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NEWS
University study: £2.2bn London 2012 Olympic legacy investment in PE ‘has failed’
Efforts to improve physical education at primary schools as part of legacy plans for the London 2012 Olympic Games have failed, according to a new study.
Academics at the University of Winchester looked into the effects of £2.2bn worth of investment into Primary PE
and School Sport Premium since 2012.
Led by Dr Vicky Randall, the research suggests that
there has been
no recognisable improvement in
the standard of PE teaching at primary school level.
Randall said: “PE
in primary schools
in England was to
be a significant
benefactor of the
London 2012 Games,
with the aim to inspire the youngest school-aged children.
“But despite a direct investment of more than £2.2bn – making it the highest-funded subject at primary
Dr Vicky Randall
age – we have identified a clear failure of this Olympic investment to deliver on one of its stated aims of increasing the ‘confidence, knowledge and skills of all primary staff in teaching PE and sport’.”
The School Sport Premium and Primary PE received £2.2bn worth of investment since 2012
Prof David James handed ISEA Fellowship
Professor David James, Managing
Director of Labosport UK and SAPCA board member, has been presented an honorary lifetime ISEA Fellowship Award from the International Sports Engineering Association (ISEA). ISEA is a community
of industry and academic researchers covering all sports and a broad spectrum of engineering and technology disciplines.
James defined the recognition as a “humbling experience–for once I was left speechless at
the awards ceremony.” He added: “Although
I am only mid-way through my career, I
take great satisfaction in this recognition of the positive impact of my work.”
James is a global authority on athlete- surface and ball-surface interactions.
David James
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