Page 20 - Winter 2018 19

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20 SPORT ENGLAND REPORTS
SPORT ENGLAND REPORTS
Teacher training to target attitudes to PE in schools
Teacher training to target attitudes to PE in schools
This is the first sig-
nificant investment
into secondary
school PE since
2008 and, while
the training pro-
gramme will not
change the curricu-
lum, it will build on
and enhance exist-
ing good practice
and support neces-
More than 17,000 secondary school PE sary improvements
teachers are being offered free training to for all children and young people. Fewer
help foster a more positive attitude to physi- than half the children surveyed in 2015
cal education. viewed PE as a positive experience, with
We’re investing up to £13.5 million in a this programme aiming to improve the rele-
teacher training programme, run in partner- vance and quality of pupil’s experiences.
ship with the Teaching School Council, which And with only 8% of girls and 16% of
will offer specialist training and mentoring for boys at secondary school meeting the Chief
teachers. In 2015, we surveyed more than Medical Officer’s guidelines of 60 minutes of
450 school and col-
lege students, aged
14 and above, and
the results showed
that 19% disliked or
hated PE at school.
Further re-
search also shows
that a bad experience
at school can put
children off physical
activity for life – with girls more likely to dislike physical activity a day – according to a Youth
or hate PE. Jennie Price, our chief executive, Sport Trust survey from 2017 – the training will
said it is vital that all children enjoy a great work with headteachers and senior leaders to
experience of PE and sport at school. help them raise the profile of PE and sport in
“Our research shows that a bad experi- school. Any schools or teachers who are inter-
ence of sport at school can put them off being ested in taking part are invited to make their
active for life,” she explained. “Lots of people Teaching School Alliance aware of the oppor-
have bad memories of being picked last for a tunity and request them to register their interest
team, or just feeling really uncomfortable in with Sport England.
PE lessons. Each school term, we will work with 50-
“This programme is designed to stop 75 Teaching School Alliances, with the aim of
that happening. It will help schools and indi- giving all schools in England the opportunity to
vidual teachers design a wider range of op- take part by 2021. For more information email
portunities to increase young people’s sportengland.teachertrainingscheme@sporten
enjoyment of sport and PE, which gives them gland.org.
a much better chance of being active in later ED - so what are we doing for Short
life.” Mat and Carpet Bowls. Difficult I know but
we have to start somewhere?