Supporting healthier communities through an inclusive sports programme for children
Access to quality sports and wellbeing programmes for primary school children can vary widely across communities, especially in areas where socio-economic challenges restrict opportunities for children to participate in inclusive, structured, and supportive physical activity.
Aligned with the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG 3: Good Health and Wellbeing, and SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities, students from TU Dublin’s BSc in Sport Studies (TU737) are working to address these inequalities by connecting directly with local schools to co-create inclusive, age-appropriate sporting experiences.
As part of the Students Learning With Communities+ (SLWC+) initiative and their Coaching Pedagogy module in semester two of the 2024/2025 academic year, second-year students partnered with St Aidan’s Senior National School in Tallaght. Together, they delivered a four-week physical activity programme designed for over 60 fourth-class pupils.
Under the guidance of Paul Hudson, Lecturer at the School of Biological, Health and Sports Sciences, and Dr Olivia Freeman, Sustainability Education Lead, the programme aimed to build children’s physical education literacy, confidence, and sense of belonging. Beyond promoting healthier lifestyle habits, the initiative also strengthened ties between TU Dublin and the wider Tallaght community, contributing to more inclusive, active, and resilient urban environments.
The project challenged TU Dublin students to apply classroom learning to a real-world setting, designing and implementing evidence-based, inclusive physical activity programmes tailored to the needs of young children, including those with additional needs.
Across the first three weeks, students travelled to St Aidan’s to deliver structured, fun-based sessions focused on developing fundamental movement skills and physical education literacy. Activities were designed to create a safe, inclusive, and engaging environment, encouraging participation and fostering positive attitudes toward physical activity.
In the final week, pupils from St Aidan’s were invited to the TU Dublin Tallaght campus to complete the programme in the new state-of-the-art sports hall at the new Sports Science and Health building. This offered the children a new and inspiring experience within their local community, providing a glimpse into life on a university campus and reinforcing the sense of connection between school and higher education.
Speaking about the project, Paul Hudson said: TU Dublin “The school’s sports programme enables students to apply their learning in class to the real-world setting, the students developed many unique skills related to their own personal development and coaching experience including time management, organisation, planning, design and delivery. Each week the students developed their confidence levels and have shown to lead by example by being role models in supporting young people in the community and encouraging their physical activity and health levels”.
Strengthening skills, confidence, and community ties
For the pupils of St Aidan’s, the programme opened doors to new sports and activities they had not encountered before, helping to build confidence, fitness, and social connection in a positive environment. The experience was intentionally designed to promote long-term interest in physical activity and healthier lifestyle habits.
Speaking about the collaboration St Aidan’s National Senior School Principal Tomas Hayes said: “Excellent collaboration, the sports programme was successful, feedback from staff and students was very positive and highlights the benefit of coming together within the community, our students really enjoyed the experience”
For the TU Dublin students, the initiative provided a valuable opportunity to put theory into practice, developing coaching, communication, and inclusive programme design skills while contributing meaningfully to their local community.
Crucially, the project also strengthened the partnership between TU Dublin and St Aidan’s Senior National School. With strong relationships now established, both partners are committed to continuing collaboration in the future, supporting the development of inclusive, community-focused sport and wellbeing programmes that make a lasting difference.