Our response to £1billion investment in PE and school sport

Our Chief Executive, Adam Blaze, said:

“We welcome the £1bn investment in PE and school sport and see a real opportunity to close the gap for disabled children. The announcement is an important step that can create lasting, positive change for disabled children and young disabled people.

“Activity Alliance’s Play, move, belong research shows why targeted action matters. Only 3% of young disabled people reach 60+ minutes of activity a day, 43% are moving less than 30 minutes daily, and just one in four can always join in PE or school sports. These findings show that there are deep rooted barriers that disabled children have faced for far too long.

“We welcome the Network’s promise of a mixture of universal and targeted support and the emphasis on school‑club links. These are the right levers to create positive early experiences that build confidence and lifelong habits. To realise that potential for disabled children, we are looking for the funding to include ring‑fenced resources for inclusive PE, specialist training for teachers and coaches, accessible equipment and facilities, and support for transport and extra‑curricular provision.

“To ensure more children can feel they belong in sports and activities, we look forward to seeing a joined-up approach that brings decision makers, providers, teachers and children together. We need to equip and train teachers, make inclusive PE a system priority and increase awareness campaigns to change attitudes.”

Useful resources:

• Our useful infographics related to young disabled people in activity here.
• The inclusive education hub offers lots of support for teachers or school staff to review and improve inclusive physical education and school sport delivery. It is all made possible through the Department for Education funded, Inclusion 2024 project.