Para Laser and Laser Run Project to engage Manchester Schools

Context, Intent and Target Group

Background Information

Manchester is a very diverse and densely populated urban city. Local data shows lower levels of physical activity and sports participation, particularly among pupils with additional needs and those from underrepresented backgrounds. Insight from school sport partnerships and feedback from teachers highlighted a demand for more inclusive, engaging opportunities that could be easily delivered within school settings. This motivated the launch of the Laser Run project, targeting schools with low activity levels and limited access to extracurricular sport, aiming to boost participation, engagement, and staff confidence through inclusive festivals and CPD support. 

What was the aim of work?

The project was aimed on boosting the engagement and participation in sporting events within Manchester Schools, as well as promoting Modern Pentathlon through fun, inclusive and accessible Para Laser and Laser Run Festivals.  

Introducing something completely new and exciting as well as inclusive and accessible and brining this to schools was vital in providing fantastic experience to young people based in Manchester schools with he focus on physical activity and enjoyment. 

https://youtu.be/Hz8T3M54Ckc?si=WmQh9YkrSHfpQ6nE

Which outcome(s) did it focus on?

• 1. To advocate and position the delivery of the CMO daily active minutes for all young people, as a universal offer to maintain and grow school engagement
• 2. To ensure all competition has a clear intent and creates positive experiences based on the motivation, competence and confidence of the young people that need our support the most

Which expectation(s) did it meet?

• Using the national tool to complete and deliver a development plan covering the current academic year, updated once each term.
• Using the development plan to show how community connections will be made for young people to continue their participation.
• Using local insight and youth engagement to identify young people and schools that would most benefit from a targeted School Games offer.
• Developing a case study to show where you have made the most impact against local priorities, and through effective storytelling share your learning locally and nationally.
• Collaborating with key partners to inform the local and county offer to tackle inequalities and ensuring inclusive and safe practice.
• Work with schools to maintain and grow their active engagement in School Games.
• Identify schools that are not engaged and developing strategies to improve this.
• Develop a communication plan to boost the profile of the host site and demonstrates the value of school sport to other schools in the area.
• Establish a clear method of communication with all schools within the SGO area.
• Encourage the use of tools, such as School Games Mark, Inclusive Health Check and Active School Planner to help schools better understand their needs.
• Planning for and increasing delivery of 60 active minutes for every child.
• Provide an offer of professional development and communication for all schools to increase their understanding and increase their provision of 60 active minutes.
• Engage with a minimum of one secondary school to promote 60 active minutes practice, and share this within the county and where appropriate nationally.
• Work intensively with a minimum of two low engagement schools to improve their understanding, engagement and access of the School Games offer.
• Co-design and deliver a broad and balanced School Games offer that is informed by insight and youth engagement and embeds positive experiences. It is expected that an SGO will facilitate a minimum of 12 targeted inter competitions/events/festivals with clear intent.
• Engage in county, regional and national networking by the Youth Sport Trust. This includes face-to-face and virtual support, Development Coach engagement, monthly updates and your termly review of your development plan.

Community links

• Active Partnerships
• Community sports clubs
• Leisure providers
• Local authority
• Multi Academy Trust leads
• SEND leads / SENCO

Intent

The purpose of running the project was to organise Laser Run Festivals, introduce new sport, boost the participation within the sport and physical activity, make this accessible to everyone and expose large group of young people to try something new.

Target group

• All Young People
• Behavioural Challenges
• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools
• SEND
• A physical disability (e.g. problems moving around unaided)
• A cognitive disability (e.g. problems thinking or remembering)
• A sensory disability (e.g. problems with vision or hearing)
• A mental health or emotional disability (e.g. problems with mood)
• A communication or social relationships disability (e.g. autism, Asperger's, ADHD)

Aligns to Schools Games Intents of:

• Develop confidence and competence within physical activity/sport skills
• Provide inclusive opportunities

Implementation

There were a few crucial steps involved in the project:

1. Manchester PE and Wellbeing Conference, 7th November 2024 - Modern Pentathlon Para Olympic athlete as a key speaker, introducing Laser Run as a part of the sport and what will happen in Manchester, workshops available for attending staff

2. CPD in Safe to Shooting, 14th January 2025. Free training course for Manchester Primary and Secondary staff and people and organisations involved in this project; training allowed participants to gain the necessary knowledge on the usage of the laser guns, their safety and have a go at shooting. Schools who attended this training were able to apply for shooting range kit to be kept on their school site. 16 staff members attended this CPD.

3. Laser Run Festival, 28th January 2025. Laser Run Festival consisted of 2 parts: 

Para Laser- which targeted the children and young people with disabilities from primary and secondary schools and involved mainstream and special settings,

Laser Run- open to all the children from primary and secondar settings across all Manchester regions and Wythenshawe

4. Shooting Range at schools, April-July. Schools that attended the CPD in safe to shoot applied for the shooting range. 6 schools were successful and had the range available on their school's site for 2-3 weeks. In that time they schools organised many activities and cluster tournaments. This part of the project exposed a huge number of young people to physical activity and new sport. Separate  report on this stage of the project.

Impact

Laser Run Festival exposed over 150 students from across 36 schools in Manchester to the sport of Modern Pentathlon,  created exciting opportunity to enjoy being active and trying something new:

- 69 students with additional needs from KS2-KS4 from 12 different schools, including 2 special schools;

- 82 students from KS2-KS4 from 14 different schools across the city.

Continuity with the project by providing the shooting range to 6 schools on a 2-3 weeks loan. Schools applied for the equipment after completing the CPD in Safe to Shoot:

- over 1500 young people were able to participate in laser run sport, students were from primary, secondary and special schools settings and covered different areas of Manchester.  

Challenges

- A new initiative involving new sport, not having previous experience. 

- Long term project with planning starting in June 2024 and involved many online meetings - with other work commitments, it was hard to find dates and times to suit everyone. 

- The plan was to run additional Laser Run Event in June, with the priority entry for the schools that had a shooting range on their site and select the team or teams to participate in the National finals in Liverpool. Unfortunately this didn't happen and no Manchester teams were present at the national finals. Next time this will have to be planned at the earlier stage.

- Not having own shooting range available for schools to use it - had to rely on the project's partners to make this possible, PentaHub and Pentashot UK. Next step would be applying for funding own shooting range which will create more opportunities to Modern Pentathlon and Laser Run for Manchester's young people. 

Sustainability

- free CPD in safe to shoot was delivered which allowed more people deliver the Laser Run and use the guns

- 6 schools who had the shooting range between April-July had written a report which provides a valuable data, 2 out of 6 schools were special schools

- Manchester Para Laser and Laser Festival had over 150 students from all Manchester regions, reaching almost 70 SEND students 

- data from all the steps has been recorded and evidence is kept for the funding perspective

- applying for funding is in process

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