Children & Young People Newsletter May 2026
Primary PE Conference 2026 Highlights
On Wednesday 26 March 2026, Active Kent & Medway welcomed over 150 attendees to its annual Primary PE and Physical Activity Conference at the Kent Event Centre, Detling. The event brought together teachers, PE leads, school staff plus local and national partners to share learning, ideas and practical approaches to getting more children more active across Kent and Medway. The following short film captures some of the day’s highlights.
Place Universal Offer
Active Kent & Medway has recently welcomed new investment from Sport England through the Place Universal Offer, which will support place-based work in Ashford, Dartford, Maidstone and Folkestone & Hythe, helping more children, young people and families to be active.
The Place Universal Offer is part of Sport England’s long-term commitment to tackling inactivity and reducing inequalities by focusing on the places where people face the greatest barriers to being active. Further details on how local partners will be working together in Ashford, Dartford, Maidstone and Folkestone & Hythe will be shared as the programme develops. In the meantime, if you’d like to express your interest in this area of work, please email Daniel Bromley, our Place Universal Offer Manager at daniel.bromley@kent.gov.uk
Everyday Active Schools
Are you currently planning your schools’ training days for next academic year? If so, why not schedule a date for one of our FREE Everyday Active Schools workshops? A great opportunity for staff to learn about the FREE programme, helping your school embed movement throughout the school day, to enhance pupils’ wellbeing, engagement and learning. From active classrooms to playground ideas, we’ll work with you to create sustainable change. Watch our short film to find out how your school can become an Everyday Active School.
Follow this link to book your Everyday Active Schools workshop
National School Sports Week
National School Sports Week is back (6 – 12 July 2026). The campaign invites schools, families and communities across the UK to get moving together, inspired by a landmark year of global sport and the everyday moments of encouragement that happen in playgrounds, classrooms and communities. While Everlast and National School Sports Week Ambassador Conor Benn bring a focus on fitness, confidence and mindset, the campaign celebrates all sports, all movement and all young people. From playground games to global sporting moments, together we’ll help every child find their rhythm, build healthy habits and enjoy being active.
Follow this link to get involved in National School Sports Week
Monster Kickabout
Monster Kickabout is a nationwide school football initiative from Sports Direct and Nike, created to encourage more kids to take up football, with free resources and football equipment provided to help teachers provide football fun. Now in its sixth year, the initiative includes a Monster Kickabout Day on Thursday 11 June 2026, encouraging schools to celebrate the World Cup with football activities, with 1,000 schools receiving a free equipment pack. Schools can also apply for free football kits, host fully funded coaching sessions with free shirts for pupils, access PE resources for lessons, and take part in one-off events and competitions, including match tickets and opportunities to meet professional footballers.
The Outdoor Classroom
The Outdoor Classroom Big League 2026 is back and it’s the biggest yet. Take part in the UK’s biggest orienteering competition, running from 20 April – 19 June 2026. It’s completely free for every school to join. Whether you’re already delivering orienteering or just getting started, The Big League is designed to make participation simple, engaging, and impactful for your pupils. Taking part is simple:
- Log your orienteering (or outdoor learning) activities using The Outdoor Classroom
- Your school’s progress is automatically tracked
- Watch your results appear on the national leaderboard in real time
- See exactly how you compare with schools across the UK
The Great Big Green Week
Great Big Green Week (6 – 14 June 2026) is the UK’s biggest community celebration of climate and nature action. It brings together schools, sports clubs, community groups, businesses and local organisations to take part in positive, practical activities that improve everyday places and people’s lives.
The focus is on inclusive, locally led action that feels normal, achievable and beneficial for communities. Last year, over 1.2 million people took part across the UK, with a growing ambition to engage even more communities through trusted local organisations. Photo credit: Green Big Green Week
FREE Secondary School CPD Training
Are you a Secondary School PE teacher or PE lead working in Kent or Medway? Join our FREE, practical CPD training day delivered in partnership with Canterbury Christ Church University.
- Thursday 11 June 2026, 9:00 – 14:30 at Polo Farm, Canterbury
The day will provide hands-on sessions exploring innovative and non-traditional activities, alongside practical ideas to help engage more young people, particularly those who are less active. A great opportunity to refresh your approach, build confidence in delivering inclusive PE and connect with colleagues from across Kent and Medway.
Other News
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