© Table Tennis Rother (2023)
Saxon Mount Project Launches
Table Tennis the Way You Like It
Saxon Mount School, in partnership with Table Tennis Rother have successfully bid for a Small
England Small Grant to set up table tennis sessions for their pupils. The grant has paid for 4 indoor
tables, 2 outdoor tables, bats, balls and 36 weeks of coaching. In addition the school have purchased
an additional 2 outdoor tables and built a new area in the school grounds where the outdoor tables
will be placed.
The secondary school in St Leonards, East Sussex is designated by the local authority as a special
school for pupils with autism and associated Communication and Language Difficulties (ACLD). In
practice this means a large number of the children have ASD. However a significant number of pupils
also have speech, language and communication difficulties and other complex special educational
needs (SEN). They have approximately 120 pupils.
The project aims to provide the children with regular access to table tennis during their normal school
day using the outdoor tables, and provide a structured, coached indoor sessions to help improve skill
development every week.
These sessions have proved popular so far, with an average of 20 pupils attending each session.
There will also be three holiday sessions. A long term aim is to create three intra school competitions
with other SEND schools in East Sussex.
Claire Noble, Learning Leader at Saxon Mount school, said “We are very excited about this project
which we hope will provide our pupils with a sporting opportunity they have not previously had. Our
aim is to allow pupils to compete with other young people and develop the skills they will need to
continue accessing table tennis into adulthood. We would like to thank Table Tennis Rother and Table
Tennis England for supporting the project.”
Kevin Haffedenden of Table Tennis Rother added “We are extremely excited to be involved with this
project. The response so far has been above what we expected and it is a delight to witness the
enjoyment the children are experiencing from this new opportunity. I hope that for many, if not all the
children, this becomes a life changing experience and builds their confidence, which they can take
forward into adult life.”
Report by Kieron Pelling - Table Tennis England SE Development Officer
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