Growth Areas Final Report Maximising the role of PE, school sport and physical activity

This research aimed to develop a baseline picture of a sample of Youth Sport Trust ‘Starting Locally’ schools situated in the YST Growth Areas to understand the key challenges facing young people today and in particular for understanding access and engagement with PESSPA. It also aimed to capture and understand school practices supporting PESSPA, drawing out knowledge of the opportunities and enablers and the challenges and barriers for access and engagement, including how schools achieve this by connecting with key stakeholders and partnerships within their community and locality. A bespoke range of data collection methods (e.g., surveys, interviews, focus groups, field visits and school documentation) were prepared for the project. Overall, this project achieved a well-founded picture of PESSPA through the eyes of various stakeholders (primary, secondary and special school provision, school staff and external providers, parents and pupils) sourced across five geographically diverse case study schools. These series of insights about school provision addresses gaps in understudied areas, recognises there are underserved populations and seeks to consider practical application of knowledge to support every pupil, teacher and their school. Schools are a community where equity is nested within contexts and history of the school and their region, thus the insights shared by teachers, pupils and their families offer a contextual consideration to understand the challenges and opportunities that can be borne out through a consideration of physical activity as a core element contributing and directly fostering social emotional and mental wellbeing. By ensuring research priorities include listening to pupils, teachers and their families it is possible to recognise the ongoing challenges faced by a range of groups who are likely to need tailored support to realise physical activity as an embedded part of their experience rather than view it as an additional burden or a mundane aspect of school life.