Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the contribution of playing fields to the health and fitness of school pupils; and whether she plans to introduce minimum size requirements for school playing fields.

The provision of school playing fields for sport, as well as for informal and social use, is widely accepted to contribute to the health and fitness of school pupils. This is why playing fields are protected under Section 77 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998. Similarly, under the School Premises Regulations and Independent School Standards, all schools must have suitable outdoor space to enable physical education and for pupils to play outside.

The Department’s guidance documents, Building Bulletins 103 and 104, provide non-statutory guidelines for the minimum recommended size of playing fields for any school. The minimum size of the playing field depends on the size and age range of the school.