Youth Sport Trust and leading multi-academy trusts release pledges in support of the Equal Sport Project

Youth Sport Trust is proud to support the Equal Sport Project, which aims to accelerate progress towards equality across sport.

Youth Sport Trust is proud to support the Equal Sport Project, which aims to accelerate progress towards equality across sport.

We have joined major sporting organisations from across the UK in pledging to take action to make the UK the world’s leading nation for women and girls in sport.

As well as making our own pledge, we have worked closely with a number of multi-academy trusts who have joined us in committing to take action – you will find our pledge, and theirs, below.

In addition, the Association for School and College Leaders has pledged to signpost and promote the campaign to its members, to encourage the aspirations of the campaign.

We hope this can be the catalyst for more multi-academy trusts and schools to join us. Find out more about the Equal Sport Project and how to make your pledge here.

Youth Sport Trust

We pledge to:

  • Listen to and elevate girls' voices, using research and lived experiences to inform action and inspire change.
  • Support schools and equip educators to recognise and challenge stereotypes, positively influence boys' attitudes and develop male allies who champion gender equality in PE, school sport and physical activity.
  • Champion representation and inclusion, intentionally enabling a diverse representation of girls and young women to be leaders, decision-makers and role models who influence PE, school sport and enrichment within schools, multi-academy trusts and the wider system.
  • Lead and influence the sector to create inclusive opportunities, remove barriers and ensure provision reflects the needs and aspirations of girls, while cascading and amplifying the Equal Sport Project through our networks to drive engagement, collective action and new pledges.

Haberdashers' Academies Trust South

We pledge to:

  • Create schools where girls have equal access to the spaces, facilities and opportunities that inspire active lives.
  • Listen to girls, challenging assumptions and rethinking how breaktime and lunchtime spaces are used, to ensure every girl feels welcome, visible and confident to take part in sport and physical activity.
  • Place girls' voices at the heart of school sport, creating co-curricular opportunities that reflect what girls want and need, helping more girls participate, lead and develop a lifelong love of sport and physical activity.
  • Make Girls Active a catalyst for lasting change by empowering girl leaders and acting on their experiences, we will create sporting environments where girls feel heard, valued and confident to participate, helping shape the future of school sport.

Meridian Trust

We pledge to:

  • Establish a consistent Trust-wide approach to listening to girls about their experiences of PE, sport and physical activity.
  • Use pupil voice to identify barriers to participation and ensure that girls’ views and preferences actively inform the development of curriculum, enrichment and wider sporting opportunities across our schools.
  • Review PE, sport and enrichment provision across Meridian Trust through a gender and inclusion lens, identifying and addressing inequalities in access, participation and opportunity.
  • Particularly consider girls who may experience additional barriers, including those with special educational needs and disabilities, and those from disadvantaged or under-represented groups.
  • Use sport and physical activity across Meridian Trust to challenge gender stereotypes, celebrate women and girls in sport and increase the visibility of positive female role models.
  • Create opportunities for children to see sporting participation as normal, inclusive and open to everyone, regardless of gender.

Olive Academies

We pledge to:

  • Review our curriculum and enrichment provision through a gendered lens, identifying and addressing barriers, stereotypes and inequalities.
  • Ensure that teaching, learning opportunities, resources and wider experiences are inclusive, representative and accessible to all pupils.
  • Promote equity, challenge assumptions and enable every pupil to thrive, through ongoing reflection, consultation and evidence-informed action
  • Listen to girls, value their voices, and regularly consult them about their needs, experiences, and preferences.
  • Use what they tell us to shape and improve our provision, ensuring services remain relevant, inclusive, accessible, and responsive.
  • Create safe opportunities for honest feedback and demonstrate how girls' views have influenced our decisions and actions.

Redhill Academy Trust

We pledge to:

  • Create an Equal Sport working group made up of female leaders and male allies across our Trust.
  • Ensure our co-curricular offer is both inspiring and accessible for girls, meeting their needs and motivations.
  • Use campaigning through positive female role models and educate schools to be period positive environments.

Windsor Academy Trust

We pledge to:

  • Give every girl equal opportunities to participate, enjoy and thrive in PE, sport and physical activity.
  • Review our curriculum, enrichment and competition provision to identify and remove barriers to participation.
  • Listen to girls and using their voices to shape opportunities.
  • Ensure all girls have access to inclusive, engaging and accessible sporting experiences that meet their needs and interests.

Lift Schools

We pledge to:

  • Make equitable access to physical activity and sport a priority across our schools.
  • Remove barriers that prevent girls from participating, enjoying and benefiting from physical activity.
  • Use our national reach to understand participation gaps.
  • Share effective practice and expand access to relevant sporting opportunities and role models.

Insignis Academy Trust

We pledge to:

  • Expand enrichment offerings across all Trust academies, informed by what students tell us about their enjoyment of PE, the activities they enjoy the most and the activities they would like to experience. 
  • Give girls greater choice, introducing alternative ways of being physically active that focus on enjoyment, confidence, wellbeing and lifelong participation rather than solely traditional competitive sport.
  • Introduce a short 10–15 minute 'Try-Before-You-Commit' approach which will incorporate a 'Bring a Buddy' system, allowing girls to participate alongside trusted peers, key workers, or Teaching Assistant.
  • Equip educators across all academies with specialised CPD regarding the impact of puberty, body confidence, and gender stereotyping on physical activity. 
  • Embed Dove 'Our Body Confident' resources and facilitate cross-Trust teacher training to ensure sustainable, informed delivery.
  • Utilise Youth Sport Trust's ‘Uniform for Learning’ resources to encourage girls’ to evaluate the effects of our current PE uniforms on participation in PE and physical activity.
  • Increase girls' representation in accredited sports leadership courses, explicitly targeting unengaged and disadvantaged cohorts.

United Learning

We pledge to:

  • Work towards 90% of girls in our schools being active for an average of 30 minutes a day in schools.
  • Develop PE uniforms enabling girls from all backgrounds to be active to, from and during the school day.
  • Design inclusive PE providing girls with equitable opportunities for participation, enjoyment and success.
  • Establish sustainable leadership pathways with girls taught leadership skills and given opportunities to lead and influence physical activity and sporting provision.
  • Increase the number of girls attending extra-curricular clubs.
  • Use cluster, regional and national opportunities to plug gaps and provide additional participation and performance opportunities.
  • Monitor the impact on confidence, enjoyment and participation.