In September 2023, Sport England published their Physical Literacy Consensus Statement which you can read here. The statement explains that 'physical literacy is our relationship with movement and physical activity throughout life'.
There are three important definitions included within the statement:
A personal relationship
Movement and physical activity
Throughout life
So what does this mean for school-based physical activity?
Sport England state that the quality of our relationship with movement and physical activity profoundly influences our choice to be active. Having a positive and meaningful relationship with movement and physical activity makes us more likely to be and stay active, benefiting our health, wellbeing and quality of life. Research shows that children with high levels of physical literacy are twice as likely to engage in sport and physical activity and adults who feel strongly that they have the ability to be active, the opportunity to be active and enjoy being active are also more likely to be active.
Schools provide a structured environment where children spend a significant portion of their day, meaning they can play a pivotal role in supporting physical literacy. Childhood habits often persist into adulthood. By integrating physical activity into the school day, children have the opportunity to establish and maintain healthy habits from an early age, laying the foundation for a lifetime of active living.