Responding to Government’s announcement of an £8 million Wellbeing for Education Return programme, the Youth Sport Trust’s Head of Health & Wellbeing Chris Wright said:

Supporting young people’s wellbeing after what they have been through in recent months will be the most important and challenging priority facing schools returning in September. We welcome this investment in training to support teachers and pupils.

To really support young people, we should also make sure we are maximising the vital role that sport and physical activity play in boosting wellbeing. Our research during lockdown found that many young people felt worse for missing school sport and Physical Education and we know that levels of physical activity declined. It will be essential that this new support helps schools to harness the power of sport and play to help young people recover, re-engage with school life and start re-developing a sense of connection with their peers.

At the Youth Sport Trust we will be supporting schools to drive improvements in wellbeing for all teachers, senior leaders and young people through the national launch of a new Well School movement – helping schools to drive change, share challenges and solutions and navigate the support available to them.