Physical Education and Sports

(asked on 24th January 2022) - View Source

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the report School Recovery Strategies: Year 1 findings, published on 11 January, when they plan to re-introduce sports and physical education at the daily recommended activity levels of at least 60 minutes.


Answered by
Baroness Barran Portrait
Baroness Barran
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
This question was answered on 7th February 2022

The department’s COVID-19 guidance has supported schools to continue to provide physical education (PE), sport and physical activity through COVID-19 restrictions. Schools have the flexibility to decide how PE, sport and physical activity will be provided to pupils while following the measures in their system of controls.

It is this government’s ambition that 30 minutes of the 60 minutes of physical activity a day recommended by the Chief Medical Officers should be done at school. This can include all forms of activity such as PE, active travel, after-school activities, play and sports. The School Sport and Activity Action Plan, which aims to make sport and physical activity an integral part of both the school day and after-school activities, enabling all children have the opportunity to take part in at least 60 minutes of physical activity every day, will be updated this year. Primary schools have also continued to receive the £320 million PE and sport premium, supporting improvements in the quality of the PE, sport and physical activity which they offer.

In October 2021 the government also announced nearly £30 million a year will go towards improving the teaching of PE at primary school, as well as to improve and opening up school sport facilities in England.

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