Record numbers now doing PE and school sport

Nine out of ten pupils are now doing at least two hours high quality PE or sport a week – up from just 25 per cent in 2002, according to the 2007/08 School Sports Survey published today.

The figures show 250,000 more young people than last year and four million more overall are doing two hours sport in schools, thanks to the huge improvements to school sport and record £2.4billion investment up to 2011.

It also confirms that the Government has smashed its 85 per cent two-hour target for this year.

The survey reveals a massive jump in competitive sport participation – with 375,000 more pupils playing inter-school fixtures and half a million more playing competitive games within their own schools, like house and league matches.

It also finds that schools offer a wider range of sports than ever before, from football and dance to martial arts and golf.

But ministers stressed schools and sports clubs now had to raise their game to reach the new aim for every pupil to have the chance to do five hours PE and sport a week by 2011 – at least two hours in school and three hours out of school.

And they said that all parents, teachers and community sports clubs needed to pull in the same direction to persuade more children to carry on exercising and doing sport outside school.

The survey results will be announced at the annual School Sport Partnerships Conference in Telford today – addressed by Culture Secretary Andy Burnham.

Children’s Secretary Ed Balls said:

“We have made massive progress in the last few years and laid a firm foundation for a permanent 2012 Olympic legacy. It’s a testament to the fantastic, hard work of the Youth Sport Trust, schools and sports clubs.

“Ignore the half-pint full critics who carp nothing has changed. School sport was a national embarrassment a decade ago. Sport had all but withered and died in many schools; thousands of playing fields had been sold off; there was negligible investment; and an ingrained anti-competitive culture.

“School and youth sport has now never been as well funded; there is a permanent infrastructure and support in place; and more children doing PE and sport than ever before. Children don’t want to be wrapped in cotton wool - they want to compete at their own level, in the sports they want.

 “We now need to raise our game to persuade more children to make the right choices and exercise outside school - children exercising more sport in the holidays and after school so all children can do at least five hours a week.

“Medallist after medallist at the Beijing Olympics paid tribute to their families’ dedication in helping them achieve their dreams.

“The bottom line is that encouraging and supporting their children to exercise should be part and parcel of day to day life for families, whatever their talent – from simply making sure they’ve got the right PE kit and giving permission for off-school sport activities to training to actively volunteering to help run sports clubs.

“We need to engage parents who don’t encourage their kids to do exercise because they do not know what is on offer in schools or who were turned off sport by poor facilities and teaching when they were growing up. We need to break the cycle - if today’s children don’t play sport, then the odds are their own children won’t.

“Hundreds of thousands of parents already play a massive role in helping their children exercise. We need schools and clubs to all to work engage more local parents – and every parent to take responsibility for their children doing exercise and sport outside schools, not just teachers.”

Culture Secretary Andy Burnham said:
 
“School sport is in a stronger place than it has been in decades and it’s great that competitive sport is on the rise.  Over 2.5 million young people are now representing their schools in competitive fixtures, which is 375,000 more than a year ago.
 
“It is this playing to win ethos that I want to see grow further, both inside and outside of our schools, with even more opportunities for young people of all abilities to be properly coached, compete and be the best that they can be.
 
"Our Olympic and Paralympic heroes in Beijing were an inspiration to millions of young people and we now have the structure in place so that those that want to get into competitive sport can. As we look to London 2012 we want to get even more children playing sport and uncover more talent who can become our Olympians and Paralympians of tomorrow."   

Rebecca Adlington, Double Olympic Gold Medallist  said:

“I would like to congratulate all those responsible for getting even more young people participating in school sport. We all know just how important sport is for the development of young people, not just in terms of creating our future Olympians and Paralympians but for its ability to raise their confidence, self-esteem and improve the future health of the nation. I’m aware of how the provision of sport in school has increased in recent years, with better opportunities to participate, compete, lead or volunteer. The excitement of London 2012 gives everyone even more reason to build on the successes achieved so far and we must keep going."

Youth Sport Trust chief executive Steve Grainger said:

“The innovative approaches to PE and school sport, which are being highlighted at the School and Sport Partnerships’ Conference in Telford this week, show just how much great progress is being made and we are delighted to see this recognised in the results of the 2007/08 School Sport Survey.

