Appendix
Government Response
Government's response to School sport following
London 2012: No more political football—Education Select
Committee
Response to the Summary
The Government wants to ensure that all children
have the opportunity to lead healthy, active lifestyles; to participate
in and enjoy sport and physical activity both within and outside
school; and to compete against their peers. These three objectives
reflect a strong commitment from across Government, with the Department
of Health and the Department of Culture, Media and Sport joining
with the Department for Education to secure the greatest impact.
Working across Government we have provided £300m of joint
funding for primary school sport, increased the number of Change4Life
clubs and increased access for older children to Satellite and
Sportivate clubs.
We welcome the Committee's positive response to the
retention of PE as a compulsory subject in the new national curriculum
and to our emphasis on improving primary school PE and sport provision.
That emphasis was identified throughout detailed discussion with
schools, teachers, and sporting organisations prior to the Prime
Minister's announcement in March of substantial cross-Government
investment in PE and sport in primary schools.
We agree with the Committee's view that it is important
to secure a lasting, sustainable legacy from the Olympic and Paralympic
Games. Encouraging an enthusiasm for PE and sport early in life
is key to an enduring healthy lifestyle. We believe that our focus
on primary school children is therefore the right approach.
Sustainability and accountability are also addressed
through the broader elements of the strategy: it is vitally important
that the money committed is spent well. Through the conditions
of grant, schools are required to publish online for parents the
details of their full PE and sport offer and the impact upon pupil
attainment. This will strengthen the ability of parents to hold
their children's schools to account for the funding. The additional
investment in primary school sport has also been ring-fenced,
a unique position in school funding and one which demonstrates
the importance we place on PE and sport in schools.
The role of Ofsted has also been strengthened. During
our consultation prior to the March announcement, the consensus
among the external sporting organisations was that the use of
Ofsted in this role would send a clear message to schools. Ofsted
has embraced the challenge of this new role: they have updated
their Inspection Handbook to include specific reference to the
additional funding, and have published a supporting note for Inspectors
online, detailing the funding and effective ways schools may consider
spending it.
I also agree with the Committee about the importance
of ensuring that primary school headteachers have access to high
quality advice to support best use of the new funding. The Department
for Education's website includes a range of useful information,
including: case studies showcasing excellent practice from some
of the best-performing schools; domestic and international research
material; detailed advice from professional sports organisations
such as Sport England (SE), the Youth Sport Trust (YST) and the
Association for Physical Education (afPE); and school offers from
national governing bodies for a wide range of individual sports.
We have continued to update the web material, recently adding
additional case studies on PE and sport for pupils with special
educational needs and disabilities, and more information from
national governing bodies.
The Government agrees with the Committee's identification
of the need for the impact of the additional funding to be sustainable.
Following the Spending Review announcement we are now exploring
how we might fund school sport in future years. Improving initial
teacher training, placing greater emphasis on PE and sport so
that pupils develop healthy lifestyles and the continuing professional
development of established staff will be essential to the success
of our investment.
Edward Timpson MP
Response to recommendations
We have responded to each numbered recommendation
below. Some of the recommendations and responses have been grouped.
Where a recommendation is blank no response was judged necessary.
Recognition of benefits by
Government
1. Although the evidence of
the impact of school sport specifically on an individual is still
emerging, the evidence of the benefits deriving from physical
activity and involvement in sport more generally for individuals
and the nation is conclusive. Recognition of this should underpin
Government policy for school sport and is the basis for all the
recommendations in our Report. (Paragraph 24)
The Government strongly agrees
that lifelong benefits derive from physical activity and sport.
Our major, cross-Government investment, boosting school and community
sport and thereby improving health, reflects this. An overview
of the evidence on physical education and sport in schools including
the benefits to pupils of developing healthy lifestyles, is available
on the gov.uk website[2].
Competition in school sport
2. The balance of evidence to
our inquiry supports the view that competition in school sport
deters some young people from participating in sport and physical
activity. We therefore recommend that the Department for Education
makes clear to all schools that they must offer both competitive
and non-competitive sporting opportunities to their pupils. (Paragraph
30)
We strongly believe that there
are benefits for children in competing against their peers and
participating in competition both within and between schools.
However, we also recognise that some pupils may not respond as
well as others to competitive engagement and teachers should use
their professional judgement in this matter. The new national
curriculum programme of study for PE exemplifies a range of team
and individual sports and other activities, including dance, which
will appeal to a broad range of pupils. Government investment
in Change4Life Clubs offers schools a way of reaching the least
active, including those who may not be attracted to competitive
sport. This is something in which headteachers can invest, using
the new school sports funding.
