Returning to school after COVID restrictions: The view from PE and school leads
With schools closing their doors to the vast majority of pupils in March there has been major disruptions to the lives of children and young people. The latest research from the Youth Sport Trust has examined the role PE has to play in the return to school.
The closure of schools in March in response to the rising cases of Covid-19 meant the vast majority of children and young people were out of school for six months. This has not only disrupted their education but children and young people have missed out on other aspects of school life including seeing their friends and accessing support services. More information on the impact of Covid-19 on children and young people can be found here.
This research by the Youth Sport Trust has found a number of issues as children return to school, which PE could help to address:
- ¾ of teachers reporting children returning with low levels of physical fitness
- ½ reported PE could help tackle the educational gaps
- ½ believe PE could support mental wellbeing issues, including anxiety
Teachers highlighted that the ongoing restrictions have not helped the low levels of fitness and weight gain with pupils not doing physical exercise during lockdown. Furthermore, pupils now have a very sedentary education as moving between classes is kept to a minimum. Further research on the impact of lockdown on children and young people’s activity levels can be found here.
It is, however, promising to see that four in five primary schools will be doing the same or more curriculum PE. In secondary schools the picture is less positive with 22% of KS3 teachers and 26% of KS4 teachers reporting that they will be delivering less or no PE compared to pre-Covid. In addition to this the mix of practical and theoretical PE lessons remains unchanged, however, where is has changed the shift has been to a more theoretical approach. In fact 17% of respondents reported that they would be delivering more theory than usual and this was primarily within secondary schools.
Nearly all schools reported barriers to delivering PE in schools with being able to follow delivery guidance being a key concern, particularly in secondary schools where seven in ten KS3 teachers reported this as an issue. There is also concerns around interpreting the guidelines correctly with between 38% and 53% of teachers specifying this concern. Other major concerns include wet weather, lack of access to facilities and space and reduced access to resources and equipment.
Meanwhile, extracurricular PE during the Autumn term seems particularly affected with four in ten schools delivering no extracurricular PE this term and half delivering less. The reasons for this are in line with the general concerns around PE provision but with the added barrier of staggered break and lunch times.