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Youth Sport Trust Inclusion Innovation2019-2020

Developed by: Liberty VennFree Thought Research Ltd.

Impact Case StudiesJuly 2020

Commitment to innovation

Youth Sport Trust (YST) is a children's charity working to ensure every

child enjoys the life changing benefits that come from play and sport.

Through their work and a network of Lead Inclusion Schools based in

every county across England they pioneer school centered innovation

to develop new approaches and best practice that in turn will improve

the quality and breadth of opportunities for all young people.

Over the past three years dedicated inclusion innovation projects have

supported an improved understanding of how to support (amongst

other audiences) young people with profound and multiple learning

disabilities (PMLD) and young people with autism or perceived to be

on the autistic spectrum. Teaching practitioners have been given the

resources and crucially the opportunity, to test and develop new

approaches designed to enhance young people’s experience of PE,

school sport and physical activity and to explore how schools can

ensure positive transitions for young people with Special Educational

Needs and Disabilities (SEND). Key insights from these projects have

been shared widely.

2019-2020 projects

In the academic year 2019-2020 YST sought to explore two new

approaches and to further its understanding of a third. Three distinct

groups of young people would be invited to participate in these

programmes, but it was anticipated that insights around effective

practice would have broad relevance. As previously referenced,

practitioner empowerment was a key attribute of all three projects.

A brief outline of each of these projects follows: intended and actual

delivery (where this was impacted by COVID-19) and a summary of

key learnings that can be applied by practitioners.

INCLUSION INNOVATION 2019-2020

02

03

Applications of virtual reality for young people with specialeducational needs and disabilities (SEND)

1

Engaging Alternative Provision including hospital schools, pupilreferral units and Social Emotional Mental Health (SEMH) schoolsthrough PE and school sport.

2

Find Your Tribe for girls with autism or perceived to be on theautistic spectrum3


1.Applications of virtual reality for youngpeople with SEND (Year 1)Lyfta technology offers young people the opportunity to engage with

immersive ‘story worlds’ whilst remaining in the familiar security of their

own setting. The platform has proven popular with SEND schools across

the UK who see the opportunity to widen the exposure and experiences

of the young people they support (cultural capital).

YST partnered with Lyfta in September 2019 to test the potential for

supporting young people with SEND in sport via digital applications.

This may or may not be a precursor to that young person experiencing

an aspect of sport in real life: the opportunity is not yet fully scoped and

understood but may be of interest to staff whose young people do not

engage (or are unable to do so).

Through funding administered via Sport England as part of the National

Lottery, three YST Lead Inclusion Schools were able to pioneer

innovation and provide capacity to deliver this project.

Two of the three schools were unable to progress beyond initial planning

due to closures forced by COVID-19, though one school did have some

opportunity to test the tool. Post lockdown, however, a further 53 schools

have undertaken training and initial scoping activities, responding to the

potential for the tool to support virtual learning. Feedback from all staff

is included in Case Study One.


04

2.Engaging Alternative Provision in theSchool GamesThis innovation project sought to address the specific needs of

secondary age young people attending alternative education provision

(APs) such as SEMH, hospital schools and pupil referral units. Amongst

this audience approximately 80% of young people may have SEND and

may find it very difficult to engage with physical activity. There is

considerable practitioner interest in initiatives that may help address

this need and that might enable students to attend School Games

events.

The programme adopted the same student-led approach taken by

schools undertaking the core Find Your Tribe project and invited

young people to voice how they would like to shape the delivery of

physical activity in their setting.

Four academic settings delivered the programme in in 2018-2019 via

the Lead Inclusion School network. In 2019-2020 a further four

settings were selected to be involved after an application process, whilst

those from Year One continued. Funding provided via Sport England

from the National Lottery sought to meet any additional staff costs, to

support the delivery of any dedicated activities and to build legacy.

Planned video case studies were prevented due to COVID-19, however

a series of illustrations depicting key insights arising from the project

have been developed in partnership with researchers at Loughborough

University. These will be circulated by YST as a standalone resource

and are included here in Case Studies 2-4 along with an overview of

activity in three settings.


05

3.Find Your Tribe for girls with autism(Year 2) Following its prior success and wider engagement amongst lead staff,

the core Find Your Tribe programme continued in 2019-2020 via

nine lead inclusion practitioners.

