The South West’s Cabot Learning Federation (CLF) has earned national recognition for a trust-wide physical education provision designed to ‘improve the life experiences of all students’.
The CLF, which oversees 35 schools in the region this week won the Outstanding Multi Academy Trust Practice Award at the 2024 Youth Sport Trust Awards.
Trust leaders were presented with the award by double world and commonwealth champion heptathlete Katarina Johnson-Thompson after being named the winner out of more than 120 nominated trusts.
The award celebrates the work the CLF has carried out across the trust to provide high quality student experiences in PE, school sport, and physical activity and well-being.
Judges also praised the trust’s Big events, a series of trust-wide collaborations in sport and the arts.
Awards organisers said: “The CLF position PE, sport and physical activity at the heart of their culture. They have identified how a strong PE, school sport and physical activity offer can be a key lever to improving the life experiences of all students due to their appreciation of the benefits it brings to physical, mental, and social wellbeing.
“The Trust’s guiding light is that PE is for everyone, and physical literacy underpins this. Through enjoying physical activity, the curriculum will provide students with the opportunities to develop key characteristics to be successful. The belief is that the approach to physical education is inclusive and develops all children through movement and interacting with their environment.
“Big events are a wide range of joy-filled activities which the Trust have developed to create lasting memories for pupils, whilst shaping who they are and developing their sense of self. Over 2,000 students have taken part in opportunities they wouldn’t normally be able to take part in. For disadvantaged students, this is a unique opportunity to gain equity and level the playing field, with life experiences that can lay the platform for lifelong success, cultural capital and social mobility.”
The awards evening in Telford was a unique opportunity to celebrate schools, settings, trusts, and individuals who have made a real and impactful change to the lives of young people.
James Mooney, the CLF’s Senior Curriculum Leader for Physical Education, School Sport and Physical Activity, said: “This is recognition of the work we have been doing collectively across the trust to ensure that all students receive a PE offer that promotes positive relationship with physical activity, giving them the skills, knowledge, and confidence to engage physical activity for the rest of their life.
“As a trust we believe that sport is for anyone, but PE is for everyone; all young people are entitled to a PE, school sport and physical activity offer that not only meets their needs and promotes excellence, but more importantly is fun, engaging, and positive.”
