work Craig Vickers (School Games Operational Lead) and I have been doing with AP and PRU settings across this academic year.

“It was a chance to showcase how the School Games can support these young people and the importance of providing the same opportunities that their mainstream peers get.”  

Craig Vickers, Greater Manchester School Games Operational Lead, said:

“Increasing the engagement of young people from AP and PRU settings in the School Games will continue to be a priority for the team and the School Games Organisers in the next academic year.

“We will build and learn from the feedback and successes of this year, with a specific focus on involving more of young people’s voices in the creation of these opportunties, as well as providing more chance to take up leadership roles in the School Games.”

A teacher from Spring Lane School in Bury added:

“The event gave our young people the chance to experience something they've never been able to access before due to the stigma around Pupil Referral Units and Special Educational Needs (SEN).

“Some children said they have never been to a school sports day and appreciated being given the opportunity to experience a school trip involving sport.

“Staff were very understanding and adaptable to change, put everything in place for our young people and reassured them throughout the event.”

For more information on the Greater Manchester School Games, click here.