SQA makes PE qualifications more accessible to disabled school pupils

Wednesday 04 September

Barrhead High School pupil Layla McCloskey takes aim in a game of Boccia against Kieran Allen from St Oswald's ALN Secondary School in Castlemilk, Glasgow

With the Paralympics well underway in Paris, SQA has published new guidance outlining the steps schools and colleges can take to help make its National Physical Education qualifications more accessible to learners with physical disabilities.

Working with Scottish Disability Sport, SQA has updated the list of activities young people can be assessed in as part of their PE qualifications at National 3 through to Advanced Higher level.

For the 2024-25 school year, learners can have their performance assessed in Paralympic sports such as Boccia, Goalball, and other wheelchair, powerchair, and parasports activities, which can then contribute towards their final grade.

The guidance issued to schools and colleges confirms that Boccia can be used by candidates with profound physical disabilities, while those with severe visual impairment can be assessed playing Goalball.

Boccia is a Paralympic sport that involves throwing, kicking, or rolling a ball towards a target ball on a court. Boccia is designed to test muscle control and accuracy and is ideal for wheelchair users who play while seated.

Goalball is a team sport developed for blind or visually impaired players, in which a ball containing bells makes a sound when thrown at a goal at the opposing team's end of the court.

SQA worked with Scottish Disability Sport to produce the updated guidance after it received feedback from teachers across the country asking for more to be done to enable disabled learners to study National Qualifications in PE. The update is part of SQA’s ongoing maintenance of its courses, and the views of teachers and learners are an important part of the review process.

Layla McCloskey, a pupil from Barrhead High School, who is undertaking Boccia as part of her National 5 Physical Education course said:  ‘I’m so pleased that I’m able to take part in PE this year. I’ve been playing Boccia for a while now, and it’s great that I can do it as part of my qualification. I’m looking forward to having my performance assessed and showing what I can do.’

Mags Paterson, Head of Creative, Hospitality, and Sport at SQA, said: ‘Sport is for everyone, and our ambition is to make Physical Education courses available to as wide a range of learners as we can. By collaborating with Scottish Disability Sport, we’ve provided teachers with the information they need to make sure they are assessing learners’ performance correctly to make sure they’re reaching the appropriate standard for the course.’

‘With the Paralympics now underway in Paris, young people across the country will take inspiration from athletes with a range of disabilities competing in sport at the highest level. We want to ensure that learners like Layla can continue their PE journey as far as they can and receive qualifications that recognise their abilities and achievements.’

Alison Shaw, Education and Learning Manager at Scottish Disability Sport, added: ‘This is a real, tangible step in giving young people with physical disabilities the chance to continue their sporting journey into their senior years at school and beyond. By giving schools and teachers guidance on how they can support their learners with physical disabilities, we can foster lifelong connections with sport and physical activity, and we may even develop future Paralympians along the way.’

The updated guidance, and more information on our National Qualifications in PE, can be found here.