More girls are set to benefit as the Government publishes a two-year plan to
improve equal access and the quality of PE and sport in schools for all pupils.
The School Sport and Activity Action Plan will support teachers and schools
to deliver two hours of high-quality PE and provide competitive and
extra-curricular opportunities to both girls and boys.
This is set to encourage more children to follow in the footsteps of their
heroes, such as footballer Millie Bright leading the Lionesses in the World Cup
this summer, Katie Boulter representing Great Britain at Wimbledon or Sarah
Hunter and Marlie Parker co-captaining the women’s England rugby team to
success in the women’s Six Nations in March.
New guidance also published alongside the action plan, includes
details of the digital tool to help schools spend their allocation of the PE
and Sport Premium to the best advantage of pupils. Headteachers can use this
money to improve teacher training, offer more opportunities for pupils to take
part in competition and expand the range of sports on offer at school.
On top of funding for the PE and Sport Premium, an extra £57m is already
supporting over one thousand schools across England to open sport facilities
outside of the school day. This fund is targeted at girls, disadvantaged pupils
and pupils with special educational needs and disabilities.
Education Secretary Gillian Keegan said: “As another nail-biting British
summer of sport continues, with Markéta Vondroušová winning her first grand
slam at Wimbledon, Heather Knight leading the women’s cricket team through the
Ashes and our inspirational Lionesses still having all to play for in the World
Cup, it’s so important our next generation not only see their heroes but have
the opportunities to emulate them.
“Our School Sport and Activity Action Plan sets out how we will support
schools to make sure girls and boys alike have those same great opportunities.
“Today’s plan crystallises our commitment to equal access
to all sports and two hours of PE per week, and will help instil a lifelong
passion for sport and fitness in each and every young person.”
Guidance will be published later this year to support in the delivery of
equal access and two hours of PE per week. With support from national governing
bodies and other sporting organisations, the Government will identify schools
that offer equal access for girls to sport during the school day and additional
extracurricular activities. This guidance will include detailed case-studies outlining
examples of good practice, to help support teachers and senior leaders to
deliver good PE and sport in schools.
Included in the guidance on providing high quality PE and sport will be
practical and detailed case studies from schools. Helping schools to provide
two hours of PE a week, equal access for girls and areas where schools
currently need additional support, such as swimming and water safety lessons.
Jeanette Bain-Burnett, our executive director of policy and integrity, said
the commitment in the government’s School Sport and Activity Action Plan to
support teachers and schools to deliver two hours of high-quality PE per week
is very welcome.
"We know that schools have a vital role to play in helping children to
be physically active, and the habits we develop at a young age can last a
lifetime,” she said.
"It’s vital that the early experiences children have of sport and
physical activity are positive.
"There are significant health benefits associated with living active
lives and physically active children and young people are also more likely to
be happy and less likely to feel lonely than those who are less active.
"We look forward to working with the government and education sector as
a whole to build on today’s plan, so that every unique young person has the
chance to enjoy movement, play, exercise and take part in sport in a fun and
welcoming environment."
Government will also share new resources and findings from targeted
programmes that support children with special educational needs and
disabilities and encourage competition and leadership opportunities for girls.
Schools will be able to deliver even better PE lessons - helping their
pupils to make regular exercise a habit for life and have fun, while improving
their physical and mental health.
This plan builds on over £600 million for school sport
which is already helping children and young people exercise more and stay fit
and healthy.
The action plan sets out how we will encourage and recognise the success of
schools providing equal access for girls through new equality criteria in the
School Games Mark, This will recognise schools that create positive sporting
experiences across all sports for young people, supporting them to be active
for 60 minutes a day. We will celebrate this with an annual moment of recognition
in National School Sports Week, led by the Youth Sport Trust.
The announcement comes ahead of the Government publishing its new sport
strategy which will set the long-term plan for sport in the UK and focus on
addressing inactivity levels at all ages and making the sport sector more
sustainable.