3. In order to deliver a strong
school sport offer, schools must ensure that all pupils are given
a firm grounding in physical education in key stages 1 and 2 and
the early years. We welcome the inclusion of PE in the draft national
curriculum. (Paragraph 33)
We welcome the Committee's support
for the retention of PE as a compulsory subject at all four key
stages in the new national curriculum. The new programmes of study
outline an approach that will ensure all pupils in key stages
1 and 2 receive an excellent grounding in PE. Useful guidance
for serving teachers and new trainees on the new PE programmes
of study has been developed by an expert group on PE, which has
representation from teaching schools, subject associations and
HE institutions.
Government policy
Long-term support
4. School sport is too important
to rely on occasional efforts at pump-priming; the Government
must commit to a long-term vision for school sport accompanied
by long-term funding. We recommend that the Government sets out
a plan for the sustained support and development of its school
sports policy, to include measures to ensure a cross-departmental
vision and effective working across all relevant departments.
(Paragraph 43)
Time-frame of primary sport
premium
10. We are concerned that the
timeframe of the primary sport premium is not sufficient to allow
a long-term provision to be built. It risks replicating previous
short-term fixes rather than creating a long-term solution. On
its own, the primary sport premium is inadequate. If the Government
is to secure a legacy from London 2012 and demonstrate its commitment
to school sport, the primary sport premium must be embedded within
a long-term strategy, with sustained funding. (Paragraph 70)
Ministers and officials from the three funding Departments,
as well as key external partners, meet regularly to drive progress
of the PE and sport strategy. As noted above, following the Spending
Review announcement we are also exploring how we might fund school
sport in future years.
Our approach supports effective delivery and reinforces
our strong cross-Departmental vision to secure sustainable improvements
in school sport. Our key objectives, backed by our significant
investment, are indicative of our commitment to effective working
across Departments and our shared vision. We want all children
to have the opportunity to lead healthy, active lifestyles; to
participate in and enjoy sport and physical activity both within
and outside school; and to compete against their peers.
The strategy in place provides
significant long-term benefits, deriving from instilling an early
enthusiasm for sport and physical activity in primary school pupils;
the creation of primary PE specialists who will play a lead role
in improving provision across groups of schools; the expansion
of Change4Life clubs addressing the needs of less active pupils;
and the extension of Satellite Clubs and Sportivate to include
pupils from the age of 11 onwards, ensuring that early enthusiasm
for sport is maintained as children progress from primary to secondary
education.
Delivery of school sport
School sports partnerships
5. There is clear evidence that
the ending of the school sport partnerships funding has had a
negative impact, including on the opportunities for young people
to access competitive sporting opportunities in school. School
sport partnerships were expensive but delivered benefits for children.
The Government needs to show that an alternative programme (at
lower cost) can deliver significant increases in participation
in school sport. (Paragraph 51)
We agree with the Committee's assessment that school
sport partnerships (SSPs) were not flawless and were particularly
expensive. Whilst the Government removed the requirement for schools
to take part in SSPs, it did not remove the ability for schools
to choose to take part, should they so wish. Schools are free
to work in partnership with neighbouring schools and other organisations,
including SSPs where they continue to support schools. There is
information on the Department's website for headteachers should
they wish to pool their funding to ensure greater impact, if that
is appropriate for local circumstance.
The impact of the new strategy will be monitored
closely, both by Government and through external evaluation, in
order to ensure significant, sustainable benefits for children
and schools and to secure better value for money for taxpayers.
Building on SSP model
6. We concur with Ofsted, and
we too recommend that the Government devises a new strategy for
school sport that builds on the many strengths of the SSP model.
We recommend that the Government promotes co-operation and partnership
between schools, clubs, county sports partnerships and others
to assist the delivery of school sport. (Paragraph 55)
We agree with the Committee about
the benefits that can accrue from partnership working and will
promote such co-operation where that is appropriate. This includes
partnerships between groups of schools, or between schools and
external bodies such as the county sport partnerships (CSPs),
sports clubs or national governing bodies. We will also seek to
build on the success of current intra- and inter-school competitions
such as the School Games.