Through funding provided via the Sport England Education grant,

each school was able to support the engagement of four girls in their

own setting plus one or more partner schools where the girls are, or

are perceived to be, on the autistic spectrum.

Some of the strengths identified in 2018-2019 included the power of

student voice and the value of student empowerment plus its positive

impact on girls’ relationships and self-esteem and on their

engagement in physical activity. The 2019-2020 project sought to

build on these and further understand the experiences of participating

girls.

COVID-19 halted projects in most settings before staff had had an

opportunity to implement any of the findings falling out of their

Focus On Me* discussions with girls. Notwithstanding that, in every

case both girls and staff gained considerably from these earliest stages

of the programme. Impacts and learnings are detailed in Case Studies

5 to 8, towards the end of this document.

*The Focus on Me pilot project was led by the Youth Sport Trust, as part of the Sport

Empowers Disabled Youth (SEDY) project. Focus on Me aimed to develop and pilot

a cross-cultural, easyto-use guidance document on how to deliver inclusive focus

groups to attain the authentic views, wishes and feelings of a child or young person

with Special Education Needs or Disabilities (SEND) about the demand and supply

of sport and physical activity in their local area.

http://www.hva.nl/binaries/content/assets/subsites/urban-vitality/kc-

fbsv/assets_1/kracht-van-sport/sedy-project/focus-on-me-sedy-inclusive-focus-

group-guidance_april-2017-final.pdf?1492766530660


06

Flexibility and focus on iterative learning are both key to the nature of

innovation and were clearly evident in this year's findings. With thanks to

the following lead inclusion staff whose work yielded insights from both

planning stage and early delivery: Rachel Hutchinson, SGO and Inclusion

Lead for Buckinghamshire; Gill Newlyn, Inclusion Coordinator for Essex;

Linda Stacey, School Games Organiser for West Yorkshire; Jon White,

Inclusion Lead and YST Development Coach for Merseyside; Marion

Coram Ware, YST Inclusion lead and Advisory Teacher for PE (SEN)

and Dance, Enfield; Mark Needham, Inclusion Lead, SGO and YST

Development Coach for London; Ryan Lloyd, Assistant Head (AP); Fran

Nichol, School Games Organiser and Inclusion lead for North Yorks

Acknowledgements

Case study 5 (p19) Ensure gains from the outset

Case study 6 (p21) Dig deep to understand needs

Case study 7 (p23) Peer leadership

Case study 8 (p25) Wider applications

Case study 2 (p13) A staged approach

Case study 3 (p15) New activity in a familiar setting

Case study 4 (p16) Cascade responsibility

Online resource inspires offline activityCase study 1 (p7)

Case study index

Initial teacher responses to Lyfta were hugely positive: staff could immediately see the

classroom applications and likely benefits to their pupils (though some did note that it

might be too complex for young people with significant needs). There was appetite to

progress, though training expectations prevented a number of staff from continuing to

delivery.

On sight of the platform, staff from West Lea Campus suggested a changed approach to

that planned: to use the immersive experience to prompt and help curate offline physical

activity. Many of their students are from Somalia; the opportunity for them to immerse

within an African village setting was of interest and prompted a cross-curricular exploration

of life for young children living there which did result in offline extension work.

Applications of virtual reality: Year 107

Marion Coram Ware is a YST inclusion lead and Advisory Teacher for PE (SEN) and Dance

within the Enfield PE Team. Together with Paula Felgate, Enfield PE Team Manager, she

submitted a proposal to test the Lyfta platform across six London special schools with an

expectation that the immersive story-telling aspect of the product would support young

people with autism’s understanding of different roles in sport (e.g. a football goalie).

Case study: online resource inspires offline activity

Phase One: Background

Pre COVID-19 planning stage

Further exploration of the benefits of virtual reality resources will help practitioners to

understand the potential for the tool to support engagement with physical activity offline.

Staff support with navigation around the setting helped young people with

SLD to interact most fully

Classroom-based participation was highly inclusive: settings were of real

interest to young people and supported spin off activities

Interactions were diverse and cross curricular: students made footballs out of

carrier bags and planed a weaving activity (Design Technology links)

Lack of familiarity with inclusive PE design limited the extent to which staff

could translate experiences into planned offline PE activities.

