Question to the Department for Education:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the Olympic and Paralympic legacy for school sport in 2013 and 2014.

The Government has committed over £450 million of ring-fenced funding, until academic year 2015/16, to the improvement of primary physical education (PE) and sport. The funding goes directly to primary schools for head teachers to spend in the way that best meets the needs of their students. They can choose to use the funding to provide new or additional sports activities and hire qualified sports coaches to work alongside teachers.

Our independent evaluation showed that more than two thirds of schools have increased the number of sports offered during lessons and in after school clubs. Over 80% of schools reported an increase in pupil engagement in PE and after school sports clubs compared with the year prior to the introduction of the premium.

We have expanded the School Games, with 18,985 schools participating in 2013/14, including over 13,000 primary schools. The number of disabled participants has increased each year, reaching 28,786 in the 2013/14 Level 3 County Festivals. The Department also continues to fund the Project Ability network which is aiming to increase sporting opportunities for young disabled people through a network of 49 hubs of excellence. More than 24,000 young disabled people have directly benefited.

PE remains a compulsory subject at all four key stages in the new national curriculum and there is a greater focus on competitive sport in PE lessons.