Sport in schools
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
Policies are being put in place across the UK to increase children and young people's access to physical education and sporting activities. Nancy Rowntree examines the state of provision across the regions.
ENGLAND
The 2006/07 School Sport Survey found that 86 per cent of pupils participate in at least two hours of physical education (PE) and school sport a week, meaning that the government has met its 2008 target of 85 per cent participation a year ahead of schedule.
Secondary schools offer an average of 21.7 different sports and primary schools offer 16. During the summer, the Prime Minister announced £100m investment to give every child the chance of five hours of sport a week. The investment will also fund a National School Sports Week during which schools will be encouraged to run sports days and inter-school tournaments. SCOTLAND
Pupils in Scotland are encouraged to take part in at least two hours PE each week, a target that was announced in 2004. The Scottish Government has not carried out a review of progress but a report by The Scotsman earlier this year revealed that only one of Scotland's 32 local authorities was hitting targets.
The Scottish Government has also launched a national network of Active School co-ordinators with a budget of £24m to develop new ways of getting children to take part in regular physical activity, including sport, play and walking to school. A key focus is to increase the physical activity levels among girls and young people from ethnic minority backgrounds.
WALES
The PE and School Sport Project, launched in 2002, aims to raise standards in PE by making sure that all schools provide two hours a week of high-quality PE for each child. Earlier this year, inspectorate Estyn lauded the scheme as being "one of the most successful education initiatives introduced by the Welsh Assembly Government".
The Welsh Assembly Government's target is for 90 per cent of children to take part in 60 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity on at least five days of the week by 2025. Half of all schools in Wales have now signed up to the 5x60 scheme, which is backed by £7.5m and encourages secondary schools to put on extra sporting activities.
NORTHERN IRELAND
The 2005 Fit Futures Task Group notes that only a third of secondary schools were providing pupils with at least two hours of PE a week. By 2009, the Northern Ireland Assembly aims to have "established a baseline" for the number of children participating in the minimum hours.
By 2014, every child over eight will have the chance to participate in at least two hours per week of extra-curricular sport and physical recreation.
A consultation strategy for sport and physical recreation 2007-2017, launched in October, sets out strategies to increase children's physical literacy including enhancing the PE teaching skills of primary school specialists.
