Last week (Thursday 3 April), MPs came together in the House of Commons to debate access to sport and PE in schools, with many choosing to highlight best practice in their constituencies, as well as the need to provide opportunities for all children and young people to take part.

The debate was called for and led by Leigh Ingham MP, who explained to the House that following a recent visit to a local school, one of the pupils had contacted her to stress the importance of physical activity in improving wellbeing, socialising, self-esteem and coping, many skills which he believed are somewhat missing in his generation since the lockdowns caused by Covid-19.

As Leigh went on to add:

“Access to sport and physical education is about more than keeping children physically fit; it is about giving them skills, resilience and the confidence to navigate life’s challenges. It is about their mental health, their ability to form friendships and their capacity to overcome obstacles. It is about ensuring that no child is denied the chance to benefit from opportunities because of their background or gender, or any other barriers to opportunity that they face in life.”

In her contribution, Leigh called for more sustainable funding for PE and school sport, including urging the Government to confirm funding for the School Games Organisers for the next academic year (2025/26). We are grateful that in responding to the debate, School Standards Minister Catherine McKinnell was able state additional funding would be confirmed soon, with a formal communication doing so received by the Youth Sport Trust the next day.

In further contributions, Andrew Cooper highlighted research showing the Set for Success programme, funded by the Wimbledon Foundation in partnership with Barclays and delivered by the Youth Sport Trust, has supported young people by giving them access to skills such as communication, team working and leadership, as well as an understanding of how those skills can help them in the future.

Andrew also highlighted the impact of the School Sports Partnership in his constituency – Vale Royal School Sport Partnership – and gave MPs an insight into the history of School Sports Partnerships under previous governments including their impact and subsequent removal of funding. He went on to share his support for National School Sports Week, urging fellow MPs to attend a Parliamentary drop-in event he is sponsoring on behalf of the Youth Sport Trust in June, which will be attended by former Summer and Winter Olympian, Montell Douglas.

Josh Newbury used his speech to highlight the need for an inclusive approach to PE and school sport, so all children are able to try different activities and find ones they enjoy. He cited research from the Youth Sport Trust showing 58% of girls would like to have more options of PE kit to choose from, as well as the Class of 35 report (from 2020) showing children from lower socio-economic groups are the least confident in being active.

Closing the debate, the Minister (Catherine McKinnell) spoke about her passion for PE and sport in schools, as she recently shared with attendees at Youth Sport Trust conference 2025. In her remarks, she highlighted the impact of the Inclusion 2024 programme in using a network of lead inclusion schools to upskill teachers, teaching assistants and other members of staff to deliver inclusive PE and sport, adding that an open procurement for the new grant is now in its final stages.

After sharing that ongoing funding for the School Games Organisers network would be confirmed soon and further information about the primary PE and sport premium would come as soon as possible, the Minister concluded with an update that the Government is exploring future models for school sport delivery to make sure investment is as effective as possible. We look forward to continuing to share our ideas and insights with government to build a brighter future where all children and supported and encouraged to be active throughout the school day.

You can read the debate in full here.