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A new survey by the Youth Sport Trust, the main government agency for young people in sport and attached to the Department for Education and Skills (DfES), shows the number of pupils in Bristol schools benefiting from regular, high quality PE lessons is higher than the national average.
In Bristol, 86 per cent of pupils, that's about 38,250 pupils, receive at least two hours of quality PE and sport education every week compared to a national average of just 80 per cent.
But what makes Bristol's figures more remarkable is that there has been a staggering 25-percentage point rise in the figures in the twelve-month period from 2004/5 to 2005/6.
The massive leap forward in sport provision is due to effective partnership working between schools, specialist sports colleges and schools sport co-ordinators. Together, through the School Sport Co-ordinators Scheme, they are working to raise standards in PE and school sport provision with the aim of reaching the government's target of 100 per cent of all pupils receiving regular, quality sport sessions by 2008.
Bristol's success in raising standards in sport provision has been achieved by targeting five key areas:
. Helping schools to identifying more time in the curriculum to be given over to PE and sport and supporting teachers to deliver high quality sessions
. Promoting competition in lunchtime and after school
. Encouraging schools to link up with local sports clubs and community organisations
. Providing accredited training programmes to encourage young people to learn how to become officials and promoting volunteer and leadership opportunities within sport
. Offering specialist opportunities for gifted and talented pupils.
Bristol's Sport Development Manager, Dave Travis, said: "We are delighted with these figures. Everyone involved in schools sport provision has worked hard to raise the number of pupils taking part in regular, quality sport education.
"The benefits of getting young people involved in sport are well known - not only do they stay fit and healthy, they can develop a life-time interest in sport and achieve personal satisfaction."
Ends
Press release issued: November 21 2006