DELIVERY EXPERIENCES

Include familiar settings (e.g. a school playground) suitable forthose unable to access abstract material

Permit virtual (remote) training

Aim resources at children and young people with severelearnng difficulties

Provide teachers with ample opportunity to access and browse

Provide lesson plans that support interaction and make linkswith offline inclusive activities.

Find Your Tribe PRU Year 1

Initial staff recommendations to support widest use

From the physical activity perspective the material has brilliant potential.

Chris [a Teaching Assistant] picked up on the opportunity to make footballs

but didn't know how to get this activity translated into seated volleyball.


The Lyfta platform has been further tested during COVID-19 as schools have

increasingly sought out more virtual methods of delivery. A further 53 settings (both

special schools and SEND departments of mainstream schools) signed up to

participate in a streamlined training package and gain access to the platform in May

2020. This revised package included lesson plans developed by YST in conjunction

with Lyfta in order to support teacher planning and cross-curricular benefit.

Response following the closure of schools due to COVID-19

Schools that signed up to be trained in and test the Lyfta platform in May-June

2020 were drawn to its potential to support both virtual learning and assemblies for

their pupils, whether immediately or longer-term. It was perceived to offer

significant value within the context of both a potential 'recovery curriculum' and in

helping young people to understand and engage with the United Nations' seventeen

sustainable development goals.

The following insights arose from two webinars conducted amongst staff following

training and initial planning phases. They signal practitioner intent to use the

platform from September and multiple perceived benefits to young people of

differing abilities.


Phase Two: Wider testing

1. Practitioners see inherent value in empowering young people to self-navigate

around the platform. They would like children to 'discover', to report their findings

and "let them tell me what they find".

2. Staff identified multiple teaching opportunities that supported discussion

around self, family, community and mental health. They perceived that guided

discussion prompted by the immersive settings will mean that young people will

develop confidence, empathy and self-belief. Also that learning about different

cultures will impact their understanding of both themselves and others.

I would really like to see if it can develop confidence in our pupils with special

educational needs to access new opportunities.

With the new RSHE curriculum having a focus come September, there is no

better time to really push for these values and skills to be at the forefront of

many sessions.

Empowerment

Sense of self

Neil Dawson, Wilson Stuart School, Birmingham

Chloe O'Kane, Paddock School, Wandsworth

Discuss community and compassion(one of four school values)

Dinner Time 360: Habiba's Home:consider how dinner time compares totheir own experiences of family

Interactive food group session:children explore different ingredients



Emotional First aid SDG 3: strategiesto promote good mental health

Lyfta provides an outstanding opportunity to support learning beyond

the classroom and has the potential to inspire today's learners to become

active and engaged citizens of tomorrow.

Poverty in relation to resources for sport: look at regions where schools and

young people have to be resourceful

Gender equality through equal participation for both genders and encouraging

and promoting #ThisGirlCan.

Peace, justice and strong institutions through mutual respect in lessons, shaking

hands/three cheers/clapping opposition after games

3. Multiple teaching links were noted to enable PE and the school sport offer to

introduce the United Nations' sustainable development goals and global values to

young people. In the first instance teachers would introduce students to key

concepts via video and discussion and reinforce through offline reminders,

vocabulary re-cap and activities.

Multiple relevant links with PE were noted. These include amongst them:

Links with global values

PE and sports are engaging and interactive sessions where many children are

at their most alert, hence using these sessions to really improve our children's

understanding of the world around them is vital. Chloe O'Kane, Paddock School, Wandsworth

Allen Tsui, Willow Brook Primary London


4. Practitioners noted the likely positive impact of the platform on the young

people they support, and its ability to allow them to access people and places they

are otherwise unable to experience. The visual richness of the tool is deemed

inspirational, as is its ability to give children a wider appreciation of the world and

to broaden horizons. One respondent noted that Lyfta may be of particular

relevance to those young people whose independence is compromised due to

COVID-19.

In general teachers felt that their pupils would be able to access the platform,

though those with significant needs may require support with more abstract

content, with reading or with navigation.

Pupils can understand different cultures and we can bring the world to them.

Hopefully it will allow some independence when exploring.