7. We were particularly attracted
to the idea that any future model should include the role of a
peripatetic PE specialist who works with a cluster of schools
as a primary specialist, rather than secondary specialist. (Paragraph
56)
Schools are free to pursue this
model if that is appropriate for their local circumstance and
this is something that we will be monitoring closely as funding
progresses, both through our independent evaluation and through
inspection evidence from Ofsted. Advice and support on such approaches
is available on our website and from partners such as the Youth
Sport Trust, afPE, Sport England and local County Sport Partnerships.
As we set out in our evidence to the Committee, the Department
has asked the National College for Teaching and Leadership (NCTL)
to pilot a Primary PE specialist approach, working with three
school partnerships. The first tranche of trainee teachers is
already in place and another is due to begin training in January
2014 (more detail at recommendations 11 & 13).
Primary sport premium
8. We agree with the Government
that the priority in funding should be primary schools and that
the ring-fencing of funds is necessary to ensure it is spent on
sport. (Paragraph 61)
Guidance for head teachers
9. We welcome the fact the Department
for Education has produced comprehensive guidance for head teachers
on the effective use of the primary sport premium funding, but
more work needs to be done to make it as practical and useable
as possible. To assist head teachers further, we recommend that
the Department for Education produce a simple step-by-step approach
to auditing the needs of the pupils and the training needs of
staff which could then be used to guide decisions about spending.
(Paragraph 66)
We agree that advice to schools
on the use of the funding should be as practical as possible and
we are grateful for the Committee's recognition of the value of
the material that has already been published. We will continue
to post additional, high-quality material to ensure that headteachers
have access to as much information on current best practice as
possible. We trust headteachers to understand the needs of their
pupils and staff, and to address them accordingly. We have made
clear that the additional funding for primary schools can be used
to pay for continuing professional development for teachers to
boost their ability and confidence to teach PE effectively.
The Association for Physical Exercise
(afPE), for example, provide carefully developed tools in order
that schools might audit the needs of pupils and staff. The Department
does not consider it necessary to duplicate the work of an expert
professional organisation.
Primary teachers
Teacher training and development
11. The number of hours spent
on physical education by trainee primary teachers is inadequate.
Initial teacher training of primary school teachers must include
a more substantial course on physical education, including for
children with special needs. We recommend that Ofsted takes this
into account when inspecting and assessing initial teacher training
provision. (Paragraph 77)
13. We welcome the Government's
plans to begin training a cadre of 120 primary PE specialists
from this summer. The Government needs to set out how this initiative
will build into an improvement of sport provision in all 17,000
primary schools in England. (Paragraph 82)
NCTL is continuing to support innovative
work to identify and develop routes to produce high quality primary
teachers who can teach the PE curriculum more effectively. NCTL
will also continue to explore, with Ofsted, how physical education
can be best inspected in initial teacher training.
The Government is committed to attracting the best
graduates into teaching. For PE trainees beginning their secondary
ITT course in 2013/14, those with a first class degree will receive
a £9,000 bursary and those with a 2:1 degree will receive
£4,000.
All primary trainees also receive a £9,000 bursary
if they hold a 1st class degree and £4,000 if
they hold a 2:1.
As already noted, three school
partnerships are piloting primary PE specialist routes.
The findings from this pilot, including
cost and effectiveness, will inform future decisions that will
aim to build a sustainable improvement in primary PE teaching.
While ITT providers retain autonomy over the delivery, structure,
content and length of their programmes, we will continue to work
with them to ensure the needs of trainee teachers are being met.
12. We conclude that the best
long-term use of the primary sport premium may well be through
investment in high-quality training of staff. (Paragraph 78)
The Government agrees that the
quality of staff is of particular importance, a point also noted
in Ofsted's report on school sport released in February 2013.
As noted above, headteachers are
best placed to decide what support their staff need to help them
to make best use of the funding and we are providing information
about support available through expert professional organisations.
Schools involved in the primary
specialist pilot anticipate that their trainees will be deployed
in a coaching role for teachers within and beyond their own schools
to support further delivery of higher quality PE lessons across
federations and formal school-to-school partnerships.
Special needs and disability
sport
Competitive sporting opportunities
14. We recognise the role that
school sport can play in engaging children with special needs
in school and education. We recommend that further, specific training
for teachers in the provision of PE and sport for children with
special needs—be they for physical disabilities or special
educational needs—should be provided in both initial teacher
training and continuous professional development. (Paragraph 91)
We recognise the importance of
specific training for teachers in the provision of PE and sport
for children with disabilities and/or special education needs.
