Schools lost 4,000 PE hours in past year, Youth Sport Trust finds

Schools across the UK have lost 4,000 PE hours in the last year, according to the Youth Sport Trust’s latest PE and School Sport Report, while maths and English teaching hours have increased by 13% and 10% respectively. 

Since the 2012 London Olympics, the report revealed that some 45,000 PE hours have been lost. 

According to the charity’s findings, funding cuts have hit hardest among 11-14-year-olds, with over 2,800 hours lost for this age group alone last year, alongside 347 fewer PE teachers. This coincides with the fastest growth in childhood obesity rates occurring among 11-15-year-olds in England.

Currently, 2.2 million children in England now do less than 30 minutes of activity daily and only 48% meet the recommended 60 minutes of daily physical activity. 

The YST also found that nearly one in five students have had PE lessons cancelled this academic year. 

Girls, children with special educational needs and disabilities, and those from disadvantaged backgrounds face the greatest barriers to staying active, the report found.

Physical inactivity is now affecting school readiness, with teachers reporting one in three children arrive at school without adequate physical development. Parents are pointing to modern lifestyle changes as a contributing factor, with 70% believing digital distractions are keeping children sedentary. Physical activity levels have now stagnated for five consecutive years.

However, the report identifies a strong appetite for change. Some 93% of young people consider PE important, while 71% want to be more active at school. Teachers overwhelmingly agree, with 96% recognising sport and play benefit mental wellbeing.

In light of the report’s findings, the YTS is demanding a coordinated national plan to guarantee daily physical activity for every child, including stronger foundations before school entry and reimagining successful school sport partnerships. 

Ali Oliver MBE, chief executive of the Youth Sport Trust, said: “Our children are moving less, feeling unhappier, and losing access to the transformative power of PE. Unless we take action to reverse these damaging trends, we risk failing a generation.”