Aspirational

Practitioners whose young people have more significant needs noted the potential

value of dedicated accompanying SEND resources such as story boards, widget

symbols and play based activities.

Iain Mills, The Parkside School, Norwich


5. One practitioner who supports young people in Years 12 and 13 noted their lack

of routine and understanding around self-care, particularly with regards to physical

well-being. This group in particular would suffer from a lack of activity structure

post school. Lyfta provides tools to support student understanding of the value of

physical activity in their lives and of routine.

They're leaving school in 12 months and need direction re. the rest of their

lives. They have more physical difficulties than anything: if they aren’t in the

routine of doing [physio] they will miss it

Support life skills

COVID-19 accelerated a refined training process and accompanying lesson plans.

With funding secure for an extended pilot in 2020-2021 staff will be able to

establish the actual impact of the platform on young people of varying abilities.

Conclusion

Self expression

6. Lyfta is perceived as having value in the context of a recovery / welcome back

curriculum where it is anticipated that young people may need to express some of

their experiences physically as well as through other mediums. Where a school

may be unable to gather for a wider assembly, Lyfta can be used across the

community to ensure collective experience. Most schools take a cross-curricular

approach to much of their teaching; respondents note the wide ranging relevance

of Lyfta content to many topics.

Depth of learning

7. Lyfta offers cultural capital, at a time when young people (and particularly some

of those with profound needs) are unable to access the widest range of cross-

curricular experience. Staff note even prior to the advent of COVID-19 poverty of

experience was common amongst many of their SEND children. Lyfta can help to

address this and help young people to view themselves as global citizens.

Matt Connor, Paddock School,Wandsworth

Willow Tree Primary School's* innovation project invited two alternative education

providers to participate: a secondary pupil referral unit (PRU) in Hounslow and a social,

emotional and mental health (SEMH) school in Ealing, West London. Neither setting had

previously participated in the School Games: each has a relatively high student turnover

and it had been difficult to engage leadership concerned about their pupils' ability to cope

within a competitive setting, to work as a team or to deal with new social situations. It was

hoped that a positive experience via the innovation project might lend itself to wider

engagement with the school amongst all alternative education providers (APs).

Young representatives from each school explored their experiences of PE and were invited

to shape a preferred offer. Structured discussion supported young people’s ability to

contribute without conflict: each was asked to pick their top activities from a much longer

list, all results being combined to create a ‘consensus’ pyramid.

The chance to scope a project that might enable their students to participate in an activity

outside their setting appealed to both providers. Emphasis was placed on the student-led

nature of the project and the opportunity for staff to gain greater insight into both which

activities young people were drawn towards and their preferred delivery style.

Case study: a staged approach

Background

The value of anticipation

The value of giving young people the chance to succeed, with potential for a project to

develop further once confidence has grown.

Trust in the lead member of staff was essential in supporting this openness and

was also what young participants sought from teachers.

The Head of PE was able to get them to open up

their feelings and emotions over a two min. window.

They really expressed how they felt. Then they

realised what they'd done and the walls came up.

Participants were encouraged to create apyramid of preferences

Engaging Alternative Provision inthe School Games

13

*YST Inclusion School for West London

Feel trapped in school

Want to be trusted

Want to visit new places

Want to take part in sport off-site

Want to compete

Feelings and ambitions

Older students: pupil referral unit

The three PRU participants were members of

the school’s sports committee, picked for

their ability to reflect on provision for their

peers (and potentially influence them).

Dodgeball and tennis came out strongly for

this group, who also opened up about their

desire to take part in sport off-site.

Tennis was selected, with the opportunity to

compete off-site a long-term ambition.

Planned activityAn on-site tennis programme run by an external coach

Informal opportunities for peer leadership integrated within each session

Potential for an off-site inclusive competition.

Younger children: SEMH schoolSix SEMH school participants picked martial arts, dodgeball and athletics as their

preferred activities. Dodgeball was perceived to be fun, have credibility and be

‘easy’ i.e. naturally inclusive, whilst martial arts to be aspirational. Most had had

some experience of athletics and were drawn to its individual nature, which staff

also noted might be most appropriate for these younger children. Successful

activity over a period of weeks might permit progession to a local track plus peer

leadership opportunities.

