VIDEO: Primary Boccia festival boosts confidence through fun & inclusion
Primary pupils from across Redhill Academy Trust enjoyed a day of fun, inclusion and healthy competition during the Trust’s Boccia Festival.
Boccia (pronounced bot-cha) is an inclusive indoor Paralympic sport, with no Olympic equivalent, that tests muscle and accuracy. It is a target ball game, played from the seated position.
Forty pupils from five schools came together for this unique experience, supported by Boccia England. It was a chance to be active and develop Boccia skills through a range of games and activities before competing against each other in a series of Boccia games.
The event was designed to raise the confidence levels of those children who attended, enabling them to keep practising their newly gained Boccia skills once back at school - and to help get more pupils in school playing.
VIDEO: Redhill Academy Trust Boccia Festival
Adam Douglas, Sports Development Officer for Redhill Academy Trust said: “The event was a great success. It provided 40 children with a chance to have fun playing a game they hadn’t played before.”
“We were lucky to have support from Boccia England and also Daniel, Dylan and Ben - student leaders from The Redhill Academy’s inclusive sports club. Not only did they demonstrate outstanding leadership and knowledge of the game, but they were also fantastic role models to the younger primary school children”.
The ‘Curriculum Plus’ programme operates in all schools across Redhill Academy Trust, promoting activities that widen students’ experiences. It includes opportunities to participate in sports clubs, the performing arts, trips abroad, cultural experiences and character-building challenges. These experiences help to develop young people’s self-confidence, build their resilience and feel a sense of belonging. They also challenge students to learn new skills and find a passion that they can take with them throughout their life.
Stacey Reed, People Development Manager at Boccia England, said: “We are pleased to have supported Redhill Academy Trust's schools boccia competition. Boccia England has been working closely with schools, colleges and universities around Nottingham and Nottinghamshire to develop the Big Boccia Conversation. To date, we have just over 40 people in the network, run a leaders course for 18 people. We are continuing to drive the network and encourage more people to play boccia.”