January 2016
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This seminar considered the Government's priorities for school sports. It came amidst widespread concerns of an 'inactivity crisis' in England, with Public Health England highlighting that one third of children aged 10-11 are 'overweight or obese'.
The conference provided an opportunity for attendees to reflect on the impact and future of the PE and Sports Premium, introduced in the 2010 - 2015 Parliament, which is providing £450m worth of funding from 2013-16 to improve the quality of PE provision in primary schools. Those who attended also considered steps to raise the quality of sports teaching, including the launch of the Coaching in Schools Portal, which provides advice for headteachers on how to recruit, develop and use coaches effectively.
Delegates considered what steps can be taken to improve grass-roots engagement with sport, particularly for young girls and pupils with disabilities. They also explored measures to boost participation during and outside of school, and examined the success of initiatives such as the School Games programme, which aims to inspire more young people take part in competitive sport.
Further sessions examined measures to tackle childhood obesity, promote 'physical literacy’ and support healthy eating, in light of Ofsted's report The PE and sport premium for primary schools, which highlighted that 'very few schools were using their funding to improve pupils' health and wellbeing'.