“It’s time to harness the power of PE to create an environment where every girl can find her love of sport,” was the call from charities, major sports bodies and MPs who met in Parliament today.
The event, jointly organised by the Youth Sport Trust and Women in Sport, brought together MPs from across the political spectrum, representatives of major National Governing Bodies including the FA, RFU and LTA, experts and practitioners from the world of education and policymakers from key Government departments. They gathered to discuss what equal access to PE and school for girls means in 2025 and what more we can be doing to achieve it.
In a wide-ranging discussion, which also included former Red Roses player Shaunagh Brown and former Team GB swimmer Anna Hopkin MBE reflecting on their experiences, everyone agreed that PE and school sport is vital for girls. It has a crucial role to play in tackling the mental health crisis facing girls and young women, as well as being an essential part of allowing girls to thrive in schools – and their wider life.
However, for this to be achieved, girls must have equal access to PE and school sport. In 2025, this means moving beyond simply ‘allowing’ girls to play the same sports as boys, towards creating environments in PE and school sport where girls can find the sport they love and build the foundation for a lifelong love of being active. .
When PE enables girls to feel seen, supported and capable, it lays the foundation for healthier, happier lives.
Stephanie Hilborne OBE, Women in Sport CEO
Women in Sport CEO, Stephanie Hilborne OBE, said: “The way girls experience PE and school sport can shape their attitudes towards sport and activity for life. When PE enables girls to feel seen, supported and capable, it lays the foundation for healthier, happier lives and builds respect between girls and boys at a formative age.
But we have to recognise that girls’ needs are different. Simply putting girls and boys together in every lesson and calling it equality isn’t the answer. We need teachers and schools to understand the gender dynamics at play and to create spaces where girls can discover joy and develop physical skills on their own terms.”
Too many girls are inactive and missing out on the life-changing benefits of play and sport.
Ali Oliver MBE, Youth Sport Trust CEO
Ali Oliver MBE, Youth Sport Trust CEO, added: “Being physically active at school through PE, sport and play is vital for wellbeing, developing life skills and forming healthy habits that last throughout life. However, at present too many girls are inactive and missing out on the life-changing benefits of play and sport. This needs to change.
“Making progress requires developing a new vision and culture for PE and school sport, informed by girls’ voices, which prioritises comfort and confidence, empowerment and enjoyment so all girls can be active at school. With so much policy change on the horizon, now is the time to act to make equal access a reality.”
Following the event, the Youth Sport Trust and Women in Sport will be writing to the Minister for Schools setting out the key conclusions of the discussion and urging the Government to do more to harness the power of PE and school sport.
Key points we will raise include:
- The importance of truly equal access to PE and school sport for girls; making school sport a space where they are enabled to thrive, build self-belief and find their love for sport.
- The need for the new Curriculum and partnership model for school sport, currently being developed by the Government, to enable this.
- The need to ensure that anyone teaching PE and school sport, including external providers, is properly trained to understand the needs of girls and the impact – on girls and boys – of gender stereotyping.
- The importance of single sex sporting opportunities for girls of all ages, alongside well delivered mixed sport that allows positive relationships between boys and girls to grow – and crucially does not reinforce gender stereotyping.
