The Youth Sport Trust welcomed the Government's Consultation Paper - A New Strategy for Sport and the response we developed, informed by discussion with our key partners and with their endorsement, has been submitted to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS).
The consultation process is now closed and the resulting new sport strategy is expected from DCMS at the end of the year, or early in 2016. We are pleased to publish our response here, to build on the cross-sector working encouraged by the Consultation Paper.
Our response has been guided by a set of key principles and priorities, which we believe the Government needs to consider as part of any strategy development. These have been developed thanks to the Youth Sport Trust's 20 years of experience in delivering high quality physical education (PE), physical activity and sport in schools around the country (as well as in 63 countries across the world). Through our experience of delivery on the ground, working alongside key strategic partners and our network of partner and member schools, we have a unique insight into the current state of PE and school sport and physical activity, and are therefore keen to stress the effect of government policy on delivery.
Underpinning our response is the belief that young people's participation should be the essential foundation on which all other outcomes are built and that PE, physical activity and school sport must deliver three things for all young people:
- physical literacy to ensure young people are confident movers;
- instil a love of sport based on a broad experience of participation, leading and volunteering in traditional and non-traditional sports; and,
- ensure an understanding of the value of physical activity and sport throughout life.
We are keen to ensure that the importance of PE, school sport and physical activity for all young people is clearly understood and embraced within the new strategy. The collaborative approach suggested by the Consultation Paper, with Minister's presenting the challenges from the sport sector that they face in their work, indicates a new cross-departmental form of working that we are keen to see built on by the subsequent strategy. We look forward to working with the Government and will support any new approach that underlines the importance of a shared vision on PE, physical activity and school sport, within a broader sports strategy.
Ultimately, the Youth Sport Trust wants to see a pathway through the education system that is supported by a confident, inspiring and expertly trained workforce, who offer inclusive PE, school sport and physical activity that becomes the basis of a love of being active.