The Government already supports
a number of excellent initiatives in this area, including in 50
School Games 'Project Ability' schools that receive direct funding.
We will be building on the valuable work done there and sharing
practice more widely.
The Department for Education website
includes a number of case studies focused on inclusion of children
with SEN and/or disabilities. Lancasterian Specialist School,
for example, runs a training module to equip other local practitioners
with practical ideas and strategies to include all young people
in PE more effectively. Staff then put this into practice with
pupils who have special education needs, a disability, or who
are 'PE phobic', through Inter-School Competitive Sports Festivals.
Education, health and care
plans
15. We were attracted by Baroness
Grey-Thompson's suggestion that EHCPs include a section, where
appropriate, on physical activity. We were pleased to note that
the DfE is looking at how the new SEN Code of Practice could incorporate
information on access to school sport and physical activity. We
welcome the Minister's openness to our suggestion and await the
outcome of the Department for Education's consideration of it.
(Paragraph 94)
Where it is appropriate and where there is an assessed
need, local authorities may set out in an education, health and
care plan (EHCP) how a child or young person will achieve their
educational outcomes which may include opportunity to engage in
school sports and physical activity in whichever way is best for
them in school. As the recommendation suggests, it is not appropriate
to specify generally that every plan must include reference to
physical activity, given the range of needs of young people.
The Department for Education will publish a new SEN
Code of Practice for public consultation this autumn. It will
provide guidance on how to carry out statutory duties to identify,
assess and make provision for children and young people with special
educational needs. Where the draft code touches on sport and physical
activity, we would welcome suggestions on whether there is potential
for a clearer approach within the Code.
London 2012 legacy
A missed opportunity?
16. It is telling that witnesses
could not agree what the Government's London 2012 legacy for schools
would be. We believe that the opportunity to realise a London
2012 legacy for school sports has not yet been lost, although
further action is needed to ensure that the legacy in schools
benefits all children and lasts beyond the two years of the primary
sports premium. (Paragraph 100)
As set out in the Government's
evidence to the committee and in the introductory remarks above,
our view is clear. A lasting legacy from the London 2012 Olympic
and Paralympic Games will ensure that all children have the opportunity
to lead healthy, active lifestyles; to participate in and enjoy
sport and physical activity both within and outside school; and
to compete against their peers. The sustainability of this legacy
is of paramount importance and our focus on supporting schools
to achieve this has already been explained.
Delivering the legacy
School Games
17. We welcome the School Games
as a 2012 legacy activity for sporty young people. Longer-term
funding is needed, beyond 2015, to establish the Games and ensure
that it does not become another short-term fix. (Paragraph 106)
The School Games creates a year-round
programme of regular school sport competition—giving the
opportunity for every school and every child to participate in
competitive sport.
The Government is committed to
ensuring a lasting legacy from London 2012, and the School Games
is an important aspect of this. Led by the Department for Culture,
Media and Sport, the School Games Project Board consists of members
from the Department for Education, the Department of Health, Sport
England, the British Paralympic Association and the Youth Sport
Trust (as delivery agents). The Board meets regularly to discuss
progress, supporting effective delivery and reinforcing our shared
vision to secure a lasting sporting legacy from London 2012.
With currently over 60% of all
schools in England actively taking part, we are confident that
the School Games will continue to provide young people, of all
abilities, more opportunities to participate in competitive sport.
18. We agree with
witnesses that the School Games does not provide opportunities
for everyone. We recommend the 2012 school sports legacy includes
programmes and opportunities for all, not just for committed young
sportsmen and women. (Paragraph 107)
We agree with the Committee that
all young people should have the opportunity to participate in
sport and physical activity. Our overall strategy includes a range
of initiatives to address this including significant investment
in Change4Life clubs—encouraging the least active pupils;
providing support for pupils with disabilities and special educational
needs through Project Ability schools; as well as grants to promote
ambassadorial roles for young people to encourage and motivate
their peers.
Through the School Games, 38 national
governing bodies of sport have created new, innovative sports
formats at Levels 1 and 2 of the School Games, to encourage all
young people, regardless of ability or disability, to take part.
Schools have the flexibility to decide which sports they provide
but they should aim to involve as many pupils as possible by creating
breadth in the sports they offer and depth through the creation
of additional teams. Schools applying for a School Games kitemark
must demonstrate that they provide their pupils with appropriate
competitive sporting opportunities.
