Today, the Government responded to the final report of the Curriculum and Assessment Review, setting out the changes it intends to make in England. Women in Sport has been closely involved in this review, contributing our views at all stages to the Review Panel led by Prof Becky Francis, often working in partnership with Association for PE and Youth Sport Trust.
As a result of our joint advocacy, the Government will now review the aims and content of the PE curriculum at all key stages. There will be a bigger focus on delivering high quality PE at Key Stage 4 (years ten and eleven) for pupils who are not taking it as a GCSE.
Sport and physical activity will also be seen as part of a new core enrichment offer aiming to make sure all children have access to extra-curricular activities in this and four other key areas: civic engagement, arts and culture, nature, outdoors and adventure, and developing life skills.
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61
%
of girls feel judged by others whilst doing sport
-
7
in 10
girls avoid sport on their period
We have a real opportunity to influence this refresh of the PE curriculum.
Despite our advocacy there is currently no recognition yet, either in the report or the Government’s response, of the fact that girls face specific challenges in PE and school sport because they are girls.
We will lobby to make sure attention is given to the impact of gender stereotyping and the unique needs of girls, not least the challenge of female puberty. Unless this is done, girls’ participation in and enjoyment of PE and school sport will continue to suffer and we will continue to perpetuate a system that doesn’t work for them.
We will continue to argue that this must be considered in the development of the new curriculum, as well as for more and better puberty education to be embedded across the curriculum, including in PE.
We welcome the commitment from the Government to act on the report’s recommendation to strengthen the PE curriculum.
We know that, thanks to gender stereotyping, girls arrive at school with a deficit in fundamental movement skills – like catching, throwing and kicking – compared to their male classmates. Building and delivering a new curriculum that addresses this will be key to transforming girls’ experience of PE and school sport. A renewed focus on the wider benefits of physical activity could also support girls, particularly those who are less ‘sporty’, to develop a deeper love of movement.
We also welcome the commitment to find ways to embed more outdoor and adventurous activities into PE and school sport which should give girls access to a bigger range of activities and new opportunities to be active.
School sport is not just PE, and we are therefore also pleased to see the Government commit to strengthening extra-curricular activities.
Our research has shown that girls of all ages are less likely than boys to take part in extra-curricular sport, such as afterschool clubs, often because such opportunities do not exist in the school or, where they do, they are dominated by boys.
It is welcome progress to see the Government get serious about making sure every child has access to a range of these activities, and that they will be part of the new school inspection regime, but we must make sure that they are genuinely open to girls, including single-sex opportunities.
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24
%
fewer girls than boys take part in team sport
-
5
years
The age girls start to believe they don't belong in sport
Ultimately, it doesn’t matter how good the new curriculum and extra-curricular opportunities are if they continue to be delivered by teachers and coaches who are not able to access enough appropriate training and support.
We want to see everyone involved in the delivery of PE and school sport trained to understand the impacts of gender stereotyping, on girls and boys, as well as female physiology. We will continue to make the case that more and better teacher training is vital to making school sport work for girls.
The review and the Government’s response offer us an opportunity to improve PE and school sport for girls. We look forward to continuing to work with our friends across the sector as well as the Government to deliver on this opportunity. The next generation of girls is depending on us to get it right.
The new curriculum will be published in 2027 and taught from the beginning of the 2028 academic year, alongside the new extra-curricular offer.
