Advocacy in Action: Spring Term Snapshot
- We were delighted to receive confirmation of funding for the School Games Organisers network for the 2025/26 financial year. This follows work by the Youth Sport Trust, alongside our partners, to encourage the Government to provide clarity and take action to protect existing support, so opportunities for children to be physically active in and around schools are not lost.
- School Standards Minister, Catherine McKinnell, provided a video address for our annual conference, emphasising her commitment to ensuring all children have access to high-quality physical education and school sport. Meanwhile, her colleague, Stephanie Peacock (Sport Minister), used a video at our Set for Success event at Wimbledon to congratulate and inspire programme participants for their development through sport.
- With the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee’s ‘Game On’ inquiry into community and school sport in full swing, our CEO Ali Oliver joined Youth Sport Trust Athlete Mentors Montell Douglas and Alistair Patrick-Heselton, alongside Olympic swimmer Anna Hopkin MBE, in sharing experiences and insights. Proposed ideas included making PE a core subject, reimagining the aims of PE and rebuilding school sports partnerships.
- Leigh Ingham MP led a debate on access to PE and school sport, where it was extremely positive to hear so many MPs highlighting the value of physical activity. We were thrilled to see the Set for Success and Inclusive 2024 programmes celebrated, and proud our research helped inform the debate. Shortly afterwards, we released polling showing nine in ten MPs want the curriculum to include protected time for PE.
- Following last year's evidence gathering, the Curriculum and Assessment Review continues to progress, with an interim report published in March. In our response, we reiterated our belief that through increased physical activity in schools we can develop children who are happy, healthy and ready to learn. The Review’s final report is expected in the Autumn.
- As the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill passes through Parliament, we have been pushing for the legislation to include play sufficiency, a national wellbeing measurement for children, and for free breakfast clubs to include enrichment opportunities, for example via active breakfast clubs. Our work as part of a broader coalition aiming to use breakfast clubs to deliver enrichment has included engagement with No 10 officials.
- Following the launch of a national listening exercise to inform the new National Youth Strategy, we encouraged our networks to empower young people to share their views. Guidance is available for delivering Youth Engagement sessions, with insights to be submitted by 16 May. An interim report is expected soon, with the full strategy to be published in the summer.
- In addition to our written submission to the ‘Game On’ inquiry, we responded to calls for evidence from the Treasury ahead of the Spending Review, from the Education Select Committee to inform their ‘Solving the SEND Crisis’ inquiry, and from the Independent Commission on Community & Cohesion. By continuing to engage across many areas, we hope to help drive change, providing all children with the daily opportunities to be active.
- Following a letter from our National School Sport Champion Sir Mo Farah CBE on World Children’s Day, we were grateful to spend some time in No 10 Downing Street exploring how to improve opportunities for physical activity in schools. This discussion included representatives from the Prime Minister’s Policy Unit, as well as officials from the Department for Education and Department for Culture, Media and Sport. We hope this can be the impetus for change.
- And finally, with National School Sports Week just a couple of months away, we are encouraging MPs to spend some time in their constituency seeing and hearing from children and young people about why being active matters so much to them. If you would like to invite your own MP to activities you have planned, we’ve put together a quick guide on how to do so.
Published on 14 April 2025