Athletics sessions run by a GB coach with a background in occupationaltherapy and mental health. Weekly session with a warm-up and drill routine that children can co-leadStructured and professional: build aspirationsPlanned progression to a local trackPotential for the group to run a session with another class

Planned activity

The Coach will lead it but C [a pupil] 'wears the tracksuit' - they feel like they

are doing a professional warm up.

Engaging Alternative Provision in theSchool Games

14

Meadowbrook College comprises four alternative education providers (APs) in Oxfordshire that

collectively offer varied support for young people of all ages with social and emotional needs.

Located across Oxford, Banbury, Kidlington and Abingdon, it provides full and part-time

education and support to over 150 aged 5-16 students who are excluded from, or are finding it

difficult to fully access, their mainstream schools. Young people attending these settings have a

high degree of emotional need and low self-esteem: the schools have no uniform and offer

considerable opportunities for individual responsibility e.g. through cooking for their peers.

A virtual rowing event across the campuses was decided upon, with the concept developed further

by a group of Y10 and Y11 students. All bought into the opportunity to compete within their setting

and across the other three, to gain a skill and develop physical fitness. They responded positively to

a new activity within a familiar setting but noted that ‘rowing on a river’ would have been too much

of a challenge. There was buy-in to both personal challenges and inter-setting challenges, though

staff sought to keep this informal and enjoyable rather than reinforce existing silos.

Case study: new activity in a familiar setting

Background


Young people within a pupil referral unit (PRU) demonstrate their capacity to try an

unfamiliar activity when presented within a familiar context.

We are going to try ‘my personal best’ and ‘around the world’ competitions.

Be a little bit competitive but not just in their bases. They don't normally

have a chance to compete against one another

Delivery was halted due to COVID-19, though is hoped to be reinstated in September 2020.

The positive response of young people to trialing a new activity has already seeded confidence

in their capacity for wider engagement next academic year.

Virtual

rowing Event!!

Offer something fresh and not generic

Ensure inclusivity

Bring young people together across the four sites

Address silos

Support a sense of identity

Permit some informal competition

Encourage girls to use the gym

Explore impact via a QCA* social and emotional survey

Engaging Alternative Provision in theSchool Games15

*Qualifications and Curriculums Authority

Mowbray Special School led this innovation project for North Yorkshire, running it for the

North Yorks Inclusive Sports Partnership which comprises special schools, pupil referral

units, residential behavioural schools and hospital schools across a large and rural area.

Six settings in the region were invited to participate: five pupil referral units (PRUs) and one

social, emotional and mental health (SEMH) residential school.

Key to this project was to educate staff and the school in each setting about available

opportunities and to directly address barriers to participation. Fran, the Inclusion Lead

liaised with each setting directly, to explore their concerns and to share details of activities

designed to support young people with behavioural difficulties. These included an RAF

Fitness Day, Football and Badminton Day and a Tchoukball event.

Case study: cascade responsibility

Background


Educate, inspire and give settings responsibility to cascade knowledge and deliver events

within their own settings in order to ensure a sustainable model.

We’ve advocated small numbers: told them that two pupils is fine and

reiterated that that's what other settings are doing.

Low awareness of events due to staff turnover

Low level of repeat student participation

Concerns re. required resource

Lack of staff confidence taking young people off site

Restrictive interpretation of 'teams'

Lack of benefit understanding.

BARRIERS TO PARTICIPATIONWe’ve emphasised

through story-telling

the benefits to a

young person.

Many of the staff have come from mainstream settings where bringing

two pupils to an event would not be possible.


Unfamiliar, accessible activities

for parity.

Limit social interaction: be

realistic about what young people

can achieve together.

Relevance to young people's

interests and contexts.

Involve staff as role models.

Encourage inter-school

competitions.

Give schools responsibility for

working with other settings.

Give young people a chance to

succeed.

The RAF Fitness day had a significant impact on participating students. Forty-four

young people attended from six settings including two PRUs and four schools for

students with moderate learning difficulties. Young people attending knew a lot about

the base and were highly engaged: many have parents in the services and view the

military as a potential exit route after school. RAF staff running the day proved

excellent role models and strong leaders who sustained motivation and interest

throughout.

