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More sport for children
100m CAMPAIGN, ANNUAL NATIONAL SCHOOL SPORTS WEEK ANNOUNCED
A 100m campaign to give every child the chance of five hours of sport every week was announced by the Prime Minister, Gordon Brown on 13 July 2007.
He called for a 'united team effort' in the run up to 2012 to make sport a part of every child's day. Building a greater sporting nation and a fitter nation. Involving schools, parents, volunteers, coaches and the sports world to offer the equivalent of an hour of sport to every child, every day of the school week. The plans include greater emphasis on competition within and between schools, a network of competition managers and a new National School Sports Week.
The new funding will provide:
* up to five hours of sport per week for all pupils and three hours for young people aged 16-19;
* a new National School Sport Week, championed by Dame Kelly Holmes where all schools will be encouraged to run sports days and inter-school tournaments. This will build on the success of the UK School Games and its impact on motivating young people to take part in competitive sport;
* a network of 225 competition managers across the country to work with primary and secondary schools to increase the amount of competitive sport they offer;
* more coaches in schools and the community to deliver expert sporting advice to young people.
The Government will also challenge the sporting bodies to develop modern school sport competitions leading to local, regional and national finals.
The new funding builds on the 633 million already committed to creating a world-class school sport and PE system over the next three years.
The Prime Minister said:
"We need to put school sport back where it belongs, playing a central role in the school day. I was lucky enough to have primary and secondary schools that had sport at the centre of their ethos. I want every child to have that opportunity to take part.
"Watching sport is a national pastime. Talking about sport is a national obsession. But now we need to make taking part in sport a national characteristic.
"Whatever their natural ability and whatever their age sport and activity can make our children healthier, raise self-confidence and self-esteem. It develops teamwork, discipline and a sense of fair play. Values that will stand young people and the country in good stead in the years to come.
"To do this will take a concerted campaign, a real team effort. Government is doing its bit. Schools, parents, volunteers and the sporting world can do theirs. I call on them to join us. Together we can help every child be the best they can be."
The moves will help strengthen the competitive framework for school sport - from grassroots to elite. The ultimate aim is for every child to have access to a range of sporting competition from local and regional level, leading on to national finals.
Mr Brown announced the campaign today at a visit to the West London Academy with culture secretary James Purnell and children schools and families secretary Ed Balls. The school, in Ealing, has an excellent reputation for competitive sport and for its PE provision, for both its own pupils and for those from its partner schools
Mr Purnell said:
"Competitive sport is enjoyable and good for all children and young people, not just those who excel. It helps improve children's teamwork and social skills, and boosts confidence and self esteem. Competitive sport gives every child the chance to be the very best they can be and help us find the champions of tomorrow.
"Many schools are already committed to competitive sport, but often focussed on the school's top athletes. We want every child, in every school, to have the opportunity to compete. We want to see a return to competitions within school as well as a healthy rivalry between schools. Competitive sport should be a key part of school life."
Mr Balls said:
"There has been a quiet revolution in school sport in the past few years. This new package of measures builds on the hugely successful national strategy for PE and school sport and aims to deliver a world class system for PE and school sport for all our young people. The creation of a national competition framework, the increase in the number of professional coaches and the extension of increased sporting opportunities to many more young people than before will all help to keep this country at the forefront of school sport provision and get more young people thinking about their own health and wellbeing."
Double Olympic Champion Dame Kelly Holmes said:
"In my role as National School Sport Champion, I've seen a lot of great work going on in schools' across the country to encourage more young people to get involved in playing and taking part in competitive sport, and that's why the added investment announced by the Government today is a welcome boost. It will enable more schools to offer more competitive sport to their pupils helping more of them to achieve their potential. I therefore welcome the launch of a national school sport week, which will further enhance these opportunities."
Notes to editors:
The Government's National School Sport Strategy, jointly delivered through the Department for Children, School and Families and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, has a PSA target to increase the percentage of 5-16 year olds who do a minimum of two hours quality school sport a week by 85 per cent by 2008. The percentage of children hitting the two hours for 2006 was 80 per cent, beating the set target of 75 per cent for the year.
The Government's long-term aim was to offer all children four hours of sport by 2010 through a combination of sport provision in the curriculum and out of school and community activities. With the additional 㱰0 million funding announced today this has been increased to five hours.
This funding will be spent to complete the national roll-out of competition managers who will deliver a programme of interschool competitive sport, sports coordinators to increase the sporting offer to those in further education, experienced coaches and volunteers to work inside and outside schools to provide the five hour offer.
At present, 37 per cent of pupils take part in sporting competition between schools, and 71 per cent within their own school. The measures and investment announced today aim to ensure that all children get the opportunity to take part in competitive sport, whatever their ability.
The competition leaders will work across school sport partnerships and liaise with national governing bodies, school sport associations and county sport partnerships to co-ordinate, develop and manage more sporting competitions for young people.
The Building Schools for the Future initiative will provide Local Education Authorities with 6.5 billion, from 2005-2008, for investment in secondary schools, part of which is being invested in modern sports facilities. Over the next 15 years every secondary school and half of all primary schools will be rebuilt or refurbished through the programme, improving school sport facilities further.
Playing fields now have the best ever protection through Government planning regulations and arrangement. Schools are not allowed to sell playing fields that schools or their communities need for sport. For two years running more playing fields have been created than lost.
Double Olympic Champion Dame Kelly Holmes is the Government's National School Sport Champion. The role is managed by the Youth Sport Trust and supported by Norwich Union. Dame Kelly was appointed to the role in January 2006 and tours schools across the country meeting children and PE teachers and helping to raise standards in school sport.
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SOURCE: DCMS