As England took to the pitch at the Millennium Stadium last weekend for the Six Nations title decider all eyes were on who would lift the trophy after what had been an extremely memorable tournament.
It was an incredible climax and a fantastic occasion, but on the same day there was something of even greater significance happening on a rugby pitch hundreds of miles away from the excitement in Cardiff.
At a rugby club in London last Saturday Prime Minister David Cameron set out the detail of a new funding package for PE and school sport called the Sport Premium, which will see £150 million ($241 million/€180 million) per year investment into primary schools for the next two years. This considerable investment, which works our around £9,000 ($15,000/€12,000) per year for an average primary school, is extremely welcome news and provides real opportunity to ensure PE and sport are at the heart of school life for all young people.
For me, there are a number of points to the Government's announcement last weekend that are of particular interest. The first is the fact that this funding can only be spent by schools on improving PE and sport and not on other aspects of education. This is a considerable step forward. We should not underestimate what an important move this is - no other funding for schools is ring-fenced in this way, and for me this demonstrates the level of importance that PE and school sport will now have within schools.
Secondly, from September the Government is to undertake a pilot which focuses on improving initial teacher training in PE. Baroness Sue Campbell, who is the chair of the Youth Sport Trust, and I have for some time now talked about the importance of improving primary school teacher training in PE.
Indeed, in our official response to the Government announcement the Baroness highlighted that, "For too long a child's first experience of physical education has been delivered by teachers who lack the confidence and in some cases the competence to deliver PE well."
I wholeheartedly support that statement which is why it is good to see that this has been recognised by the Government, and I hope this new pilot will build on the excellent work the Youth Sport Trust has been doing with Bupa and Matalan in recent years in this area.
The third key point in this announcement is around the involvement of national governing bodies of sport in supporting primary school sport. There is much discussion as to what differences there are between PE and school sport. In my mind I keep it simple - PE is curriculum time activity that focuses on physical literacy, learning and leadership. School sport has a far greater emphasis on coaching, competition and clubs.
Both can complement each other extremely effectively which is why the Youth Sport Trust has agreement from more than 20 NGB's on the number one priority for this investment being primary school Physical Education and teacher training; NGBs acknowledge the fundamental role Physical Education plays in inspiring and equipping young people for future involvement in sport.
It is imperative to get the initial learning and physical literacy right from a very early age so that when young people make the transition through school they understand the importance of sport and enjoy taking part. That way they will actively seek out opportunities to join clubs, compete and benefit from expert coaching.
If there is one note of caution following this announcement then it should go to schools who may not necessarily know how best to maximise this funding. At the Youth Sport Trust we work with hundreds of schools that have a strong understanding of how PE and sport can benefit their pupils right across the curriculum, and that should be applauded.
But there are also many schools who may need guidance in how this money could be used to make the most impact. I firmly believe that the funding should not be used by schools on short term opportunities or quick wins but invested in a way that makes PE and school sport opportunities sustainable. In many cases that means schools investing in their own teaching staff.
Those involved in the delivery of PE and school sport now have a tremendous opportunity to make to make a difference to all their young people and they must grasp this opportunity. If they can put in place a sustainable platform that delivers high quality PE and school sport for the long term - that would be a legacy to be proud of.
Source: www.insidethegames.biz