“The Youth Sport Trust is privileged to work with a fantastic network of teachers, coaches and managers who are working tirelessly to transform PE and sport at local level and we would like to thank them for their continued dedication and hard work.

“Whilst much is being achieved there is still lots to do and all eyes are now firmly on 2012 as the nation prepares to host the Olympic and Paralympic Games and we seek to use this unique opportunity to build a world leading PE and school Sport system that offers all young people access to five hours of sport a week.”

Mike Diaper, Sport England Executive Director for Children and Young People, said:

“There are now more sporting opportunities than ever for children and young people. On average schools now have formal links to almost eight different sports clubs – a 50% increase over four years. Getting young people into community sports clubs is the best way to keep them involved in sport once they leave school.”

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Notes to Editors

1. The 2007/08 School Sport Survey is available at the DCSF website.
   
   The main findings are:
   
   • 90% of pupils participated in at least two hours high quality PE and out-of-hours in a typical week – up from 86% last year and estimated 25% in 2002. It means the Government’s 2008 target of 85% participation has been reached – and that 250,000 more pupils than last year and four million more than six years ago are doing two hours a week.
   
   • Participation among GCSE students in Year 10 and 11 is growing faster than any other year group at secondary schools – but is still below younger years at 71% and 66% respectively.
   
   Competitive sport is on the increase in all year groups:
   
   • 99% of schools held at least one sports day in 2007/08 up from 96% in 2003-04;
   
   • 66% of pupils took part in intra-school competition – up from 58% in 2006/07. It means 4.1m children played competitive house and league matches – up 500,000 from last year.
   
   • 41% of pupils took part in competitive sports fixtures between schools – up from 35% last year. It means 2.55m children are playing competitive matches against other schools – up 375,000 from last year.
   
   • The variety of sports offered at schools continues to increase – secondary schools now offer an average of over 22 different sports, ranging from mountaineering to kabbadi as well as traditional sports. The average range of sports offered by primary school has risen to 16.5.
   
   • Traditional sports remain pre-eminent in schools – the five most popular sports offered by schools are football (98 per cent), dance (96 per cent), gymnastics (94 per cent), athletics (93 per cent) and cricket (90 per cent).
   
   • Schools continue to embrace non-traditional sports – over the last five years the proportion of schools offering multi-skill clubs rising from 26% to 74%; golf up from 14 per cent to 38 per cent); cycling up from 21 per cent to 46 per cent; archery up from 7 per cent to 24 per cent; and orienteering up from 46 per cent to 62 per cent.
   
   • Schools are building more links with local clubs – on average schools now have links to almost eight different sports clubs up from five in 2003/04. The most common links are with football clubs (79 per cent), cricket (57 per cent), dance (49 per cent), rugby union (48 per cent) and swimming (45 per cent).
   
   • Schools are getting better at identifying sporting excellence – the proportion registered as Gifted and Talented athlete programme has more than doubled in four years – from 3 per cent in 2003/04 to 7 per cent this year.
   
   
2. PE Curriculum
   
   • PE is a compulsory component of the national curriculum at all Key Stages for all pupils.
   
   • The Department's and QCA guidance recommends that at least 75 minutes per week at key stages 1 and 2 and 90 minutes per week at key stage 3 are need to effectively cover the PE programme of study.  No guidance has been issued for key stage 4 where the emphasis is on health, fitness and well being.
   
   • The new secondary curriculum will give schools greater flexibility in the activities they provide to ensure that pupils find the type that they enjoy and are able to continue for life.
   
   
3. The Youth Sport Trust
   
   The Youth Sport Trust is a registered charity established in 1994 to build a brighter future for young people through sport. Its mission is to support the education and development of all young people through PE and sport. The Youth Sport Trust supports England’s 449 School Sport Partnerships which are working together to develop PE and sport opportunities for all young people and helps to deliver the National School Sport Strategy. For more information please visit the Youth Sport Trust website.  
   
   
4. Sport England
   
   Sport England exists to sustain and increase participation in community sport. It is a non-departmental public body and National Lottery distributor. Sport England's ambition is to get two million people participating more in sport by 2012. Sport England does this by promoting, advising and investing in community sport. Sport England has been a statutory consultee on planning applications affecting playing fields since August 1996. Sport England objects to any application that is detrimental to sport, unless alternative provision of at least equivalent value is found elsewhere.

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