Member

Despite the Government’s commitment to physical education, the reality in many schools is now far from ideal. Recent reports indicate that, since the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics, the UK has seen a reduction of 7,000 PE teachers. Some 30% of children engage in fewer than 30 minutes of daily physical activity, and obesity is growing. Additionally, there has been a decline of 41,000 PE teaching hours compared with the 2011-12 school year, and children now receive some 20 minutes fewer playtime at school than three decades ago. These statistics are not merely numbers, they represent missed opportunities for children to develop physical literacy, teamwork and resilience. The lack of a unified strategy has resulted in a fragmented approach to PE, where schools operate in isolation without a shared vision or co-ordinated effort.