Physical activity is a huge part of helping pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) to meet their potential.

Moving, wheeling, walking and even dancing can help pupils with social development, improve physical fitness and boost self-esteem, as well as offer an outlet to meet their sensory requirements and alleviate feelings of anxiety or stress.

In my previous role at The Bridge SEN School, we specialised in helping pupils with autism spectrum disorder to be active, as a large part of meeting their sensory needs often hinged upon it.

In my new school, Cherry Garden, I work with pupils with complex needs, including physical needs, and our curriculum aims for all children, whatever their starting point, to gain some independent movement and improve their engagement in the world around them.

Here’s how I work physical activity into my classroom:

Start with sensory circuits

These are a great way to include movement in the classroom and get pupils ready for the day. We set them up to incorporate three stages: alerting, organising and calming.

The aim of the alerting activities, such as bouncing on a trampoline or skipping, is to provide vestibular and proprioceptive stimulation within a controlled setting, which prepares the brain for learning.

Organising activities like balancing on a beam or playing catch can increase focus, attention span and performance within the classroom.

Finishing the circuit with calming activities, such as being rolled up in a blanket, supports the child in feeling calm, centred and ready for the day.

Get creative within the curriculum

We follow a play-based curriculum and encourage movement to be as creative and fun as possible, whether it’s having scooter races in the playground, or walking to the supermarket together to buy ingredients for cooking.

We have whole-body sessions to encourage warming up the body by dancing before writing. We also have dough discos, using different techniques with playdough to improve hand dexterity, and our pupils explore sensory art insulations through movement and touch.

The more positive movement experiences our pupils have, the more easily we can extend their learning and skills, from being able to stand independently for longer during a play activity to being able to climb the stairs to go to a music lesson after having worked on this in PE.

Lead by example

Not every child has the fitness, strength or stamina to be active, meaning that motivation to move can be a challenge. This is when we as teachers can step up and inspire our pupils.

For example, I’ve used my training for the 2024 TCS London Marathon to encourage my pupils to talk about and engage in physical activity. I’m not the only one either; there are 14 other teachers in the Team TCS Teachers initiative, using their platform to act as agents of change in their communities and inspire their pupils to get excited about movement.

I’ve also seen some teachers using the Daily Mile (with 15 minutes allotted each day for pupils to run, walk or wheel 1.6 miles) or establishing a TCS Mini Marathon in their schools. Cherry Garden also has a dog walking club with Bentley the Labrador walking with pupils who might find it difficult to get out and about in the community.

Ultimately, my pupils are the ones who motivate and inspire me, and I will think of them - and their refusal to let obstacles get in their way - as I take on the 26.2 miles. I am running in memory of Malika, a pupil I worked with at The Bridge who sadly passed away in February.

Malika was five, she loved to dance, to be in the sensory room watching the bubble tube, and to feel the fibre optic lights. She was a little superstar, and I will be fundraising for new sensory equipment in her name.

Charlotte Jones is a teacher at Cherry Garden School and is running the 2024 TCS London Marathon in aid of sensory equipment for The Bridge Charity

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