A separate event incentivised young people to try a new sport (badminton) with the

promise of a subsequent game of football.

Enable students to represent

their school in small numbers.

Find Your Tribe PRU Year 1Programme delivery

Key to sustainability

The outcome will come at the end of the year. Instruction to the partnership is

to set up inter school competitions between themselves. I've asked them all to

take responsibility.



Engaging Alternative Provision inthe School Games18

In tandem with written case studies, YST commissioned a series of illustrated cards to

share the stories and experiences of young people attending Alternative Provision in

PE and school sport. These cards share key insights and are a positive tool to generate

wider discussion, debate and engagement. Each card features a key illustration plus

conversation starters that have been created with young people. They can be used with

discrete groups or as a lesson planning and reflection tool by practitioners. YST will

make these cards available as physical resources through its national network of YST

Lead Inclusion Schools.

Bringing learnings to life

Alfriston School in Buckinghamshire ran this innovation project for a second year in 2019-

2020, seeking to support the greatest benefit to every girl from the outset. Specifically the

Inclusion Lead sought to focus on those aspects of design that built trust in order to help

girls step out of their comfort zone more rapidly.

Case study: Ensure gains from the outset

Background


Rachel Hutchinson, SGO Bucks

How a lead inclusion practitioner applied year on year insight to support development and

growth amongst students from the very start of their innovation project.

Student voice is a key element of Find Your Tribe. Contributions in focus groups shape the

design of subsequent activity whilst the sessions build a sense of being valued and

empowered. Year Two sought to ensure these sessions were more relevant and powerful

for participating girls. For this a sense of pride at having been selected was critical.

Year 1 was such a success. Girls still speak of their ‘tribe’, despite fears,

hostility or low confidence presenting numerous barriers when we began. I

wanted to address these barriers upfront and help them get the most from

the programme from the very start.

Familiarity with the project and with the role of student voice in project design enabled a

differentiated approach from the outset. Though the programme was cut short by school

closures due to COVID-19, useful delivery insights and impacts had already been noted.

Student hostility

'Why me?' questions

Fear of contributing

Resentment at missing other lessons

Social difficulties

Lack of buy in to planned activities

Challenges faced in Year One New approaches in Year TwoImproved explanation upfront

Higher profile activity

Greater SLT engagement

Personal invitations to students

Class visits to students from lead staff

Prior exploration of student interests

“F was visibly uncomfortable in the group. Covering her PE lesson was a

defining moment for me. Using the Chateez cards I discovered the one thing she

likes to do out of school. She could write her answers on the Chateez card.”

Find Your Tribe Year 219

Whilst schools remain closed due to COVID-19, the Inclusion Lead hopes to contact girls

to remind them of planned activities and their role in shaping these. Those that took

part in Year 1 draw considerable self-esteem from participation and it is hoped that early

success in building rapport with Year 2’s cohort will have had a similarly positive impact.

One of the girls was nervous and cried. It was a bit overwhelming for her. She

left the room with a Teaching Assistant and was able to explain her emotion

via the Chateez cards. She needed the safety of the member of staff.”

School year 2020-2021

Practical ways to build trust

Consultation from

the outset

- Use Year 1 girls as ambassadors

- Ensure plenty of notice for the first group

- Ensure teaching staff can ready each girl

- Involve trusted staff members in group facilitation

- Be consistent: style, environment, expectation

Manage expectations

I went to speak to one girl before the group. She’d relayed her nerves to her

pastoral tutor. She knew who I was and had been told what it was about but

wondered ‘why me?’.

- Explain to young people why they have been chosen

- Build prior rapport 1:1 with individuals

- Use Chateez cards to explore concerns

- Anticipate anxiety about other girls

- Discover girls’ preferences outside school

They were worried about the people they’re going with. ‘Will I be liked?’

‘What will they be like?’ ‘Are they nice miss? Are they like us?

- Anticipate and allow negativity [“I don’t want…”]

- Use visual cues to seed ideas

- Use structured activities to maintain social boundaries

- Group similar ideas & seek consensus

Manage group dynamics

G’s social and emotional needs present in quite a challenging way and trust

was paramount in overcoming her sometimes hostile behaviour.”


