The new Active Lives Survey’s initial results show worrying trend, with activity levels for 2.3 million children and young people (32.9%) doing less than 30 minutes of physical activity a day. The results show stark inequalities – 39% of children in the least affluent families do less than 30 minutes of activity a day compared to 26% of children from the most affluent FAMILIES.

Sport England chief executive Tim Hollingsworth says the results from a major survey of children’s activity levels should be “a big wake-up call for all of us.” calling for a national focus on the health and wellbeing of our nation’s children and for the whole system to be united in delivering change.

130,000 children aged 5-16 took part in the survey (Sept2017 – July 2018).

Key findings include:

• There’s not a lot of difference in the amount of sport and physical activity that takes place inside school, compared to activity levels outside of school, so both have a critical role to play. With 22% of children active for at least 30 minutes per day outside of school, while 28% of children do so in school.
• Activity levels peak at the end of primary school to the beginning of secondary school, but no age group reaches a majority of children doing the recommended levels of 60 minutes per day, every day.
• The type of activity preferred changes as children get older. ‘Active play’, such as tag or scootering, is the most popular form of activity for younger age groups, with team sports growing in popularity as children get older. By school Years 7 and 8, team sports are the most popular and remain so through to age 16.
• There is a gender divide between activity levels of boys and girls. Boys are more likely to be active every day than girls – 20% (boys) versus 14% (girls). This difference increases as girls get older, with a large gap opening from the end of primary school (Years 5 and 6).

The survey is the largest ever of its kind and gives comprehensive insight into how children in England are taking part in sport and physical activity, both in and out of school.

To find out more about these results click here; https://www.sportengland.org/activeliveschildren/

To find out about the Active Lives Survey click here; https://www.sportengland.org/research/active-lives-survey/

And finally to download the Active Lives Survey Report click here; active-lives-children-survey-academic-year-17-18