Youth Sport Trust

Woodlands has been mentioned in the recent YST magazine.

You can see the article here.

Inclusion School Status at Woodlands

Woodlands took on Project Ability status in 2011 which has since become known as Inclusion School status from 2016.  We work closely with the Youth Sport Trust and use small funding pots to massively increase the provision of Disability and Inclusion sports in Plymouth and surrounding areas.

We have seen improvements in children’s health and self-confidence and it has enabled us to provide new and exciting events like sailing regattas, climbing, water polo and boxing.

Project Ability and Plymouth

Close to a quarter of a million people live in Plymouth.

484 children per 10,000 have additional needs…compared to a National figure of 276 per 10,000.

A little of what we are doing… 

• We hold an annual SEND Water sports Regatta, using Hawk 20 sailing boats, canoe rafts, bell boats, gigs and wheelchair accessible boats, that is attended by around 20 Schools and this is also for children with low self-esteem and low self-confidence.
• We support regular Football for Primary and Secondary mainstream and special schools.
• We have set up a Project Ability Tennis Academy that sees young people from mainstream and special schools taking part in Tennis coaching at a local racket club with a disability tennis coach.
• We run regular Boccia competition and as this sport has increased in popularity we have arranged and run CPD in mainstream and special schools to develop more clubs and to increase the participation at the events.
• Project Ability Water Polo sessions
• Schools can access specialist coaches and clubs for Tennis, Swimming, Seated Volleyball, Climbing, Basketball, Table Cricket, Polybat, Boccia, Diving and Athletics.
• Project Ability Sitting Volleyball
• Project Ability Swimming takes place every Tuesday morning.
• Inclusive CPD Training took place in 5 special schools for over 400 of the workforce. National Disability Coaches delivered inclusive sports; Boccia, New Age Kurling, Table Cricket, Polybat and Disability Athletics with over 300 of the school workforce taking part.
• We attended the National 2015 Step into Sport camp in Loughborough.
• We were involved in the inclusive water sports competition formats.
• Were successful in our application to run an Innovation project with young people with EBD.
• We work closely with the Sport Development Unit at Plymouth City Council in collaborative projects to enable more young people with SEND to take part in sport and have supported young people to take part in activities including; Climbing, Sailing and Sno Tubing. 

Impact and our successes…

• Increased participation in sport and increased interest in sport (young people’s feedback and suggestions for what they would like activity wise).
• Promoting excellence in sport with a number of pupils being talent spotted and supported to compete at regional and national elvels as a result
• Increased events and opportunities for our young people to take part in sports and activities that are innovative and different from those they might access in curriculum time e.g. climbing and water polo
• We also introduced the Primary Ability Games in 2011 in conjunction with the local University’s Event Management Course and are seeing more and more young potential coming through the special schools and mainstream schools. This is now an annual event!
• Lots of our PA events get local TV coverage which is fantastic for schools and families.
• We ran a project with SOPD that got more young people playing Bowls.
• We run 4 specialsit sporting activity days a year on top of ongoing Level 2 competition.
• We encourage and support schools to continue to drive Level 1 competition.
• We are running County and Regional SiS camps to develop more young leaders including developing young leaders with SEND.
• We work alongside SGOs to ensure the Ability Games are inclusive.
• We attend the National Wheelpower Games annually.