Case study: Great Ballard School

About Great Ballard School

Great Ballard is a co-educational independent school for children aged 2½ to 13 years. The school offers boarding on a flexible basis for both boys and girls and prides itself on quality teaching and unique educational experiences.

The school has a reputation for providing a very personalised and caring all-around educational experience, where the many and varied abilities of each child can be both identified and developed, enabling all children to fulfil their potential.

Gaining disability awareness

As a part of the schools’ aspirations to learn more about diversity and inclusiveness, Great Ballard decided to invite Bascule Disability Training to provide an awareness day for the pupils.

Pupils of various age groups spent the day learning about disability through a bespoke educational awareness programme provided by Bascule Disability Training. The children participated in a range of educational activities, games and challenges, all of which were aimed at developing the children’s understanding and awareness of disability, according to their age groups.

Children in Year 3 and 4 gained an understanding of the challenges experienced by people with disabilities through games that made use of wheelchairs. Year 5 played Boccia, a Paralympic sport that can be played by people with various disabilities.

Year 6 children were engaged in role playing activities involving ‘characters’ with different disabilities, that challenged how limitations of disability are perceived. Children in Year 7 and 8 engaged in a disability debate, grappling with questions around living with disability, hidden disabilities and identity.

Incorporating the day into the curriculum

Headmaster at the school, Richard Evans said, “It is crucial that as a school, we make time for days like this. There are so few opportunities for children to gain a valuable understanding of disability and a real understanding in practical terms, of what it means to be disabled. Bascule came to the school to inform and crucially answer the many questions children have about being disabled. As a result of Bascule’s training, the children now have an improved sense of awareness and empathy. We plan on further developing this by incorporating these themes into curriculum activities.”

After the training, Year 8 pupils commented:

“I learnt how disabled people can be independent.”

“I enjoyed the humour and thought the jokes were funny.”

“The questions with the group were fun. I always knew disabled people weren’t different to anyone else, but this helped me to really understand that.”

If you would like to find out more about Bascule’s awareness training in schools, contact us on 0330 3800662 or email info@bascule.com