Pupils at Tudor Grange Academy Kingshurst embraced inclusivity and athletic prowess at a groundbreaking wheelchair basketball event, in partnership with The Bears Wheelchair Basketball Club and the Breakin Barriers charity.

Nicole Lowe, Head of Curriculum for PE at Tudor Grange Academy Kingshurst, liaised with The Bears to organise the school’s first-ever wheelchair basketball training session, which saw students of all abilities come together on the basketball court to try this fast-growing sport and learn more about inclusivity in athletics. The sessions were run by Tom Masterson, Chairman of The Bears Wheelchair Basketball Club (WBC), Fidel Thompson of spinal cord injury charity Breakin Barriers, and former Kingshurst student Wyatt Millward.

Wyatt, who developed a chronic hip disease when he was in Year 8, attended the Tudor Grange Academy Kingshurst until the end of Year 9. Kingshurst staff helped facilitate his transfer to Solihull Academy, where he could get specific support as his condition deteriorated. It was then that Wyatt started playing wheelchair basketball with The Bears. He and his sister, Shyanne both work with the Breakin Barriers charity, and both are on track to play wheelchair basketball for England.

Lee Parfitt, one of the school’s senior leaders, said: “We’re so proud of Wyatt. It has been great to see him excel, to witness how he has matured and how he’s developed the discipline and motivation that sport demands. I was also inspired to hear him speak so passionately about the sport and take on a leadership role with our students, showing them what to do. He was a keen footballer when he was younger and has always supported the school and his sister at Kingshurst sports events, so it’s fantastic to seem him flourishing.”

placeholder image — Wheelchair basketball in action

Nicole Lowe added: “There has been a real buzz about the place because of this event with Wyatt. We are hoping to welcome WBC back as an annual event, as we feel that it gives students a greater appreciation of a range of different disability sports. It has helped students understand that even if you find yourself in a tough situation, something positive can come out of it – it doesn’t need to limit what you can achieve.”

The young people who took part included BTEC students covering Disability in Sport. One Year 10 student, Joshua, said: “It has increased my understanding and knowledge of wheelchair basketball, and I can bring that to the Disability in Sport module on the course. It’s changed my perception of people in wheelchairs too. Being in a wheelchair is not a disability – it’s actually an ability.”