Special Olympics – Centre of Excellence
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Durham Trinity School – Special Olympics Centre of Excellence for Motor Activity Training Programme (MATP)
Durham Trinity School is proud to be recognised as a Special Olympics Centre of Excellence for the Motor Activity Training Programme (MATP). This prestigious recognition reflects our commitment to providing inclusive, meaningful and high-quality physical activity opportunities for pupils with profound and multiple learning disabilities (PMLD) and those with the most complex needs.
What is MATP?
The Motor Activity Training Programme (MATP) is a Special Olympics programme designed specifically for individuals with severe or profound disabilities who may not yet be able to participate in traditional competitive sports. MATP focuses on developing fundamental motor skills through a range of tailored activities that promote movement, coordination, balance, flexibility and physical fitness.
The programme celebrates individual achievement and personal progress, ensuring that every participant can experience success, enjoyment and the benefits of physical activity regardless of their ability level. MATP provides a pathway for some of the most complex learners to engage in sport and physical activity in a way that is meaningful, accessible and rewarding.
MATP at Durham Trinity School
At Durham Trinity School, MATP is embedded within our curriculum and forms an important part of our physical development pathway. We have carefully woven MATP principles throughout our teaching to ensure pupils have regular opportunities to develop their motor skills, communication, confidence and independence.
Our curriculum incorporates MATP activities across a range of learning environments, enabling pupils to practise and develop key movement skills through structured and engaging sessions. These activities are personalised to meet the individual needs of each learner, ensuring that every pupil can access appropriate challenge while celebrating their achievements and progress.
By embedding MATP into our curriculum, we support not only physical development but also wider outcomes including wellbeing, social interaction, communication and self-esteem.
Sharing Best Practice
As a Centre of Excellence, Durham Trinity School is committed to supporting and developing inclusive practice beyond our own setting. We regularly welcome colleagues from other schools and educational settings to observe MATP lessons and curriculum delivery.
These visits provide opportunities to showcase effective practice, share resources and ideas, and demonstrate how MATP can be successfully integrated into the curriculum for pupils with complex needs. Through collaborative working and professional dialogue, we aim to help other schools develop sustainable and high-quality opportunities for their own learners.
We believe that sharing expertise and learning from one another strengthens inclusive sport provision across the region and ensures that more pupils can benefit from meaningful physical activity experiences.
Partnership with Smile Through Sport
A key element of our successful MATP provision is our partnership with Smile Through Sport. Together, we deliver an annual MATP sports festival which provides pupils from Durham Trinity School and other schools with an opportunity to participate in a fun, engaging and fully inclusive sporting event.
The festival celebrates achievement, participation and personal success, allowing pupils to demonstrate their skills in a supportive and encouraging environment. It also provides valuable opportunities for schools and professionals to come together and recognise the importance of inclusive physical activity.
Each year, we invite schools from across the region to attend and take part, helping to raise awareness of MATP and expand opportunities for pupils with the most complex physical and learning needs.
Looking to the Future
As our MATP provision continues to grow, Durham Trinity School is committed to further developing opportunities for pupils to engage in meaningful physical activity and inclusive sport.
Over the next academic year, we are exploring plans to increase the number of MATP festivals delivered in partnership with Smile Through Sport and other organisations. By expanding the festival programme, we hope to provide more regular opportunities for participation, celebration and engagement for pupils following this pathway.
Our aim is to establish a wider network of schools and professionals who are passionate about inclusive sport, creating a sustainable programme of events that supports the physical development, wellbeing and achievement of pupils with the most complex needs.
As a Special Olympics Centre of Excellence for MATP, Durham Trinity School is proud to champion inclusion, share best practice and create opportunities that enable every pupil to experience success through movement, sport and physical activity.
