Children & Young People Newsletter March 2025
Active Lives Survey Online Tool
Sport England’s Active Lives Children and Young People survey provides a world-leading approach to gathering data on how children engage with sport and physical activity. It gives anyone working with children aged 5-16 key data to help understand children’s attitudes and behaviours around sport and activity.
There is seven years’ worth of data with the latest data from 2023-24 academic year live on the Active Lives Online Tool which allows you to select the data you are interested in analysing, from location, to levels and type of activity, to age group and more.
National Youth Strategy Consultation Open
The Government is creating a new ten-year strategy to tackle the challenges for this generation of young people and ensure that every young person can thrive. ‘Deliver You’ is the name of the national campaign across England, which will seek views directly from young people aged 10 – 21 (25 SEND) to inform the National Youth Strategy.
The campaign, co-produced with young people, is an ambitious and exciting opportunity for young people to share their views, experiences, and ideas, and to tell the Government what really matters to them. Please share the link with the young people you support so they can have their say.
Free Teacher Training Opportunities
Schools Cricket and PE Training
Building on the successful courses in 2024, Kent Cricket is delighted to offer 2 FREE Cricket and PE CPD Days for both Primary and Secondary school staff, through our partnership with Chance to Shine and England Cricket Board. Both courses are aimed at giving you the knowledge and confidence to deliver cricket within your school.
The formal CPD course has been developed by Chance to Shine and the Youth Sports Trust, with the PE National Curriculum at its heart and delivered by qualified tutors from our Coach Development Team and Community Coaches, who deliver cricket in schools year-round.
Register for the FREE Schools Cricket Training Day
LTA FREE Teacher Training CPD
The LTA are running a number of free CPD opportunities across the county. Based on brand new, innovative content, the 2-hour Teacher Training Course has been developed by teachers for teachers, to help you deliver outstanding PE lessons with confidence.
As well as teaching fundamental movement skills and physical literacy, tennis is a great way of developing personal and character skills. The course demonstrates how tennis can be delivered to a whole class of children in a small space and how it can be adapted and differentiated for all learners. Every teacher attending the course receives a free pack of resources including: an activity flipbook, pupil achievement certificates and stickers.
Everyday Active Schools Workshop
The Everyday Active Schools programme, delivered by Active Kent & Medway, is designed to increase children’s physical activity levels by taking a whole school approach to embedding physical activity across the school day. The FREE programme involves an initial on-boarding workshop for all primary school staff, leading to a bespoke action plan to work towards, whilst receiving ongoing support, resources and progress meetings.
Our short film captures the feedback from staff at Green Park Community Primary School, Dover who attended an Everyday Active Schools workshop.
Register your interest in a FREE Everyday Active Schools Workshop
Developing Young Coaches
Active Kent & Medway recently accessed Department for Education (DfE) investment to deliver Kent and Medway’s Next Level Coaching programme for 112 students to become level 2 qualified coaches. Working in partnership with Sport On Your Doorstep CIC, the two-day 1st4Sport ‘Multi-Skills Development in Sport’ Award has been delivered to students from 22 schools, situated in areas of high deprivation.
Daniel Bromley, Children & Young People Development Officer, Active Kent & Medway commented, “The Next Level Coaching programme is an amazing opportunity for the students. Not only does it give them a recognised coaching qualification but also mentoring support to help with future employment opportunities. If you’re a local organisation who can offer industry-specific opportunities for further development, please do get in touch with me at Daniel.Bromley@kent.gov.uk.”
Sustrans Big Walk & Wheel
Sustrans Big Walk and Wheel is taking place 24 March – 4 April 2025. Register your school now for the UK’s biggest walking, wheeling, scooting and cycling to school challenge.
Open to all primary and secondary schools in the UK, including SEN/ASN/ALN schools. On each day of the challenge, schools compete to see who can get the highest percentage of their pupils walking, using a wheelchair, scooting or cycling to school.
Sustrans Big Walk and Wheel inspires pupil to make active journeys to school, improve air quality in their neighbourhood and discover how these changes benefit the world. It is free to take part and there are even daily prizes to be won!
Ramadan Guidance for Schools
Ramadan guidance developed by Dr Irfan Khawaja at Birmingham City University (BCU) will help create a more inclusive school environment for Muslim students and staff engaging in physical education during Ramadan. This year Ramadan takes place from 1 March to 29 March 2025.
The guidance gives schools practical advice for supporting fasting Muslim students and staff during Islam’s Holy Month so they can continue to participate in physical activity.
The guidance advocates for inclusive activities and timetabling that minimise adaptations and avoid drawing attention to Muslim students during Ramadan.
View the Ramadan Guidance for Schools and Educational Settings
Physical Literacy Fact Sheet
Physical Literacy is defined as ‘our relationships with movement and physical activity throughout life’ (Sport England 2023), and Youth Sport Trust have helpfully produced a fact sheet for professionals working with young people to explore this relatively new definition.
The fact sheet includes a summary of research evidencing current attitudes towards being active and demonstrates how physically literate young people are more likely to build the foundations for an active life.
Other News and Announcements
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