Secondary Teacher Training Programme

A new era for PE, School Sport and Physical Activity?

The Secondary Teacher Training (STT) programme aimed to broaden opportunities and improve the quality of the PE and physical activity offer, improve confidence and competence and enjoyment for staff and students, and create a sustained positive change in the status of physical activity throughout schools.

The programme was funded by Sport England and delivered through a consortium of partners including the Youth Sport Trust (YST), Association for Physical Education (AfPE) and Activity Alliance.

An evaluation of the Secondary Teacher Training Programme was conducted by Sheffield Hallam University.  The scale, both in reach and impact, of the STT programme was unique and impressive. The STT programme made awards to 253 Teaching School Alliances (TSA) totalling £8,605,076, involving 2,568 secondary schools.

Key benefits of the programme are highlighted below:

  • Improved the quality and inclusiveness of PE curricula, enhancing the opportunity for students to be physically active and enhancing personal development and school improvement.  The changes have been driven mostly via student voice and an increase in the confidence and competence of staff as a result of teacher training, to deliver a PE, school sport and physical activity offer that is children and young person centred, relevant and enjoyable.
  • Broadened and more inclusive extracurricular offer, which has included lunchtime and afterschool clubs, physically active lessons and informal opportunities to be physically active during breaks. External links have also been enhanced providing an opportunity for students to pursue their choice of activity outside of school. The impact has been to increase the opportunity for students to be physically active, improved culture of extracurricular activity and reduced incidences of antisocial behaviour during non-lesson time.
  • Increased profile of PE, school sport and physical activity.  This has led to wider school impact; targeted interventions have reduced bad behaviour and increased attendance, particularly in PE lessons.

You can access and download the report on the right-hand side.

Published on 24 May 2023