A SCHOOL in Dawlish has been rewarded for creating a truly inclusive environment by walking away with one of the prestigious prizes at the 2026 Youth Sport Trust Awards.

Orchard Manor School was the proud winner of the Building Belonging Award at the ceremony at the Telford International Centre, completing a fantastic story of redemption that followed a difficult merger and an Inadequate Ofsted rating in 2020.

A special school for pupils aged four to 19 with communication and interaction needs, including autism, the school was transformed through inclusive sport and play.

Under the leadership of head of PE Catherine Kilburn, staff developed a specialist, personalised curriculum ranging from sensory activities and fundamental movement skills to exam-level PE and leadership programmes.

Ms Kilburn said: ‘It’s just about the fact that we’ve been able to be creative and in PE we offer something for every single child.

‘We don’t care who they are or what they do, we just find something that will inspire them and hopefully take them on to be active.

‘I work with a wonderful group of people who support me to do that.’

Headteacher Nicola Jones added: ‘It’s just a fantastic honour and privilege, and I’m incredibly proud of the children but most of all I’m incredibly proud of our team.

‘They work so hard and Catherine is just the most phenomenal lead – she has led PE to phenomenal heights, and we wouldn’t have made the journey without her and her incredible team.’

The awards were a celebration of inclusivity and were attended by key figures from the sporting world, including former England women’s rugby captain Sarah Hunter and director of sport at the British Olympic Association Sarah Massey.

The 2026 Youth Sport Trust Conference Awards spotlighted the dedicated and innovative approaches from schools, trusts, and individuals who have used the power of sport to make a positive impact on children’s health and wellbeing throughout the year.

Hosted by TV personality, Radzi Chinyanganya, the evening was filled with insightful discussions and inspiring stories that highlighted the power of sport and play to foster positive change and inclusivity in schools.

Sarah Hunter, who presented Orchard Manor with its award, said: ‘It’s massively important to reward the grassroots level of sport.

‘It’s recognition for all the hard work that they’ve done through the year, but for most of these teachers and sports co-ordinators it’s not just this year, it’s over multiple years that they’ve embedded sport into their community.

‘Without grassroots sport – and I’m speaking now as an international coach – we don’t have a game, we don’t have that pipeline for our future sport stars, whether that be rugby, football or athletics.

‘Having started rugby at school, I know how important it is to reward and recognise the hard work that quite often goes unseen.’