Funding and lack of inclusivity 'risks Olympic legacy'

A report by the education select committee into school sport after the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics, found that the much-hyped legacy to increasing the numbers of children and young people participating in sport was at risk of being lost because of a lack of long-term funding for, and poor inclusivity of, school sport schemes.

The MPs heard mixed evidence about whether the government was delivering on the Olympic legacy commitments, concluding: "We believe the opportunity to realise a London 2012 legacy for school sports has not yet been lost, although further action is needed to ensure that the legacy in schools benefits all children and lasts beyond the two years of primary sports premium [funding]."

The school sport premium for primary schools is only guaranteed until 2015, and the committee called for this to be extended to enable head teachers to build "sustained provision".

The committee said the School Games initiative – a national sports championships for schools – is too focused on the most able young athletes and should be more inclusive.

Committee chair Graham Stuart said: "High-quality school sport is vitally important. It provides opportunities to improve their education, health and wellbeing. We need to be encouraging all young people to take part in sport and schools must provide a range of activities that appeal to all.

"Successive governments have kicked school sport around as a political football, announcing short-term fixes without any sustained vision for the future. Occasional pump-priming is simply not good enough for something so important. If the government wants to capitalise on the legacy of London 2012 it must commit to programmes and funding for the long-term."

The report also highlights concerns that many leading disabled athletes have that too many disabled children and young people are unable to access physical education (PE) lessons at school because some teachers don't have the skills to support them.

It called for teachers to be trained pre- and post-qualification in delivering PE and sport for those with physical disabilities and special educational needs. 

It also welcomed the Department for Education's decision to consider how access to physical activity and school sport could be built into education, health and care plans through the SEN code of practice.