Jon White is the Inclusion Lead and Youth Sport Trust Development Coach for Merseyside,

based at Clare Mount Specialist Sports College. An action research approach to Find Your

Tribe in Year 1 allowed his school to identify anomalies in students’ response to the offer

and to explore how a refined model in Year 2 could address these.

The team’s findings revealed clear correlation between those that stand to gain most from

physical activity and those that are hardest to reach. This insight gave them confidence in

Year 2 to commit to investing in effective working relationships with these young people.

Case study: Dig deep to understand needs

Background

An ethnographic approach to seeking student opinion

Jon White, Inclusion Lead for Merseyside

Recognition that there are multiple potential ‘tribes’ for any young person with SEND

supported an ethnographic approach for one inclusion lead that sought to elicit opinion

from the most hard to reach students.

A nuanced approach was used in Year Two to

gather student perspectives and maximise

engagement with Find Your Tribe.

This was of particular value in mainstream

settings where young people with autism were

found more likely to mask their behaviour and

struggle to explain what they needed. Staff in

these settings were also found to have fewer

strategies to support young people with SEND.

They find it hardest to find their tribe.

“We put on dodgeball sessions &

they came to all of them. We put

on trials for football & they came.

But they wouldn’t come to PE.”

We took a five strand approach designed to reach the least engaged. Our

priority was to build rapport and to support young people's ability to share

their interests and preferences.

“Present a few different tribes.

Girls say they’re not good at

football etc, but staff don’t know

she’s a national gymnast!”


The influence of cohort opinion was noted, itself partly a

product of the role that visual learning plays for young people

with autism. It was noted that one student’s appetite for and

participation in, a specific activity, could positively influence

previous rejectors to try the same. Improved explanation of

the benefits of a sport was seen to have a similar impact.

Five strands of supported communication

"Get on young

people's

wavelength"

SENCOs remained involved throughout and senior leaders

were invited to attend focus groups (or even run them). This

had the double benefit of raising the profile of participating

students and embedding senior leader understanding of the

positive impacts of sport for young people with SEND.

"Involve SENCOs

& SLT"

'Wavelength’ was understood to be a key influencer in

understanding hard to reach students. Staff worked with

SENCOs and support teachers to secure participant attendance

at focus groups and to build early rapport.

Chateez cards, verbal cues and InPrint 3* were used to good

effect but stated preferences were always probed. Assumptions

were avoided, and every student’s perspective drawn out.

Alternatives to the standard offer were presented to

understand not just preferred activity type but preferred

delivery model, staff and timings.

"Welcome and

support honest

responses."

"Note the power of

cohort influence."

Identification of girls’ wider hobbies and interests enabled the

team to present new ideas for consideration. The popularity of

Manga and Star Wars amongst the girls prompted the team to

offer combat club, which later morphed into fencing, karate,

judo and taekwondo.

"Use girls' personal

interests to scaffold

discussion."

In future teachers should ensure they state how the PE lesson is beneficial for

the students and how it improves and develops their health and other skills.

Tiarna Bithell, Liverpool John Moores Univesity undergraduate (in a research capacity)


*designed personalised symbols

Jon White is the Inclusion Lead and Youth Sport Trust Development Coach for Merseyside,

based at Clare Mount Specialist Sports College. An action research approach to Find Your

Tribe in Year 1 allowed his school to identify anomalies in students’ response to the offer

and to explore how a refined model in Year 2 could address these.

The team’s findings revealed clear correlation between those that stand to gain most from

physical activity and those that are hardest to reach. This insight gave them confidence in

Year 2 to commit to investing in effective working relationships with these young people.

Case study: Dig deep to understand needs

Background

An ethnographic approach to seeking student opinion

Jon White, Inclusion Lead for Merseyside

Recognition that there are multiple potential ‘tribes’ for any young person with SEND

supported an ethnographic approach for one inclusion lead that sought to elicit opinion

from the most hard to reach students.

A nuanced approach was used in Year Two to

gather student perspectives and maximise

engagement with Find Your Tribe.

This was of particular value in mainstream

settings where young people with autism were

found more likely to mask their behaviour and

struggle to explain what they needed. Staff in

these settings were also found to have fewer

strategies to support young people with SEND.

They find it hardest to find their tribe.

