Many young people believe PE makes them more employable

More than 6,500 pupils have said that they believe what they learn in PE will improve their employment prospects.

In an online survey by the Youth Sport Trust during National School Sport Week (25 to 29 June), 84% of primary school pupils said they thought what they learnt in PE would help them to get a job one day. 66% of secondary school students said they agreed.


YST Chief Executive Ali Oliver said: “Teamwork, leadership, communication skills, confidence and resilience are all part of what physical education should be equipping young people with, in addition to improving their physical wellbeing. These are all skills and attributes which help pupils thrive in other subjects and throughout their lives.

“But it is clear that, at a time when curriculum time for PE in secondary schools is being cut and children have never been less active, we need to do more to reinforce the subject’s value. This means transforming the way PE is taught, perceived and valued to ensure it is positioned as a core subject, just as important to a young person’s development as maths and English.”

Researched published by YST earlier this year found that 38% of secondary schools in England had reduced the amount of core curriculum PE on the timetable since 2012.

In the charity’s new strategy, Believing in Every Child’s Future, it sets out a call to transform physical education – protecting curriculum time and putting it at the centre of wellbeing and achievement in education.