Easton and Otley College in Norwich has long offered tennis for students learners on the college site, including integrating tennis into the BTEC study sport programme. A number of learners have undertaken LTA coaching qualifications and there are informal pay as you play sessions as well as more structured coaching sessions. However, the college wanted to ensure that the tennis they provided was open to all students, including their foundation learners who have a range of learning disabilities.
In July 2013 College Sport Maker Jodie McGill hosted the Tennis Foundation’s Inclusive Tennis Teacher Training Course. Seven members of staff attended, as well as other staff from colleges throughout Norfolk. The course runs over three hours and equips teachers with the skills and confidence to deliver tennis sessions. Teachers also received a Special Schools resource from the Tennis Foundation and a free equipment pack to help with putting on their tennis sessions. Easton and Otley College are lucky enough to have access to their own indoor and outdoor tennis courts on site. However if colleges do not have tennis courts, you can play in a sports hall, on badminton courts or any large indoor space.
“Inclusive tennis coaching is very different from teaching,” says Jodie. “So it’s really important to give teachers the skills and confidence for them to deliver inclusive tennis sessions.”
The course was such a success that staff at the college wanted to ensure tennis was provided for foundation learners on a regular basis. With the support of lottery funding via the Sportivate scheme, ten groups of around 15 students enjoyed an hour of tennis a week for six weeks.
“The inclusive course set the wheels in motion for the teachers to explore how to offer tennis for the foundation learners,” says Jodie. “We had really positive feedback from all those involved in the course and it’s clear it’s given them the confidence to offer more tennis sessions.”
The sessions, which took place from October 2013 until April 2014, were an overwhelming success with the programme winning Norfolk’s Sportivate Project of the Year Award. The sessions offered students will a range of disabilities, including spinal injuries as well as learning disabilities, the chance to try out tennis and since this learners have been encouraged to attend local community tennis sessions with the possibility of the college organising sessions outside of the school day for learners.
“We had ten groups over the year and tennis was something we hadn’t really tried before,” says Jodie. “We weren’t sure how it would go but it just took off and went really well, everyone loved it!”
For more information about the support that the Tennis Foundation offers to schools, colleges and universities please visit www.tennisfoundation.org.uk