Access to Sport: PE in Schools

Dan Aldridge Excerpts

Thursday 3rd April 2025 Commons Chamber

[Dan Aldridge (Weston-super-Mare) (Lab)]

I pay tribute to my hon. Friend the Member for Stafford (Leigh Ingham) for securing this important debate, which was inspired by one of her constituents. By leading the debate, my hon. Friend has shown that she puts the people of Stafford, Eccleshall and the villages at the heart of everything she does. In doing so, she is building back trust in our democracy and democratic institutions step by step. I commend her for that. It is also a privilege to speak while I have two of my favourite constituents, Aishah and Samir, up in the Public Gallery. I thank them for coming.

I wish to offer some personal reflections, and I will probably echo some of the comments made by my hon. Friend the Member for Cannock Chase (Josh Newbury). As someone who lived under the long, dark, damaging shadow of Margaret Thatcher’s hated section 28 in the 1990s, school—and particularly PE—was often a violent and miserable place for a gay kid like me who could not fit in, no matter how much I tried or how much I pretended not to be who I was. Thankfully, because of the new Labour Government’s commitment to breaking down barriers to opportunity, their repeal of section 28 and the many other legislative and social changes that were delivered, education and sport in school are now far more inclusive.

Sport teaches teamwork, resilience and discipline, excludes less, builds friendships, and gives children the chance to push themselves and—crucially—have fun. It is one of the simplest and most effective tools we have to improve both physical and mental health, yet while so much progress has been made to make sport inclusive, access to PE and sport in schools is far from what it should be. Over the past 10 years, we have seen a decline in the number of PE hours in secondary schools and the gap in sports provision between state and private schools has continued to widen.

However, there are shining examples, especially in places like Weston-super-Mare—and the villages—that demonstrate the incredible difference that access to sport can make to children’s lives. Broadoak academy, under the leadership of its principal, Danny McGilloway, and his excellent team, has made significant strides in promoting sports for all. It celebrates its young people with an annual sports personality of the year award. One of the most exciting developments for the school and the town is the introduction of girls’ football teams in every year group for the first time this year. That is a huge milestone for the school, ensuring a level playing field across genders. It also ensures that girls can feel part of something bigger and empowering. That is the sort of structural change in schools that I really love.

There is also the hard-fought-for inclusive SEND playground at Castle Batch in Worle; and I pay tribute to Councillor Catherine Gibbons for her tireless efforts to secure support for SEND kids in my patch. Those examples from my constituency show what can be achieved when there is a commitment to sport and physical activity for all. The reality is, however, that too many schools are still struggling with inadequate facilities and limited resources.

I want to take a moment to recognise the incredible teachers, coaches, parents, carers and volunteers in our communities who already go above and beyond to make sport possible for young people. I know that both my sisters, their husbands and all the kids that surround my family have community sport at their heart. I love the joy and confidence that it brings to them all—I probably love it more because of the stark contrast with my experience of sport at school. Whether it is teachers staying late to run after-school clubs, grassroots football coaches giving up their weekends or parents fundraising for new kit, those are people who are making a real difference. They should not have to do it alone.

We can get this right and ensure that sport and PE are available to every child, no matter where they live or their circumstances. I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Stafford again for pushing this issue not just on behalf of her constituents but on behalf of all our constituents.

Mental Health Support: Educational Settings

Dan Aldridge Excerpts

Thursday 13th March 2025 Commons Chamber

[Dan Aldridge (Weston-super-Mare) (Lab)]

I have just gone through my speech and scratched out quite a lot, but you will probably be pleased about that, Madam Deputy Speaker.

I pay tribute to my hon. Friend the Member for Redditch (Chris Bloore) for his efforts to secure this important debate. Being an MP is a difficult job to define. It is true that there are 650 ways to be an MP and we are all finding our way, but in choosing such a subject for his debate, my hon. Friend shows his humanity and the man that he is. I commend him for that.

With debates such as this one, we can do good in this place. We have a profound opportunity to profile issues we and our constituents care about and amplify the voices of those in our constituencies who might not otherwise get the attention they deserve. We can show them that they matter and restore their trust and faith bit by bit. I love this job because we get to do that. It is therefore an honour to speak in today’s debate on a topic that is critical to the future of our young people.

Mental health in education settings is an issue that affects the entire country and one that demands urgent action. One in eight children and young people in the UK are living with a mental health condition, often left without the support, guidance and, critically, treatment they need to build resilience to thrive in our fast-changing world. For years, Governments failed our young people by not providing the certainty and the early interventions needed to support them mental wellness and the knowledge that when things go wrong, there is a safety net for them. The issue has only worsened since the pandemic, which amplified the strain on the mental health of young people, and too many students—we all see this across our families—are still not receiving the support they need. It is a crisis that we cannot afford to ignore. Too many young people are not in education, employment or training because they have been failed by a system so woefully unsupported during a time when anyone who has children or works with them knows that this is a crisis and has been for a long time.

Funding for mental health support teams represents a step forward in ensuring that young people receive the help they need, particularly at an early stage. However, we cannot overlook the fact that much more still needs to be done to ensure that children in towns such as Weston-super-Mare, Worle and beyond do not fall through the cracks any more. I welcome the Government’s progress in a short time, yet the reality is that not all schools are currently able to access those services, and even when MHSTs are available, the support is often not enough. I know that everybody across the House is impatient for those much-needed improvements. As constituency MPs, we see the pain of the previous Government’s failure on child mental health at surgery after surgery. We must ensure that the teams are expanded across the country, reaching every school and every student who needs help.

I pay tribute to all the teachers, support staff, volunteers and families across Weston, Worle and the villages for their crucial role in supporting the mental health of our young people. They are the ones who see students day in, day out, and the first ones to notice when something is wrong. Yet many teachers and teaching staff feel underprepared to deal with the mental health challenges in their classrooms. Staff should not feel that they are managing such challenges on their own, and it is vital that schools are supported not only with resource, but with ongoing professional development to help deal with the increasing prevalence of mental health challenges faced by their students.

We must also recognise that the mental health of teaching staff is just as important. Teaching staff work under incredible pressure, and the emotional and psychological toll of supporting students, often with their own challenges, can be overwhelming. If we expect teaching staff to support the mental health of students, we must ensure that they receive appropriate support too. We cannot pour from an empty cup.

The evidence is clear. Investing in mental health support in schools not only helps students emotionally and physically, but boosts academic outcomes and overall school wellbeing. It cascades out to families and well beyond the school gates. We cannot and must not fail more children and families by not taking this issue seriously.

The young people of Weston-super-Mare, like those across the UK, are bursting with potential. But without the right support for their mental health to help them navigate the challenges and take advantage of the opportunities of our fast-changing society—that is important; we often talk down, not up, the nature of our fast-changing society—that potential will not be realised, and we must equip them with those tools.

I look forward to the Government’s continued expansion of mental health support in schools, and I urge them to ensure that our teaching staff are given the tools and support they need to look after their own mental health, so they can continue to be the positive role models and carers that our students need. We trust them to look after our children every day. We owe it to them to ensure that they are looked after, too.