ParalympicsGB calls for no child to be left on the sidelines with launch of Equal Play campaign

The Equal Play campaign comes off the back of a powerful documentary of the same name that was broadcast on Channel 4 on Monday 26 August. The film was produced by the Emmy award winning Harder Than You Think, creators of Rising Phoenix, the story of the Paralympic Games, and focuses on two children, Marley, a teenager from London whose life has been profoundly changed by sport; and Tammy, who struggles from barriers to physical activity at her school and experiences daily exclusion.

Watch Equal Play on Channel 4

The film follows both children as they are sidelined in school and demand their right to be treated equally in access to sports and PE. Marley discovers his confidence and social skills through boxing, while Tammy is inspired by ParalympicsGB star, Hannah Cockroft, to take up wheelchair racing and explore her competitive side on the racetrack.

ParalympicsGB is now calling on the UK Government to commit to ensuring every child has the same access to PE at school, rather than leaving them sidelined, with teachers explaining they struggle to deliver inclusive PE without the training, funding and the confidence to do so. With 1.5 million disabled children comprising 15% of the school population, the scale of the problem is huge.

Read our Equal Play Schools Sport Policy Paper

Research carried out by ParalympicsGB shows there are many reasons why disabled children are sidelined from PE at school. Solutions are complex but there are four areas that ParalympicsGB has identified where tangible change could be made to better support teachers and schools.

• Empower teachers with the right tools, understanding and resources to deliver truly inclusive PE.
• Adapt teacher training to ensure the next generation of teachers have the skills and confidence to deliver truly inclusive PE.
• Redefine how PE is seen within the school curriculum, ensuring it becomes a priority across the education system.
• Increase the number of disabled people entering the teaching profession.

Dave Clarke, Chief Executive of ParalympicsGB, said: “Sport and PE at school needs to be a statutory right for all children and the people delivering it need to have the support, education and training to deliver it inclusively. Play is fundamental to children’s happiness, allowing them to have fun whilst they develop motor skills, build confidence, and improve physical and mental health.”

“The launch of Equal Play, following the incredible film which highlights the issue so well, is a critical step in creating the necessary change that delivers on our mission for equal access to school sport for all disabled children.”

“As a sports team with a social purpose, ParalympicsGB will continue to celebrate our talented athletes competing at Paris 2024, while encouraging the UK Government to seize this unique opportunity to shift the dial so that by the LA 2028 Paralympic Games, no disabled child is left on the sidelines.”