Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether he plans to increase Government funding for physical education programmes in schools to help tackle (a) inactivity among children during the covid-19 lockdown and (b) childhood obesity.

Physical education (PE) is an important part of a broad and balanced curriculum and remains a national curriculum foundation subject at all Key Stages 1-4. The Department is working to ensure that schools are fully supported, as they welcome more children back to school, to give pupils opportunities to take part in physical education and be physically active during the school day.

Schools have the flexibility to decide how physical education, sport and physical activity will be provided whilst following the measures in their system of controls. It is important that children continue to remain fit and active and, wherever possible, have the 60 minutes of daily physical activity recommended by the Chief Medical Officers.

To support effective curriculum delivery, schools’ core funding is rising by £2.6 billion in 2020-21, £4.8 billion in 2021-22 and £7.1 billion in 2022-23, compared to 2019-20 funding levels. The Government has also announced an additional £650 million ‘catch up’ premium, as part of our wider £1 billion COVID catch-up package, to be shared across all state-funded schools over the 2020-21 academic year.

The Government is also providing funding specifically for PE and school sport and recently confirmed that the PE and sport premium will continue to provide £320 million for primary school PE and sport in the coming academic year. The Department for Education is working with the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport and the Department for Health and Social Care to implement the School Sport and Activity Plan. We are also looking at further action to deliver on manifesto commitments to help schools make good use of their sports facilities and to promote physical literacy and competitive sport, in light of the budget announcement earlier in the year.

While schools have been closed to some pupils, steps have been taken to support those who have had restricted opportunity to exercise while at home. As part of its guidance on remote education provision, the Department has published online educational resources approved by subject experts for schools and parents to help children to take part in PE and physical activity.