In addition, Sport England, through
the Youth and Community Sport Strategy, is investing over £1bn
towards growing grassroots sports, including a number of initiatives
designed to get the least active into sport, for example Sportivate
and Satellite Clubs, which are focused on fun and mass participation
activity.
Facilities
19. We recommend
that the Government encourages partnerships between local schools
to promote the sharing of facilities. This includes encouraging
the private sector to make available its facilities to local state
schools. (Paragraph 113)
The opening up and sharing of facilities
in a local area for wider use is something the Government already
actively encourages: increased access to facilities is an excellent
way to encourage more people to take part in sport. Sport England's
educational advisors are currently looking at how more private
sector facilities could be made available to local schools.
There are a number of examples
where schools share facilities, and this is something that we
are keen to promote. The King Edward VI School in Birmingham is
part of a pilot scheme whereby local state primary schools use
the sports facilities in the mornings. We will be working with
sports governing bodies and others to pursue this.
20. While we welcome
the inclusion of swimming in the national curriculum, we are concerned
that many schools do not have access to a pool. We recommend that
the Government undertakes mapping of the provision of swimming
pools to assess the scale of the problem, and develops a plan
to ensure all schools can fulfil their requirements under the
national curriculum. (Paragraph 114)
Mapping of swimming pools in England, including
school pools, has already been conducted by Sport England. This
information is used to inform discussions with local authorities
who are responsible for pool provision and can be obtained through
the Active Places Power website. Sport England works with
local authorities to support them in developing a strategic approach
to the provision of sports facilities, including pools, in the
local area.
Elite athletes
21. We recommend
that all schools develop a plan for the development of their gifted
and talented pupils. Integral to this will be the creation and
maintenance of links with clubs and other local schools—including
independent schools—to improve the availability and choice
of sport for their pupils. (Paragraph 121)
All schools should think carefully
about how best to develop talented pupils. Resources and advice
are available from national governing bodies to support them in
doing so. We agree with the Committee that local links, including
with independent schools, can support this aim. Work is in hand
with UK Sport to understand better the use of elite athlete visits
to inspire pupils.
Every secondary school in England
is also being offered the opportunity to host a club led by a
national governing body on a school site (a Satellite Club), with
the aim of creating 4,000 satellite clubs by 2017. Satellite clubs
help pupils in transition from school to find a suitable community-based
sports club.
Accountability
Primary sport premium
22. While Ofsted's
monitoring of the use of the primary sport premium is welcome,
we are concerned by the limits of this as an accountability measure.
We believe that the idea that Ofsted can hold primary schools
effectively to account during the two-year period of the funding
is flawed. We welcome the requirement that primary schools publish
details of how they will use the sport premium, but we recommend
that schools should go further and report on what has been achieved
by their pupils as a result of the funding. This would lead head
teachers to focus on the outcomes for pupils when considering
how best to spend the premium funding. (Paragraph 126)
There is an important balance to
be struck between holding schools to account and trusting schools
to make appropriate decisions based on local circumstance. We
believe our accountability plans are proportionate and sensible;
Ofsted's inspection judgements are a vital part of this and a
significant proportion will be inspected during this period. The
requirement on schools to report online to parents not only on
how their sport funding was used but also on its impact is also
an important feature of our accountability arrangements.
More detail on schools' reporting
is at recommendation 23.
Wider accountability
Quantity
23. We recommend
that schools are required to report annually on their websites
the proportion of children involved in at least two hours of core
PE each week. Schools should also indicate whether or not they
provide weekly opportunities for pupils to participate in school
sport, and the proportion of pupils who do so for at least two
hours per week. (Paragraph 133)
It is important that schools are
accountable to parents so that parents can understand the sporting
provision in their school and compare that with other offers in
their local area. This includes activities in and outside the
school day.
The conditions of grant regulating
the issue of the additional funding require schools to report
online about the way in which they have used their funding, and
what impact has been achieved. The Government does not set targets
for the number of hours that schools should dedicate to PE and
sport.
Quality
24. We note that
there are kitemark schemes for the quality of PE and school sport
provided by national bodies such as the afPE and the Youth Sport
Trust, and recommend that schools are encouraged by the Department
for Education to achieve these quality marks. (Paragraph 137)
The kitemark schemes offered by
national bodies such as afPE and the Youth Sport Trust provide
a good opportunity for schools to work to widely-acknowledged
quality standards. We encourage schools to work towards these
standards where that is appropriate for them.
October 2013
2 www.gov.uk/government/publications/evidence-on-physical-education-and-sport-in-schools.
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