The House of Lords released their landmark National Plan for Sport and Recreation last month, outlining their recommendations for PE & School Sport. Youth Sport Trust welcomed the report for the significance it placed on PE and school sport as a key area in the UK’s recovery.
ukactive’s CEO, Huw Edwards, added in response to the report that strong support from the government was necessary for these recommendations. He pointed out the significance that cross-department governmental support had and that whilst they had ‘great merit’, they all ‘bridge(d) back to one key issue – political will.’
Key recommendations from the committee included:
- The improvement of physical literacy should be a key principle at the heart of a national plan for sport and recreation.
- The Department for Education should designate PE as a core subject across all key stages, with the physical literacy of children valued as highly as their literacy and numeracy.
- Funding for the Primary PE and Sport Premium should be maintained at current levels and guaranteed for the long-term by the Department for Education.
- Government should launch a campaign to encourage and inspire parents to be active with their children outside of school.
- More should be done to improve teachers’ knowledge and confidence delivering PE, unlock the potential for physical activity to be embedded in the school day, and build on progress by opening up school sport facilities for local communities.
Youth Sport Trust praised the addition of physical literacy considered ‘on par with literacy and numeracy’ and that PE should ‘be a core subject for all key stages given its significant impact on wider educational outcomes’. The report went on to add how important it was for teaching training companies to work with the government to improve the standard of training offered to teachers, so they felt confident teaching PE.
Alison Oliver, CEO of Youth Sport Trust and previous guest on The Drive Phase podcast, added:
“As a children’s charity determined to improve young people’s lives through play and sport, we have been concerned that in the face of a global physical and mental health crisis, getting children active is still not being treated as a core priority of our national recovery.”
“We hope that the promised imminent publication of government’s new School Sport and Activity Action Plan, along with a long-term funding commitment for PE and school sport, will address the issues raised in this valuable report.”
To find out more or read the report, see here.
