We have a climbing frame located in one of the smaller yards in school. This encourages physical activity and active playtimes as well as providing sensory input. Having access to a climbing frame at lunchtimes encourages positive interaction between pupils in school as well as encouraging gross motor skill development and body awareness.
Beacon Hill has just started running sessions in a new Forest School area. More info here
We are very lucky to have our own Hydrotherapy pool in school. Hydrotherapy is offered to students with significantly restricted movement, students with PMLD (Profound and Multiple Learning Disabilities) and ASC throughout the whole school and to all of our younger children in our early years and primary departments.
We have an outdoor Gym facility located in one of the smaller playgrounds. The gym also has tarmac flooring to allow this area to be used all year round. This area has a range of different types of gym equipment including; sit up benches, Arm strength machine, chest press machine, cross country skier and balance swivel. Having access to an outdoor gym encourages pupils independence and positive interaction with peers. This area is used by some of our pupils at lunch and break times, encouraging active playtimes as well as developing gross motor skills and body awareness. The variety of equipment allows for engagement of different muscle groups and improvement of overall fitness.
We are lucky enough to have a large garden area which is located on the periphery of the west side of school. This area has accessible paving throughout and can be used for outdoor activities, sensory and orienteering trails. Classrooms also have an outdoor area secured buy a gate. These areas are both grassed and have all weather surfaces allowing use for PE activities and active outdoor play eg bikes and trike.
Beacon Hill has a soft play room located within the main school. This provides a safe and stimulating environment where pupils are free to explore movement, develop gross motor skills and body awareness. Soft play helps with engagement and increased communication as well as supporting positive interactions with other pupils and staff. Soft play stimulates different senses, providing a colourful environment to explore as well as encouraging pupils to develop key motor skills such as crawling, stepping, jumping, rolling in a safe environment. Soft play allows our pupils sensory input as they are encouraged to throw, squeeze, squish, pull and push the sensory equipment.
We have a large sports hall with high ceilings and a wooden floor making it perfect for delivery of a variety of PE curriculum activities, additional external sports coaching sessions, lunchtime and after school activities. We have various wall mounted apparatus including ropes and climbing apparatus. The hall also includes wall mounted basketball hoops that can be height adjusted making them inclusive to multiple year groups around the school. The sports hall provides a safe and secure learning environment with a large cupboard to hold all PE equipment.