The SPELL study is trying to find out if a special set of exercises to stretch the leg muscles of children with cerebral palsy works better than the usual physio exercises.

Children with cerebral palsy often have stiff leg muscles. This makes it more difficult to walk and move about.

Doctors and physiotherapists think that special exercises to stretch the muscles in the legs could make it easier to walk and do more of the things they want to do.

We have tried to make the exercises interesting and fun.

We are asking lots of children with cerebral palsy, from across the country, to take part in this study.

Half the children will do the new SPELL exercises and half will do the usual physio exercises.

The group doing the new SPELL exercises will see a physiotherapist 6 times in 4 months.

You will do these exercises at home or school 4-5 times each week, with help if you need it.

The group doing the usual exercises will see a physiotherapist once to go through them and agree which activities to do.

To make the study fair, neither you nor the doctors and physiotherapists can choose which treatment you have.

It is decided by a computer using a process called randomisation.

We want to find out which exercise programme works best.

We also want to find out if the SPELL exercises give you more muscle soreness than usual exercises.

If you join the SPELL study, a physiotherapist will carry out some simple tests to look at how your legs move and how fast you can walk.

We will ask some questions about your walking, how well you can do activities, how you feel and if you’ve missed any school.

After 6 months you will come back to the hospital and a physiotherapist will carry out the same simple tests.

We will also send you the same set of questions by email or by post, at 6 months and at 12 months.