New guidance on offering inclusive PE opportunities

The government has published new guidance to support schools in offering inclusive sporting opportunities for girls and boys of all abilities, alongside a minimum of two hours of PE per week.

Drawing on case studies from across the country, the new guidance provides inspiration for schools to offer all pupils inclusive and high-quality PE, sport and physical activity. It demonstrates how schools can remove barriers to participation in PE by taking the specific needs of pupils into account, embedding plans into the school’s strategy, and building relationships with local and national sport bodies.

Using the new guidance will help schools to meet both the ambitions of the national curriculum and the Chief Medical Officers’ physical activity guidelines, which recommends that children should take part in moderate to vigorous physical activity for an average of 60 minutes a day.

Education Secretary Gillian Keegan said: “As the Women’s Six Nations kicks off, I’m delighted that we’re taking the next step to support schools to help boys and girls follow their sporting role models. I know there are so many benefits to being active, not just in terms of physical health but also to build wellbeing and positive mental health.

“It is inspiring to see the innovative ways that schools around the country are offering every child access to quality sporting opportunities, regardless of their background, and this guidance will help even more schools to instil a lifelong passion for sport and fitness in every young person.”

Examples cited in the guidance include Shoreham Academy, where PE staff worked closely with their Inclusion and Learning Support team to make sure that pupils with special education needs and disabilities (SEND) were able to take part in PE. By purchasing new equipment for accessible activities like Boccia and Goalball, pupils with disabilities such as Muscular Dystrophy and Downs Syndrome have been able to participate fully in school sports.

The guidance shows how some schools which offer excellent PE and sports provision have seen improvements to pupil behaviour, confidence and wellbeing, while a strong extra-curricular sports offer at school can develop children’s sense of community and belonging. For example, Wright Robinson College introduced a series of casual, non-competitive sports clubs which run during the school day, creating an inclusive environment which develops character and boosts mental health.

The expectation will be that schools will use these case studies and examples to drive improvements in their own school sport provision and ensure they are offering equal opportunities for girls and boys.