“I’ve been at this school a long time and it was so frustrating when there was nothing tailored for our pupils with autism… So when we went to the first Panathlon, we were blown away!”
Katie Jones, teacher at Ysgol Plas Brondyffryn in North Wales
“It’s had a massive impact on the kids. It’s accessible and there’s no fear of failure in it, which is so important for our pupils.”
Leah Samain, PE Instructor and Learning Support Assistant at New Barn School, Sussex
“Seeing the children so happy and appreciative of the supporting role we play for them and seeing their smiles is what really make it a special experience.”
Jack Sims, Panathlon Young Leader, Great Baddow High School, Chelmsford
“My first impressions of Panathlon? I absolutely love it! I can already see the potential and it’s huge. This will give us that element of progression we’ve been missing.”
Nathan Bibby, Manager of Rossendale School Sports Partnership
“The kudos those children had among the whole school community for going away and winning a tournament was incredible. It sent a really positive message to everyone else.”
Richard Moore, Deputy Head and Inclusion Lead at Cottenham Primary, Cambridge
“Panathlon has really developed the children’s teamwork and their confidence and self-esteem has rocketed. They’ve been so proud sharing their amazing achievements in assembly with the rest of the school.”
Steve Hill, Deputy Head at St. Joseph’s RC Primary School, Oldham
“It was very proud to go up on stage in assembly and show my achievements to the rest of the school. I was very excited, overjoyed and a bit overwhelmed! My medal is in my mum’s cabinet which shows off me and my sister’s achievements.”
Yar Mohammad, 10, Barr View Primary, Birmingham
“Winning the qualifying event has driven our children on to want to achieve more. Beforehand they were sometimes a bit reluctant, but now they think, ‘I’ll have a go.’”
Gian Ram, Teaching Assistant at Harborne Primary, Birmingham
“Coming to Panathlons gives us ideas for differentiation in PE. We use the ideas to adapt PE lessons and make them more inclusive.
Luke Stephens, sports mentor at Barr View Primary, Birmingham
“Getting to the final really changed their confidence levels and the way the rest of the school perceives them. When they got back to school, they got a standing ovation in assembly and it made half the teachers cry.”
Emily Willamson, mum of eight-year-old Finlay, Fair Oaks Primary in Birmingham
“Panathlon is about celebrating the individual progress, effort and achievement of all those involved. It’s a perfect mix of ability and inclusion.”
Jade Philip, PE Coordinator at Elmfield School for Deaf Children in Bristol
“Our children get to compete with other deaf children just like them. It is so important for them to feel valued and connected to the wider deaf community.”
Jade Philip, PE Coordinator at Elmfield School for Deaf Children in Bristol
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“What a fantastic, well organised event. The staff were welcoming, warm and enthusiastic and had planned a huge number of activities for the children. The games were varied and accessed different skill sets so that each child could feel a real sense of achievement. It was an absolute pleasure to participate in such an inclusive sports day with so much heart!”
Teacher, All Saints CofE Primary School, Halifax
“The reward the children get from medals and trophies at Panathlons blow every other competition away. They are phenomenal. It is so important to kids to have that visual recognition of their effort and success. These are special memories they will look back and remember for years.”
Gemma Spiers, Pastoral Lead, Paget Primary School, Birmingham
“This is an unbelievable opportunity to compete at what is quite a high level for them. It gives them a place where they can use their abilities. They get so much out of it and it will stand them in good stead for other areas of life.”
Robin Elliott, Riverside School, Haringey, North London
“Panathlon’s impact really became clear to me during lockdown. The impact of it not being there was huge. We really felt the absence… The progression through the qualifying rounds is a really rewarding system for them. I don’t think you can put a price on that.”
Darrell King, PE teacher, Langdon School, Newham, East London
“In life in general, not just sport, we’ve always made it clear to our kids that the more you practise and the more determined you are, the better the result will be. They definitely learn those lessons through Panathlon.”
Simon Hughes, PE instructor, Oaktree School, Enfield, North London
“This is going to have an amazing impact on their confidence. They are like completely different people here. Their self-esteem has gone through the roof! Celebration assembly tomorrow is going to be a great one.”
David Harrison, Learning Mentor at Market Deeping Primary
“We don’t underestimate the importance of these events, because sometimes these children face challenges on a day-to-day basis that we can barely comprehend.”
David Spence, teacher at Bishop Creighton Academy.
“The children are all unique and wonderful in their own ways but this competition means they can all participate and their achievements are celebrated. We’ve never seen anything like it before.”
Carly Pearson, SENCO at Nene Valley Primary, Peterborough
“This has been awesome! Lockdown felt like I was trapped in a cage, but today it feels like the cage door has opened.”
Oscar, 8, Langtoft Primary School, Peterborough
“Many thanks for organising such a fabulous event. We loved every minute of the gala and it was well worth the journey from Bristol and getting up so early. Some of our children went to bed wearing their medals because they were so proud of their achievements.”
Claire Spencer, Associate Head, Elmfield School for Deaf Children
“This is like Christmas for our pupils. It’s the best thing these children have with regards to sporting and life opportunities.”
Adam Miller, Greenways School, Southend
“When the children returned from the Panathlon competition they were on an absolute high and brimming with confidence. We’ve really seen in PE lessons that they are more confident in their own ability and have higher self-esteem.”
