Building Belonging
Sponsored by Outdoor Play and Learning (OPAL)
Awarded for excelling at creating a truly inclusive environment. It celebrates work that has successfully used PE, sport and play to engage and support young people, many of whom face varying complex challenges, in their education outside of a mainstream setting. We are particularly keen to see examples where improved belonging has positively affected young people's happiness, health, attendance, or engagement in learning.
Finalists
HIGHLY COMMENDED
Môn Actif, Anglesey
Môn Actif has created welcoming and inclusive opportunities which help children and young people across Anglesey feel they belong through physical education, sport and play. By working in early years settings, schools and local communities, the team has supported thousands of young people of different ages, backgrounds and abilities to become more active and confident.
Môn Actif support their young people facing challenges that may affect their participation, such as mental health concerns, caring responsibilities, bereavement, homelessness risk, trauma and substance misuse. Their Youth Referral Scheme provides 12 months of free access to leisure facilities for young people aged 11–17. In just one month, more than 60 young people were referred, helping those who were least active improve their wellbeing, confidence and motivation.
Strong partnerships help extend this impact. Work with Ysgol y Bont special school gives pupils regular opportunities to enjoy swimming, gymnastics, fitness activities and soft play in a safe and supportive environment. Inclusive sports camps give young people with disabilities equal opportunities to take part, supported by positive role models including Paralympic champion Sabrina Fortune. Additional Learning Needs camps and Deaf sports camps have also been introduced, supported by staff training in British Sign Language to improve communication and inclusion.
Môn Actif works closely with Disability Sport Wales through the Insport programme to support 17 local sports clubs in creating inclusive pathways from school sport into community participation. Weekly Insport sessions take place across the island, while funding investment has improved facilities and increased inclusive opportunities. Over 500 hours of holiday activities have been delivered this year, alongside outdoor programmes such as mountain biking adventures.
Feedback from school sport surveys shows clear improvements in young people’s happiness, attendance and engagement with learning. Despite challenges with rural transport, limited facilities and community trust, Môn Actif continues to create safe, inclusive spaces for their young people.
WINNER
Orchard Manor School, Devon
Orchard Manor School (OMS) is a special school for pupils aged 4–19 with communication and interaction needs, including autism. Following a difficult merger and an Inadequate Ofsted rating in 2020, the school began a journey of transformation through inclusive physical education (PE), sport and play.
As the Lead Inclusion School in Devon, OMS works with the Youth Sport Trust, the School Games network, and the local School Sports Partnership to implement inclusion frameworks and professional development to embed best practice.
Under the leadership of Head of PE Catherine Kilburn, inclusion shapes every aspect of the PE programme. She embodies the belief that PE is for everyone and as one colleague shared, “She makes everyone feel they belong.”
Every pupil takes part in at least one school activity each year, with student voice helping to shape opportunities. PE has become a powerful tool for developing confidence, friendships, resilience and a love of learning, helping pupils who often arrive disengaged from education to rediscover enjoyment and belonging.
Over five years, the PE team has developed a specialist, personalised curriculum ranging from sensory activities and fundamental movement skills to exam-level PE and leadership programmes. Pupils lead sporting events for organisations including Active Devon and Devon County Council SEND Team, gaining valuable life skills and confidence. The school also delivers inclusive sports festivals, welcoming hundreds of pupils from other schools and empowering young leaders to support and inspire their peers.
The impact has been significant. Behaviour incidents have reduced by over 40%, attendance has risen to 89.7% (above the national average for special schools), and more pupils are fully engaged in school life. In addition to student success, staff sense of belonging has also improved with a recent survey showing 87% of staff feel supported and 82% take pride in their role. The PE team’s “Just Do It” ethos has also inspired staff to embrace physical activity, and a weekly ‘Men’s Mental Health Coffee Club,’ provides staff with a space come together to support each other.
By removing barriers and creating opportunities for every young person to succeed, OMS have also achieved a Good Ofsted rating with Outstanding for Behaviour and Attitudes in 2024.
Full list of shortlisted entries:
- Orchard Manor School, Devon
- Môn Actif, Anglesey
- Manchester Hospital School, Manchester
- Limehurst Academy, Leicestershire
- Hill View Primary School, Oxfordshire
- Burnley High School, Burnley
- Norfolk PE, Norfolk
- St Michael and All Angels RC Primary School, Wirral
- Olive Academies, Essex