MANCHESTER, England, July 11, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --

Children from 19 of Greater Manchester's special educational needs schools came together on the 21st June to enjoy a day of fun and sporting activities at Manchester's famous Sport City. Each SEN school was represented by a team of up to 10 children who participated in a number of activities specifically designed in partnership with Sportshall Athletics for children with autism, Down's syndrome and a range of physical disabilities.

The championship, sponsored by the Manchester branch of education staffing specialist, Randstad Education, saw pupils with disabilities between the ages of 5 - 16 enjoy a number of athletic events including long jump, javelin and sprint relays.

Pupils from New Greenhall School, Atherton won the primary competition with Millwood School, Bury receiving a special commendation.

Rumworth School in Bolton won the secondary school competition with Grange School in Manchester also receiving a special commendation trophy.

Martin Hopkins, a business manager at Randstad Education in Manchester who often recruits for SEN teacher jobs, comments: "We're delighted to be able to host this free event for the second year running. Sport is an incredibly powerful medium which helps children with special needs to discover new horizons and build confidence. The event also gives the children the opportunity to compete in a friendly and inclusive atmosphere, allowing them to make friends with other pupils with additional needs from across the region. We launched the championship in 2011 and the 2012 event was another fantastic day. A huge thank you to everyone who took part."

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About Randstad Education

Randstad Education is a specialist division of Randstad, one of the leading recruitment & HR services providers in the world with a top five position in the UK and a top three position in fifteen countries including the US, France and Germany. Randstad Education teachers, assistants and lecturers work alongside 135,000 young people per day across 2,500 schools a week, positively shaping their lives at nurseries, schools, colleges and training organisations across the UK.

Established in 1993, Randstad Education, the new name for Select Education, has a network of 28 branches throughout the UK with teams of education specialists, including dedicated primary, secondary, special needs, early years and further education consultants.

Working closely with the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF), Home Office and other government bodies, it also partners on ground-breaking education research with the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) and Campaign for Learning.  As a result the company has pioneered many aspects of educational staffing, from quality controls and systems through to introducing new services for SEN and teaching assistants.

Randstad Education Limited is an accredited Investor in People (IIP) organisation, a member of the REC (Recruitment and Employment Confederation) and is accredited with the international quality standard BS EN ISO 9002.

Visit http://www.randstadeducation.co.uk for more information.

SOURCE Randstad Education