BBC Children's and Education, the Premier League and ParalympicsGB have come together to launch Super Movers for Every Body, using the inspiration of top-flight football and talented athletes to engage disabled children and those with special educational needs in sport and physical activity.
Primary school teachers across the UK will be able to register for a free equipment pack through the Premier League Primary Stars programme, an initiative funded by the Premier League and delivered by the Leeds United Foundation. The equipment pack will help coaches and teaching staff deliver inclusive sports activity for all students aged five to 11, with each pack containing a range of equipment and resource cards designed to facilitate various fun activities, such as blind football, para-athletics and boccia.
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.
Teachers and parents can also access a whole host of other exciting free online curriculum-linked resources on BBC Teach. This includes Super Movers for Every Body follow-along films featuring CBBC stars, ParalympicsGB athletes and football club mascots, as well as other downloadable activities to get children moving.
Helen Foulkes, Head of BBC Education, said: “We’re thrilled to launch the next phase of Super Movers, now joined by ParalympicsGB alongside the Premier League in our partnership. 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.”
David Clarke, CEO of ParalympicsGB and England’s all-time leading goal scorer in blind football, said: “This powerful campaign, featuring a host of ParalympicsGB stars and delivered in partnership with BBC Children’s and Education and the Premier League, will help ensure no primary school age pupil will be left on the sidelines during PE lessons.
“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.
“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.”
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.
More information can be found at: www.bbc.co.uk/supermovers