BACKGROUND Learners with special needs around the world, including in South Africa, are included in mainstream schools. However, it has been reported that learners experience exclusion and a lack of belonging in physical education classes. There is great concern about the lack of training teachers should undergo to teach physical education to special needs learners. The current public school physical education systems face difficulties in the delivery of quality physical education to special needs learners. Physical education classes need to be adapted to suit the individual needs of every special need learner. OBJECTIVE Learners with special needs around the world, including in South Africa, are included in mainstream schools. However, it has been reported that learners experience exclusion and a lack of belonging in physical education classes. There is great concern about the lack of training teachers should undergo to teach physical education to special needs learners. The current public school physical education systems face difficulties in the delivery of quality physical education to special needs learners. Physical education classes need to be adapted to suit the individual needs of every special need learner. METHODS By conducting a scoping review, a literature search in the following electronic databases: Google Scholar; EBSCOhost; the Cochrane Library; PubMed; and Science Direct will be used. The research team will also conduct a reference list search to ensure that all relevant articles are included in the study. The initial phase of the screening process will be carried out by two researchers. Thereafter, the researchers will use the expertise of a fellow researcher to collaboratively abstract the data, organise it into themes and sub-themes, summarise them, and report the results in a narrative synthesis. RESULTS The evidence gathered in the review will be analysed and discussed in a narrative format. The review will provide insights into the emergent themes in Physical Education for special needs students realm. The review will provide a baseline of evidence on curricula and teaching methodologies to assist teachers teaching PE to special needs learners. CONCLUSIONS The final scoping review will aim to not only highlight the gaps in the research regarding curricula and teaching methodologies being used but also to elaborate on the current practices being used. This information will be of great value to fellow researchers and physical education teachers. The information gathered will be used in a broader study to create a physical education toolkit to further assist teachers teaching physical education to special needs learners. CLINICALTRIAL Systematic review registration: Open Science Framework (https:// 10.17605/OSF.IO/BXKDR).