Move Mojo powered by Innovation Voucher
Making PE inclusive and engaging through a Health Sciences University collaboration
Project details
Making PE inclusive and engaging through a Health Sciences University collaboration
For some children with disabilities physical education (PE) activities can be inaccessible or more challenging for them than their peers. Class teachers can be unsure how to adapt sessions, and peers unsure how to include them.
Now a collaboration between Health Sciences University (HSU) and Move Mojo, a company specialising in training and providing exercise programmes is changing the PE experience for children with disabilities, by helping teachers and coaches reimagine what inclusion in movement can look like.
The Move Mojo team partnered with HSU’s Dr Alyx Taylor, whose own research has developed the ‘Active Bodies Active Minds’ physical activities package to stimulate greater engagement and enjoyment in physical activity by primary school children managing symptoms of ADHD.
Working in partnership, and supported by an HSU Innovation Voucher, the team has piloted newly developed evidence-based inclusive PE activities for Move Mojo. The Move Mojo activities were designed to empowering children of all abilities to move, enjoy and learn. The project focused on shifting mindsets, building confidence and gathering evidence on inclusive PE.
Research goals
At the heart of this project was a simple but powerful aim: to demonstrate that inclusive physical education benefits everyone, and to provide schools with the tools to deliver it confidently.
Together, Move Mojo and HSU set out to design a programme that teachers could pick up and use, regardless of their previous training in adapted PE. The goal was not only to develop and trial this programme in real-world school settings, but also to explore its impact on children’s engagement, and explore the teachers’ perspectives on using the activities in their PE lessons.
The team’s vision is that the trial of this programme will encourage more schools to adopt the Move Mojo programme and build the evidence base needed to advocate for wider systemic change.
Team & collaborators
The collaboration between Move Mojo and HSU brought together a unique blend of lived experience, academic rigour and practical understanding. Drawing on Move Mojo’s work delivering inclusive exercise since 2022, and HSU’s research expertise, the team worked closely with mainstream primary schools to deliver the Move Mojo activities and teacher training.
Children aged 8–11 were involved across two separate studies. Crucially, the project wasn’t designed for schools, but with them. Teachers were invited to workshops, supported with training and encouraged to adapt the approach to meet their pupils’ needs.
Key findings
Although data collection is still ongoing, early findings are already encouraging. Teachers have reported feeling more confident delivering inclusive PE, thanks to the mentorship and practical tools provided through the project. In PE, children showed signs of greater engagement, not just in activity levels, but in how they supported and included one another.
Funding & support
The project was made possible through the HSU Innovation Voucher scheme, which is specifically designed to support collaboration between small enterprises and academic institutions. For Move Mojo, the scheme provided a pathway to validate and improve their education model, while for HSU, it opened doors to a broad network of schools and allowed the research team to explore inclusion in a practical, impactful way. The voucher seeded a relationship that both parties hope to build on in future years.
Impact and project outputs
Impact
One of the clearest impacts of the project has been the development of a new Move Mojo education product – a programme with practical resources that can be used by schools, local authorities and community groups. Early signs suggest strong interest, with schools and councils enquiring about training and implementation beyond the initial pilot.
Project Outputs
The project team is developing public-facing material to share findings with schools, parents and policymakers, and academic publications are planned.
Get involved
The HSU team is actively seeking new collaborators, including schools that want to continue the work, researchers interested in inclusive education and health, and funders who believe in the power of movement to change lives.
If you’re a teacher, a parent, a policymaker or a potential partner, and are interested in finding out more or getting involved, contact Dr Alyx Taylor (alyx.taylor@hsu.ac.uk).
