Sporting Success For Tadley Horizon Students
Students at Tadley Horizon School in Hampshire are celebrating a year of sporting success.
Tadley Horizon School, part of the Priory Group, is a co-educational school specialising in the care and education of pupils between the ages of 5 to 19, who are diagnosed as being on the autistic spectrum with associated learning difficulties. Students may also have challenging behaviour as a result of their communication difficulties and lack of social understanding.
During the last twelve months, young people from the school have been involved in a range of sporting events. They have participated in a 5-a-side football tournament held at Reading F C’s Madejski Stadium and taken part in a Tag Rugby competition.
Sport and recreational facilities at the school include a purpose-built sports hall, hard and soft play areas, five-a-side football pitch, jogging track and a nature trail.
The commitment to sporting achievement was noted in a recent Ofsted report, which rated the school as ‘Outstanding’ for ‘helping children to achieve well and enjoy what they do’. The report noted that ‘The variety of activities provided to young people are excellent and support their individual interests. Young people are encouraged to learn new skills and to take part in sports and community activities. These are examples of young people excelling in their chosen activities and being accompanied by staff to compete in county events. All achievements are celebrated and staff are clearly proud of the young people they care for.’
Autism affects an estimated 600,000 people in the UK of which over 80,000 are of school age. Autism is four times more prevalent in boys than it is in girls and sometimes pupils with autism have additional difficulties such as poor motor co-ordination which may also affect their educational needs and access to physical education (PE) and school sport.
The Principal of Tadley Horizon School, Phil Jonas said: “Participation in physical activity supports young people with autistic spectrum disorders to develop coping strategies and provides a wide range of opportunities in which they can build self-esteem and learn new skills to achieve success.
“Outdoor, physical activity and competitive sports also provide opportunities for staff and students to share in common experiences such as getting wet or feeling tired. More importantly it provides the chance to work together as a team.
“This has proved so successful that we have entered more competitions, including three more competitions at the Majeski Stadium which is a fantastic experience for those taking part. Tadley Horizon students have clearly demonstrated that there is plenty more excitement to come in the months ahead.”
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