Secondary schools to benefit from up to £13.5 million investment in workforce skills

24/09/18

Free training is now on offer to 17,000 secondary school PE teachers to help foster a more positive attitude to physical education.

Up to £13.5 million is being invested by Sport England in a teacher training programme, run in partnership with the a number of national partners (including afPE), between now and 2021, offering specialist training and mentoring for teachers.

In 2015 Sport England surveyed more than 450 school and college students, aged 14 and above, and the results showed that 19% disliked or hated PE at school.

Further research also shows that a bad experience at school can put children off physical activity for life – with girls more likely to dislike or hate PE.

“While some youngsters have a great experience of PE and sport at school, others don’t, and our research shows that can put them off being active for life” , said Jennie Price, Sport England’s Chief Executive.

“Lots of people have bad memories of being picked last for a team, or just feeling really uncomfortable in PE lessons.”

“This programme is designed to stop that happening. It will help schools and individual teachers design a wider range of opportunities to increase young people’s enjoyment of sport and PE, which gives them a much better chance of being active in later life.”

This is the first significant investment into secondary school PE since 2008 and, while the training programme will not change the curriculum, it will build on and enhance existing good practice and support necessary improvements for all children and young people.

Partners in the project:

• Sport England – overall project development and leadership
• Association for Physical Education – to lead the design, development and delivery of the master training for physical education
• Youth Sport Trust – to lead the design, development and delivery of the master training for senior leadership and whole school impact of the teacher training
• Teaching Schools Council – to lead the network of teaching schools to identify national and special leaders of education to be trained and mentor staff within their teaching alliances
• Activity Alliance – to lead and ensure inclusivity across both strands of the teacher training content, design and delivery
• Department for Education – support and advice regarding any policy or strategy decisions

Click HERE to read the full article courtesy of Sport England.