Today we’ve been learning what it’s like to have a physical disability and want to play sport at school. We’ve had to wear a blindfold and be led around by someone else, glasses that give all sorts of restricted visibility, ear plugs to impair our hearing, been forced to use the hand that we can’t write with and played wheelchair hockey.

I know this would have been better with an SLR and it’s far from perfect but I love its whooshy-ness and its obvious action. Callum (driven) and Michael (driver) kindly allowed me to use it.

Every child has a right to go to school and participate fully in all of the activities. Hence as teachers we need to know what that’s like to be in the shoes of someone who’s unable to use either senses or limbs. What we’ve seen is that it’s quite possible to have fun, feel the challenge and excitement of sport, but most importantly stay physically fit.

Me? I’ve been on the top of a set of wall bars today. I never thought that’d ever happen to me again, if indeed it ever did before. I have no recollection of achieving that in my previous life. OK – so it didn’t happen without some (considerable) effort, but I got up there. I climbed them. Over the last nine months or so I’ve surprised and delighted myself at what I HAVE been able to do physically. I only failed at two tasks in the whole PE module. Now that’s not bad for someone more than twice the age of the rest of the trainees.