Active Lives: Children and Young People Survey


The Active Lives Survey for Children and Young People has recently been introduced by Sport England and is designed to provide a detailed picture of the sport and physical activity habits of individuals aged 5-16 in England.


For the last 10 years Sport England have conducted a national survey of participation levels in sport and physical activity, and have included questions around involvement in the arts, cultural and volunteering activities – the focus of this research has been on those aged 16+. Following discussions with the Department of Education and Department of Health it was decided that Sport England would launch a new school-based survey aimed at pupils in years 1-11, hence the introduction of the Active Lives Survey for Children and Young People.


40 schools from Wiltshire and Swindon will be randomly selected to participate each year. Sport England will specify three different year groups per school – only one class or tutor group within each year group is required to complete the survey and a selection grid will be used to determine the specific classes that partake. In Primary schools where a Year 1 or Year 2 class is selected, there is an opportunity for parents of these children to complete a survey about their child’s


activities. Following survey completion schools will receive a bespoke report outlining their results from the survey. This will help schools to look at their PE and School Sport offer, and WASP may be able to support schools to provide other opportunities. Schools that take part will also receive a modest financial reward.


WASP have been tasked with engaging the selected schools and providing them with the support required in working towards the survey’s completion. We have an information pack that will be shared with participating schools along with practice links that will allow schools to review examples of survey content.


The first group of selected schools have been contacted and in November we will be in touch with the next group of schools selected to participate. We hope schools will see the value of taking part in this research, which over time will provide a detailed picture of young people’s participation in sport and physical activity in our County.


If you would like to know more about the survey please contact emily@wiltssport.org www.sportengland.org/


research/active-lives-survey/ Your Space Your Say


listen to young people's insights. This event was part of Annaleise Depper's University of Bath PhD research, which aims to raise awareness of key health and social challenges in Swindon.


On the 21st September, The Your Space Your Say event explored what young people really think about leisure provision in Swindon. On the night 13 young people, aged 10-17, from diverse backgrounds in Swindon came together to voice leisure and broader health related matters that were important to them. The event, held at the STEAM Museum, attracted over 70 people including young people, their family and friends and local policy officers/ providers across sport, health and family services in Swindon. The aim of the exhibition was to generate creative ways of engaging with young people, such as using films, poster displays and panels to


Steve Boocock CEO of Wiltshire and Swindon Sport (WASP) commented "Including young people in decision making about issues that affect them or interests them is a vital part of improving our communities. The Your Space Your Say exhibition highlighted some of the important issues that affect young people's participation in sport and leisure and how creative they can be about expressing these when provided with the right opportunities. I would encourage all those involved in the planning and delivery of sport and leisure to learn more about the study and the ways in which young people can contribute to our planning for the future."


The aim of the Your Space Your Say project was to explore young people’s experiences of leisure, active mobility and inequality in Swindon. This project identifies the complexities of active


Wiltshire and Swindon Relay 15


living and the everyday challenges faced by young people.


In Swindon, recent reports show that the majority of children and young people, aged 5-15, fail to achieve recommended levels of physical activity, and the results are worse for families living in areas of high deprivation. Changing behaviours to be more active is still not an easy choice for many young people living in Swindon, and actually accessing the recommended 60 minutes of physical activity each day is becoming increasingly challenging. Previous research highlights a range of structural, cultural and social inequalities that young people have to negotiate in their everyday lives


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