Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what requirements there are for schools to offer as part of the curriculum (a) football and (b) rugby; and if he will make a statement.

The government wants all young people to leave formal education as happy, confident and well-rounded individuals. Exercise and organised sport such as football and rugby can play a huge part in children’s personal resilience and emotional wellbeing.

Physical education (PE) is a compulsory subject at all four key stages in the national curriculum. Schools have the freedom to offer sports that interest and engage their pupils. There is a greater focus on competitive sport in PE lessons and we know that many schools offer their pupils rugby and football as part of their curricular and extra-curricular sport offer. Details of the national curriculum requirements can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-curriculum-in-england-physical-education-programmes-of-study.

Through the primary PE and sport premium, the government has invested over £1 billion of ring-fenced funding to primary schools to improve PE and sport since 2013.Through the School Sport Action Plan, which will be published in the Spring, the government will work with national governing bodies of sport and local community sport clubs to make it easier for pupils to take part in sports, and this will include football and rugby.