Sport England published our latest Active Lives Children & Young People Report this morning, covering the 2023-24 academic year.
Today’s findings reveal that COVID-19 continues to cast a long shadow on the activity levels and habits of the pandemic generation, with the children between nursery and Year 4 (ages 4 to 9) when the pandemic struck in 2020 still at a particular disadvantage.
Chief Executive of Sport England Tim Hollingsworth says: the report reveals the “absolute need” to address these problems head-on due to the “fundamental impact” that COVID-19 has had on these children: “The first lockdown feels distant...but for children whose impressionable early years were defined by lockdowns, attitudes towards sport and physical activity are distinctly negative.”
Sport England calls on everyone who has a role to play in supporting the health and well-being of children to work together to drive the changes we need. Active, healthy children are critical to the long-term delivery of the Government’s missions.
Headline Findings
The report demonstrates the long-term impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic on children and young people’s relationship with sport and physical activity.
Activity levels are stable, remaining unchanged compared to 12 months ago; 47.8% of children are meeting the CMO guidelines of an average of 60 minutes of activity a day
But significant inequalities remain, with Black and Asian children and young people, girls and the least affluent children less likely to be active.
Children who were in nursery to school Year 4 (ages 4-9) when the pandemic struck in 2020 have been particularly disadvantaged. Almost five years later, this age group, now in school Years 3 to 8 (ages 7-13) remain less likely to have positive attitudes towards activity and have a lower sense of opportunity – and they aren’t catching up.
Types of Activity
Active travel (83% having taken part at least once in the last week) and active play and informal activity (81%) are most common for children in school years 1-2 (ages 5-7).
Team sports become more common as children get older (with 57% of children in years 7-11, aged 11-16, taking part in a team sport at least once in the last week, compared to 40% in years 1-2)
Swimming
There’s been a 7% drop in the number of children in school Year 7 who can swim 25 metres unaided (70%) compared to older children who were in Year 7 six years ago. 77% of children in school Year 11 in 2023-24 could do this when they were in school Year 7 in 2017-18.
This is a worrying trend; if this group do not catch up there could be a generation of children who do not learn this vital life skill and, subsequently, may be less likely to introduce their children to swimming in adult life.
Sport England Chief Executive Tim Hollingsworth said:
“The first lockdown was nearly five years ago and feels distant to many. But for the pandemic generation, Covid-19 has had a fundamental impact. The data shows that, for the children whose impressionable early years were defined by lockdowns and lack of activities, attitudes towards sport and physical activity are distinctly negative.
“An active early life improves a child’s physical, mental and social health, so it’s unacceptable that fewer than half of children and young people are meeting the Chief Medical Officers’ guidelines. Significant inequalities remain, with Black and Asian children and young people, girls and the least affluent children less likely to be active.
“All this points to the absolute need to address these problems head-on. The challenge is huge - with issues like rising obesity levels and cost of living damaging children’s health prospects too – but so is the opportunity. An active generation is critical to the Government’s missions because active children turn into active adults, helping our NHS and improving the long-term health and wealth of our country.
“Sport England will continue to play our part to solve these challenges, but we cannot do it alone. We look forward to working with the Government and everyone who cares about future generations to drive the changes we need.”
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