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Extracurricular Activities: Sports

Asked by Bob BlackmanConservativeDepartment for EducationTabled Answered 8 September 2026UIN 19928

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what consideration has been given to providing schools with additional funding or staffing flexibility to protect extra-curricular sport, including allowing PE departments dedicated timetable capacity to organise and deliver sporting activities beyond the curriculum.

Answered by Department for Education

PE and School Sport are a key priority for this government. However, despite over a decade of investment via the PE and sport premium, less than half of all children meet the Chief Medical Officer’s recommended 60 active minutes a day. ​

​​The new PE and School Sport Partnerships Network will provide practical, targeted support to help schools increase participation and offer stronger links to extra‑curricular sport and local clubs. It will provide training to build staff confidence in delivering PE and set out clearer pathways into community sport. Support will align more closely with wider programmes and include competitive sport opportunities and inclusive events for less‑active pupils.

We have and continue to work closely with the teaching sector and sporting national bodies in the development and delivery of the new Network.

A core objective of the new Network is reducing the administrative burden on schools, introducing greater streamlined and standardised processes to provide PE and school sport.

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