NUT: Ofsted report on school sports
Ofsted report on school sports
Commenting on the Ofsted report Beyond 2012- outstanding physical education for all, Christine Blower General Secretary of the National Union of Teachers the largest teachers’ union said:
‘It is good news that Ofsted found that in the majority of schools PE was in ‘good health’. Ofsted however knows full well that when they talk of building on the Olympic legacy it is this Government, not schools or PE teachers who have stood in the way of achieving this.
‘All the criticisms that Ofsted had of schools sports were being addressed by the Schools Sports Partnership. This was specialist PE teachers working across primary schools to add capacity and bring high quality, specialist, exciting teaching to children. It has been all but shut down by the Coalition Government. Ofsted is calling on the Education Department to introduce a new strategy to replace this very successful initiative. Surely the obvious answer is to reinstate it.
‘It is quite pointless to look at sports on offer in Independent Schools in comparison to state schools. Ofsted know full well there is neither the same funding, facilities nor space given to match like for like. Nor is there the political will to change this. Whatever strides had been made to improve sport in schools have been closed down by the Coalition. Due to school budget cuts many schools have had to reduce ground maintenance staff, schools sports fields have been sold off and building regulations for new free schools have been relaxed allowing them to open in buildings which will have little room for a playground let alone playing fields or sports halls.
‘It is well targeted funding and good facilities in schools and the local community that will make a difference to the sports men and women of tomorrow. This is a matter for the Government to address not Ofsted’.
END PR31-2013
For futher information contact Caroline Cowie on 0207 380 4706 02 07879480061
-01.png){kind=spacer}