High Quality PE and Sport

High Quality school sport "The overall objective of the joint DfES and DCMS Public Service Agreement target, is to enhance the take-up of sporting opportunities by 5 - 16-year-olds. The aim is to increase the percentage of school children in England who spend a minimum of two hours each week on high quality PE and school sport within and beyond the curriculum to 85 per cent by 2008."

What is high quality PE & Sport?

"High-quality PE and school sport produces young people with the skills, understanding, desire and commitment to continue to improve and achieve in a range of PE, sport and health-enhancing physical activities in line with their abilities."

Learning through PE and School Sport: A guide to the National PE, School Sport and Club Links Strategy (published March 2003)

What does it look like?

Where there is high-quality PE and school sport, you will see young people who:

Show a strong commitment to making PE and school sport an important and valuable part of their lives in both school and the community.
Know and understand what they are trying to achieve and how to go about it.
Have an understanding of how what they do in PE and school and community-based sport contributes to a healthy and active lifestyle.
Have the confidence to get involved in PE and school and community sport.
Have the skills to take part in PE and school sport and are in control of their movement.
Respond effectively to a range of different competitive, creative and challenge-type activities both as individuals and as an integral part of teams and groups.
Are clearly thinking about what they are doing and making appropriate decisions for themselves.
Show a desire to improve and achieve in relation to their abilities and aspirations.
Have the stamina, suppleness and strength to keep going.
Enjoy PE and school and community sport.

Why is it important?

When PE and school sport provision is of the highest quality, all young people will develop and demonstrate the following personal qualities as much as they are capable:

A strong desire to learn and make progress.
High levels of dedication, attendance and involvement in PE and school sport.
High levels of commitment to PE and school sport.
Good levels of positive behaviour such as politeness, fair play and helpfulness.
High levels of enjoyment and enthusiasm and a strong desire to get involved.

Developing these personal qualities affects young people's attitudes to school and learning. This has a positive impact on the whole school and can lead to whole-school improvement.

The PESS Investigation

The Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) is working with schools to explore ways of improving the quality of PE and school sport. The aim is to see the difference that high quality PE and school sport make to young people and the impact on their schools. The schools taking part in the investigation aim to ensure that their pupils spend at least two hours on high quality PE and school sport, using a range of approaches and strategies.

The schools involved have found that developing PE and school sport has contributed to a number of areas of school improvement, including attendance, behaviour, attitudes to learning and attainment. They have also evidenced a growth in pupils' self-esteem and confidence and a greater commitment to a healthy, active lifestyle.

For further details and examples of strategies employed follow the link to the PESS Investigation below.