Children and young people’s activity levels have been maintained and remained stable across the 2023-24 academic year. Sport England’s latest Active Lives Children and Young People Survey Report shows that 47.8% of children are meeting the Chief Medical Officers’ guidelines of taking part in an average of 60 minutes or more of sport and physical activity every day.
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.
Children who were in nursery to school Year 4 (ages 4-9) when the pandemic struck in 2020 have been particularly disadvantaged. This age group, in school Years 3-8 (ages 7-13) during this report’s timeframe, remain less likely to have positive attitudes towards activity and have a lower sense of opportunity.