FEATURE FOCUS: ALTERNATIVE PROVISION
to connect and celebrate best practice. Let’s reflect on our own practice to ensure that if there are behavioural challenges in school, it isn’t sport or PE that is denied, and to treat it in the same value as other curriculum subjects. Reflecting on the cost-of-living crisis, it is important meaningful adjustments are made to ensure maximum participation. Another story of one young person that will stay with me is that of an 11-year-old male pupil, who was forever making excuses not to get changed for PE. He would do PE but only in his uniform…the reason? He was wearing pyjamas under his uniform for fear that if he left them at home they wouldn’t be there when he got back. Getting changed would highlight this vulnerability. Similar stories can be seen by young people choosing to wear coats for fear of them being stolen in the changing rooms whilst they are on the field playing sport, and also lack of facilities to wash clothing when home when it is sweaty. And this was happening before the 2022 cost-of-living crisis for pupils.
basketball hoop to play, so instead relied on using a bin’.
Significant numbers of young people across the country have no space indoors or outdoors, to play or move. Let’s pause on that for a moment. Some of our most underserved young people in education do not have the space or facility to be active, play or move. We know unhealthy, unhappy children don’t learn.
A lack of policy protecting play spaces Staggeringly, there is no requirement at a policy level for new, alternative provision settings being created to provide safe spaces for play. These are some of the young people that would benefit most from the fun, physical and emotional wellbeing benefits that being active can provide. Physical education and sport offer a means of engaging young people in positive youth development, enhancing mental wellbeing and aiding the transfer back to mainstream schooling. Young people who participate in organised sport and physical activity tend to have better health related quality of life and mental health compared to non-participating peers.
No teacher training Interestingly, only 57% of schools suggested physical education was taught by a specialist physical education teacher. Practitioners in
alternative provision queried the appropriateness of their own (and others) knowledge and skills to teach physical education. This tied to the appropriateness of initial teacher education but also what was termed a ‘recruitment crisis’ in alternative provision generally and physical education specifically.
“There needs to be some training for non- specialists in PE because it would never make economic sense for us to have a PE specialist, but some of our staff have got a real interest in PE and sport and want it to be offered to young people, so some training for them would be useful.” Katie, hospital school
There are also instances when non-physical education specialists were teaching physical education. Often, this was a person who had an interest in and participated in sport outside of work. Given this lack of expertise, some practitioners emphasised the importance of appropriate continued professional development opportunities to upskill them.
The solution
In alternative provision settings across the country there is some fantastic work being done and it is important this is recognised. Many schools are delivering PE and school sport despite the challenges. But there are also vast inconsistencies in practice and performance, and several cold spots where pupils have a poor-to-zero chance of receiving a quality physical education and school sport offer.
The Physical Education and Sport in Alternative Provision Schools report provides some clear recommendations to ensure we can all play our part in ensuring no young person is faced with no to limited space to move, poor equipment, or insufficiently trained staff while in alternative provision education settings. The recent SEND and Alternative Green Paper** is going some way to highlight some of these, and we have included our recommendations into the consultation. One of our asks makes reference at a policy and legislation level to not create schools or identify buildings that have no space to play. There is a desire for the sector to work together and look at teacher confidence and competence, sharing resources and opportunities
January 2023 My take home message
Quite simply, this is not good enough. The Youth Sport Trust is determined to level up opportunities, without exception for young people that need it most. All children and young people deserve to have a positive experience in school and through play, PE and sport, whether that be through mainstream, specialist or alternative education. We passionately believe there needs to be an increased role and value for PE and sport to ensure children are physically and mentally well. Sport and PE can be a vehicle to foster a sense of belonging, value, acceptance and develop key life skills. This must be achieved through a sector wide joined-up approach and through government departments and sports organisations.
*
https://www.youthsporttrust.org/news-insight/ research/the-role-and-value-of-physical-education-and- sport-in-alternative-provision-schools
**
https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/send- review-right-support-right-place-right-time
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