At the Youth Sport Trust, we are passionate about equipping educators and empowering young people, with the goal of ensuring that every child has access to the life-changing benefits of play and sport. However, we are also acutely aware that for many young people, particularly those in disadvantaged areas, access to these opportunities is often limited or unequal. That’s why we’re taking a more targeted approach, focusing some of our resources and efforts in areas where the need is greatest.

As part of this commitment, we have identified specific locations across the UK that will become key focus areas for the Youth Sport Trust to grow our understanding. Initial focus areas for our work typically equate to a Local Authority area but a minority of the locations cover smaller geographical areas.

Why target specific locations?

This approach is a core part of our strategy to take urgent action to build back healthier, happier, and more resilient young people.  

The locations we’ve selected will provide us with valuable insight. By working in these areas, we can build an evidence base that will inform our broader strategy, helping us drive a generational shift in how sport and physical activity are delivered to all young people.

Our goal is to create lasting societal change that ensures all young people, regardless of background, have the opportunity to experience the transformative power of sport.

How did we choose the locations?

We based our decision on several key factors that highlight areas of need. These include:

• Elevated levels of childhood obesity - addressing physical health challenges is critical, and these areas require targeted interventions to promote healthier lifestyles.
  • On average, 40% of pupils in these locations are obese or overweight (compared to a national average of 37%).
• High levels of deprivation – young people living in more deprived areas often face multiple barriers to accessing sport, including financial constraints, lack of facilities, and fewer opportunities.
  • The mean Pupil Location Income Deprivation Affecting Children Index (PLIDACI) decile of these areas is 3 (where 1 is the most deprived and 10 is the least deprived).
• Low levels of participation in sport and physical activity – in some areas, young people are simply not getting enough physical activity, whether due to social, economic, or cultural factors.
  • The majority of pupils in these locations are not meeting the national guidelines of 60 active minutes each day (44% meet the national guidelines compared to a national average of 47%)
• Readiness to work with us – we are seeking to collaborate with local schools, trusts, and organisations who are eager to partner with us in making lasting change.

Gathering a deeper insight to understand local need

In order to gain a deeper understanding of the community within each location, and the context that the schools operated in, 161 schools visits were undertaken across 20 initial focus areas.  The visits included primary, secondary and special schools.  We spent time speaking to school and Physical Education leaders, who told us about the key challenges that young people are currently facing, who the young people are that are most affected, their school priorities, and the role that PE, School Sport and Physical Activity (PESSPA) can play in supporting young people.

What did the insight tell us about the challenges facing young people?

From the perspective of school staff, the key challenges for young people in all initial focus areas include poor mental, physical and social wellbeing, plus lower levels of educational attainment for some young people, which was further exacerbated by Covid-19. Many of the young people in these locations also have challenging home lives, often related to poor living conditions, elevated levels of deprivation, poor social mobility, a lack of opportunities, and a lack of support from home. 

The types of young people that are facing the greatest inequalities and challenges vary, but patterns can be seen universally across the areas at different stages of education; 

Starting school: Covid-19 lockdowns contributed to low levels of school readiness, including a lack of fundamental skills and difficulties concentrating.

Primary school: Covid-19 lockdowns contributed to poor social skills and low emotional regulation, along with lower levels of reading, writing and numeracy skills.

Transitioning from primary to secondary school: Covid-19 lockdowns contributed to low levels of confidence and resilience, low emotional regulation, poor social skills and behaviour issues.

Secondary school: Missed education due to Covid-19 lockdowns contributed to a lack of resilience, motivation, ambition and belonging, along with some behavioural issues.

Specifically looking at participation in PESSPA, some of the key groups of young people facing inequalities or challenges are those who lack parental support and engagement, have additional needs, are from low socio-economic backgrounds, and have poor mental health. Young people from an Asian background and girls were often highlighted as facing inequalities and challenges in relation to participation as well. Schools highlighted that they struggled to fully meet the participation needs of all young people.

What did the insight tell us about the priorities for schools?

Key priorities for all schools included the following:

• to improve young people’s wellbeing
• to improve young people’s engagement in school and wider community cohesion
• to improve young people’s educational outcomes, including their educational attainment and life skills
• to develop the curriculum, improve provision for young people, and support staff development
• to improve the provision of PE, School Sport and Physical Activity (PESSPA), including an understanding of its value.

Alongside the school visits that the Youth Sport Trust undertook, we also commissioned The University of Manchester to conduct deeper primary research with five diverse schools from across key focus areas, ranging from urban primary schools to specialised institutions.

Their research agreed with our view that PESSPA has transformative potential to uplift communities and catalyse generational change. They concluded the following recommendations for policymakers and educators to unlock this potential:

• Prioritise infrastructure
• Promote equity
• Embed physical activity in school culture
• Tackle sedentary behaviours

You can read more about their full findings and reccomendations in their blog here: Transforming children and young people’s futures through PE, school sport, and physical activity

What did our insight visits tell us about how schools can embed physical activity in school culture?

On average, schools reported that PE provision falls short of the recommended 2-hour guidelines for all key stages. Schools do think it is important for young people to be involved in PESSPA, however more can be done to ensure that school staff feel competent using play, physical activity and sport to support young people who are most in need and to ensure young people have a better understanding of the value of PESSPA.

The key enablers for putting PESSPA at the heart of schools are:

Prioritisation

• Valuing the role of PESSPA
• Evidence that progress at school can be supported by physical activity
• Sufficient time for PE on the timetable
• Shared vision

People

• Staff who understand and promote the values and ethos of PESSPA, including positive role modelling
• Staff who are competent to deliver PESSPA
• Senior leadership teams that prioritise PESSPA and recognise the value of PESSPA in supporting wider school priorities
• PE lead (or equivalent) responsible for driving PESSPA
• Youth voice to direct and help shape the offer
• Engaged parents who understand the importance of PESSPA

Provision

• Promotes enjoyment
• Supports inclusivity - caters for all needs, including religious needs and SEND
• Delivers active lessons

Resources

• Good quality facilities, space and equipment
• Sufficient investment and funding, including PE and Sport Premium
• Allowing kit to be worn on PE days

What’s next?

As we move forward with this targeted area strategy, we are committed to working alongside local schools, communities, and partners to create meaningful change. We’ll be focusing on greater understanding of the local needs, delivering targeted interventions, and ultimately building the momentum needed to scale up our efforts.

The Youth Sport Trust’s mission has always been to ensure every young person can experience the benefits of sport and physical activity and we will continue to do this.

By narrowing some of our focus and directing more time to areas where they are most needed, we believe we can make a bigger, more lasting impact. Together, we can level the playing field for disadvantaged young people and help them build a healthier, happier, and more resilient future.