The Government has been urged to make two hours of PE for every child mandatory, after a Telegraph Sport investigation highlighted the crisis in state school sport.

“Our big mantra is: two hours of Physical Education, every child, every week, every year – non-negotiable Physical Education from three to 18,” urged Kate Thornton-Bousfield, the chief executive of the Association for Physical Education.

Telegraph Sport highlighted how most 14 to 16-year-olds are believed to be missing the national target of two hours of school sport a week, with estimates that over half of all state-educated children aged 16-18 are now doing no school sport at all. Overall, 52 per cent of English children are missing the target of participating in an average of 60 minutes of sport and physical activity every day, either in school or outside.

The Association for Physical Education urged the Government to make PE a core subject in the national curriculum, with a minimum of two hours a week of physical education for every child each week, taught by a specialist PE teacher. “For some children, the PE lesson is their only guaranteed time to be physically active and to learn and develop physical skills,” Thornton-Bousfield said.

The Government’s current guidance around children doing two hours of PE a week in school is non-statutory. Since the Covid-19 pandemic, a growing number of children are now believed to be doing under two hours of school sport a week.

“We must not allow pupils to be removed from PE lessons for intervention or catch up in other subjects,” Thornton-Bousfield said. “We must ensure every headteacher values PE and PE becomes a non-negotiable part of the school curriculum.

“Non-statutory guidance around the recommended two hours needs to become statutory. Only then will some head teachers implement this.”

Alison Oliver, the chief executive of the charity Youth Sport Trust, also urged the Government to make it mandatory for all children to do two hours a week of sport and physical activity at school.

“Increasing physical activity levels in childhood is essential for the new government to successfully break down barriers to opportunity, break the cycle of declining physical and mental wellbeing, and achieve their ambition of the healthiest and happiest generation of children ever,” Oliver said.

She urged the Government to “put PE and sport at the heart of a revised national curriculum and guarantee every child at least two hours of high-quality PE a week”. Oliver also advocated using breakfast clubs and the new National Youth Strategy to provide opportunities around the school day.

‘Affluence and activity levels are closely linked’

With 44 per cent of primary school teachers not confident in their ability to deliver PE, this highlights the dearth of specialist sports knowledge at primary level. Our special report also reveals that 30 per cent of 11-year-olds leave primary school unable to swim 25 metres unaided.

Thornton-Bousfield pressed the Government to ensure that there is a specialist teaching physical education to every child in the state sector, including at primary level.

Alongside greater investment in PE teachers and infrastructure, Thornton-Bousfield also called for schools to be innovative and embrace new sports. “New activities like pickleball can be done in a sports hall with very limited equipment, which is great.”

For all the focus upon PE, Sport England advocate more physical movement to be incorporated into the school curriculum in other subjects. Such an approach is seen as one solution to the socio-economic divide in sporting participation.

“Affluence and activity levels are closely linked, and many families struggle to pay for their kids to take part in extra sport and activities outside of school,” said Nick Pontefract, Sport England’s chief strategy officer.

Sport England suggest that schools explore adopting an ‘active uniform’ designed to promote movement throughout the day. The concept has been adopted by Dame Dorothy Primary School in Sunderland, with pupils wearing a t-shirt, tracksuit top and bottoms, which are used both for PE and other lessons.

“Creating ‘Active Schools’, with opportunities to play sport, be active and to move embedded throughout the school day, would be a great way to ensure all young people – regardless of their background – can benefit from exercise,” Pontefract said. “Active kids are better learners, so prioritising movement supports their educational attainment, as well as their physical and mental health.”

Schools need to ensure that all pupils develop active lifestyles, not just those who excel at competitive sport, said Jen Angove, the Head of PE at Werneth School in Bredbury, Greater Manchester. For students in years 10 and 11, the school have offered a programme designed to promote active lifestyles – like knowledge about using the gym and helping children find their nearest gym, and offering yoga and fitness classes.

The programme has seen a significant increase in female engagement in PE. Only 45 per cent of girls currently take part in an average of 60 minutes or more of sport and physical activity every day, compared to 51 per cent of boys.

The Department for Education recently launched an independent Curriculum and Assessment Review – covering all areas, including PE and sport. In their manifesto, Labour pledged to protect the amount of time for PE.

A Department for Education spokesperson said: “PE and sport are vital elements of the rounded and enriching education every child deserves.

“We are committed to getting more children active by protecting time for PE in schools and working across government to ensure our funding delivers a lasting and sustainable impact to children’s physical activity levels.”