Schools at the Academy
Staff and Pupils from Hungerford School in Crewe
How long have schools been involved at the Academy?
The Cheshire Academy has for many years worked closely with a number of local special schools and units, since 1994 within Cheshire and North Staffordshire.
How are Schools involved at the Academy?
Special Needs classes are brought, and pupils are given the opportunity to learn about a whole range of sports including Athletics, Boccia, Gymnastics and Table Tennis. In some cases children are brought during school time to access sport in general, or to follow a structured programme which closely mirrors school curricular specifications.
In some instances staff from the Academy can travel into particular schools and organise sports directly
What sort of disabilities are catered for?
Children with a whole range of disabilities access the Academy in this manner. We have children with cerebral palsy, downs syndrome, williams syndrome, ADD and ADHD, children who are wheelchair users, children wiith hearing and visual difficulties, and children with learning disabilities.
Teachers find that the Academy provides them with a whole range of ideas and programmes that they can utilise within their own school programmes.
Children with more profound disabilities can take part in our 'Motor Activities Programme'. This is specifically geared to encourage children with profound physical or learning difficulties engage in activities which have been individually specifically designed round a particular childs abilities, not their disabilities.
Workshops and Courses for Teachers
Staff at the Academy also run courses for teachers and professionals demonstrating how children with disabilities can be integrated into class sports activities. We provide ideas which can help mainstream and non mainstream children work together and show how sports can be modified so that they are fully inclusive.
We also run workshops which cover the coaching of all skills and activities included in the Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 gymnastics syllabus
How to contact us
If your school or unit would like to know more about the work of the Cheshire Academy or would be interested in us running any courses with respect to disability sport please feel free to contact us at cheshireacadem@aol.com.