“We put on dodgeball sessions &

they came to all of them. We put

on trials for football & they came.

But they wouldn’t come to PE.”

We took a five strand approach designed to reach the least engaged. Our

priority was to build rapport and to support young people's ability to share

their interests and preferences.

“Present a few different tribes.

Girls say they’re not good at

football etc, but staff don’t know

she’s a national gymnast!”


The influence of cohort opinion was noted, itself partly a

product of the role that visual learning plays for young people

with autism. It was noted that one student’s appetite for and

participation in, a specific activity, could positively influence

previous rejectors to try the same. Improved explanation of

the benefits of a sport was seen to have a similar impact.

Five strands of supported communication

"Get on young

people's

wavelength"

SENCOs remained involved throughout and senior leaders

were invited to attend focus groups (or even run them). This

had the double benefit of raising the profile of participating

students and embedding senior leader understanding of the

positive impacts of sport for young people with SEND.

"Involve SENCOs

& SLT"

'Wavelength’ was understood to be a key influencer in

understanding hard to reach students. Staff worked with

SENCOs and support teachers to secure participant attendance

at focus groups and to build early rapport.

Chateez cards, verbal cues and InPrint 3* were used to good

effect but stated preferences were always probed. Assumptions

were avoided, and every student’s perspective drawn out.

Alternatives to the standard offer were presented to

understand not just preferred activity type but preferred

delivery model, staff and timings.

"Welcome and

support honest

responses."

"Note the power of

cohort influence."

Identification of girls’ wider hobbies and interests enabled the

team to present new ideas for consideration. The popularity of

Manga and Star Wars amongst the girls prompted the team to

offer combat club, which later morphed into fencing, karate,

judo and taekwondo.

"Use girls' personal

interests to scaffold

discussion."

In future teachers should ensure they state how the PE lesson is beneficial for

the students and how it improves and develops their health and other skills.

Tiarna Bithell, Liverpool John Moores Univesity undergraduate (in a research capacity)


*designed personalised symbols

Due to COVID-19 the Inclusion Lead based at Davenant Foundation School in Essex (Gill

Newlyn) was unable to fully deliver her innovation project. However planning with

partner schools yielded insights that will influence both her own future activity and those

of her peers in other settings.

The three mainstream partner secondary schools involved in this project already offer

inclusive sports provision and (separately) employ student voice within their sports

planning (e.g. via a Sports Council). To Gill's knowledge however, young people with

SEND hadn’t previously been asked to help shape their PE offer or delivery.

It was anticipated that a student led approach to shaping a meaningful offer would yield a

range of potential benefits for girls with SEND.

Case study: Wider applications

The impacts of Student Voice

How plans with staff in partner schools for dedicated focus groups for young people with

SEND raised wider awareness of the potential impact of Student Voice.

So often they are out on a limb in terms of activities. Sport might be the by-

product of an activity that helps them to achieve in their everyday life

Background

Gill Newlyn, Inclusion Coordinator for Essex

I'm understood:New social

opportunities

I belong:Teachers

believe in me

I'm known:I can reveal my

real interests

I feel valued: I've something

to offer


Looking ahead to the next academic year Gill is optimistic that initial conversations

with staff in the three targeted schools have seeded positive thinking around the value

of student voice with particular regard to young people with autism.

Direct contact including a phone call with every special

educational needs coordinator (SENCO) at the three targeted

schools had an immediate impact on interest and take up:

One SENCO noted one particular girl who might need encouragement to express

her opinion but whose successful participation would result in considerable

attachment to the outcome.

Staff warmed to the assumption that physical activity can be designed to meetthe needs and interests of every young person.

Staff responses to the concept of Focus on Me

They acknowledged that the core audience for Find Your Tribe does not havea voice within the school Sports Council.

It was recognised that positioning and selection criteria of Find Your Tribe totargeted girls was important if they were to want to participate.

All SENCOs approached were immediately able to

identify girls that might benefit from the programme.

For one practitioner Find Your Tribe struck a chord as

something she had wanted to do for a while: give students

a chance to influence their own activities.

I find this at primary: that we’ve got some students who would love to do what

we’re offering but their parents wonder why their child would be singled out.

Most of the time we can overcome this.

People have embraced how it could go and where this could lead


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