Ministers give evidence to Culture, Media and Sport Committee - and more updates
Topics discussed in depth in the session included:
- The Government’s new approach to PE and school sport, as announced by the Prime Minister last month. Catherine McKinnell stated the details of this are being developed, including a new partnership model, and highlighted the importance of focusing on PE, sport and physical activity together within and around the school day. With the Curriculum and Assessment Review ongoing she was unable to share much about the future direction of PE, but did emphasise the importance of PE and the forthcoming Enrichment Framework aligning and showcasing what good practice looks like. Asked about funding, the Minister said the Government is considering a “different approach” to the current Primary PE and Sport Premium, arguing it is not delivering the step change sought through the investment. She spoke of the benefits of a more coordinated approach, bolstering of access to activities and improvements to out-of-school provision, as well as the opportunities presented through greater engagement with local clubs and National Governing Bodies of sport.
- Providing inclusive opportunities, with Catherine McKinnell highlighting the Government’s investment into Inclusion 2028 (delivered by the Youth Sport Trust) and the important role inclusive physical activity can play in helping all children develop connections and belonging within the school environment. She emphasised the value all children get from participation, and indicated insights from school sport will inform the broader SEND reforms expected to be articulated later in the year. In addition, the Minister highlighted how Inclusion 2028 is upskilling the workforce and encouraging teachers to think in different ways, a principle which could help shape the Government’s new approach to PE and school sport.
- The importance of reaching all children, including girls and those with greater inactivity levels linked to affluence, or ethnicity. Stephanie Peacock spoke of the importance of place-based approaches in tackling some of these challenges, and that this model will inform future investment and delivery to ensure plans meet local needs and ambitions. In addition, her department is targeting investment and support to those with the greatest levels of need, and there was a specific reference to the importance of allowing girls to identify activities they want to participate in, reflecting the learnings from our own Girls Active programme.
- How the Ministers are working together, and across government more broadly, to maximise the contribution physical activity can make across a multitude of areas. It was emphasised that there is particular collaboration between the Departments for Education, Culture, Media and Sport, and Health and Social Care, including around the development of the new approach to PE and school sport. In addition, the ministers said they regularly meet and speak, including through activity with sector stakeholders to be informed by what is working on the ground. This is helping, they argued, to embed physical activity across many different departments.
- Access to facilities, including the delivering of specific funding for facilities, as well as how greater use can be made of existing facilities such as school sites. Catherine McKinnell said learnings from the Opening Schools Facilities programme will be used to inform the new approach to PE and school sport, including maximising the contribution of community facilities. Elsewhere, it was highlighted a new consultation on plans to remove Sport England’s role as a statutory consultee in the planning process can be expected soon.
You can watch the session in full here.
The evidence session came in the midst of a busy week of announcements and updates, with activity elsewhere including:
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The release of new Relationships, Sex and Health Education guidance for schools. This includes a new ambition to help boys identify positive role models and challenge myths about women and relationships, as well as encouraging professionals to discuss suicide prevention in age-appropriate ways. To support pupils’ broader health and wellbeing, the new guidance also places greater emphasis on the benefits of physical activity and includes teaching the water safety code to support children and young people to stay safe around water.
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The launch of ‘Activate,’ a new series of animated videos featuring Joe Wicks and backed by the Government, which aim to encourage children and families to get active. Coming as schools break up for the summer holidays, it is hoped these resources can support those children at greater risk of inactivity at a time when PE and school sport cannot be accessed, and can help demonstrate the power of physical activity including shaping future activity as part of the new 10 Year Health Plan for England.
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A summit bringing together Idris Elba, King Charles, the Prime Minister Keir Starmer and other leading voices to discuss how to tackle knife crime, particularly amongst young people. At St James’s Palace, the event provided an opportunity to explore opportunities for those affected by knife crime, with one attendee sharing how after being stabbed he was able to turn his life around through sport. As we know, sport can be particularly valuable in providing healthy outlets for energy, access to key skills for improving life chances and safe spaces for building belonging, especially after the school day which can support young people at risk of falling into gangs.
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A new report from British Future and the Belong Network, published a year after the violent unrest of last summer and looking into cohesion and community strength in the UK. Whilst noting the threat of unrest reoccurring will persist unless action is taken, the report highlights the important role can play in delivering shared experiences and bringing people together, as well as the power of schools to break down division and create connections and new friendships across different backgrounds and experiences.