SEND and PE - it's time for change.

Welcome to the Changing Rooms blog and podcast, Season 2, Episode 2.

For this week’s blog and accompanying episode on The Changing Rooms Podcast and our YouTube channel, I am delighted to introduce you to Thomas Derbyshire. Thomas, a PE teacher and deputy SENDco, is an expert in how to support SEND students in PE lessons.

Within the show, Thomas discusses the research regarding the best use of LSAs and TAs in PE lessons, his approach to teaching and his vision for the future of PE teaching. If you are a PE practitioner, this show is guaranteed to challenge you and to cause you to reflect on the assumptions that we all make and why we make them. 

Thomas is calling for change but, crucially, is calling for that change in a positive and inclusive framework that is highly achievable by any PE department. Within the show, Thomas gives advice and guidance on how to best utilise the time and expertise of LSA and TAs within PE lessons, including how to incorporate them into the planning and reflection cycle of teaching and learning. 

I urge PE teachers to watch/listen to this show but, beyond that, to encourage their PE colleagues to do likewise and to discuss Thomas’s suggestions and advocations before, potentially, implementing change. I also ask PE teachers to share this show with SENCOs, school leaders and their LSAs and TAs so that a shared vision of what inclusive PE might look and feel like. 

Finally, I request Heads of PE and senior school leaders to seriously consider recognising this podcast as valid and contemporary CPD. Teachers engaging with shows like this is meaningful and school training and CPD models need to be adaptable enough to recognise the learning that their teachers are doing.

To help you out, we've created a simple CPD Record template. You'll need a Google account to make a copy and then you can make notes directly on the document before saving it, in your Google account, as a PDF or printing for your folder.

Click the image to make a copy of the CPD Record template for yourself.

The show is available as a video on YouTube or a podcast on Spotify.

Thank you for engaging with the show. Please help us to get more listeners by sharing this podcast as widely as possible. 

Enjoy, have a wonderful day and feel free to leave a comment below.