Physical literacy statement published

A new physical literacy paper has been published to help those working in sport and physical activity to better understand how people’s relationships with sport and physical activity changes over their lifetime

Called The Physical Literacy Consensus Statement for England, the publication also reveals how people’s views of sport and exercise is shaped by their experiences and opportunities to be physically active.

The project to develop a Physical Literacy Consensus Statement for England began in March 2022 and included desk research, two national consultations and the creation of an expert panel.

More than 50 organisations from the world of sport, health, education, academia, and community sectors came together to ‘unite’ perspectives on physical literacy.

It has been developed to facilitate a shared understanding of physical literacy for those working in the sport, education, physical activity, recreation, play, health and youth sectors – and especially those whose roles are in policy, sport development, research and practice.

The statement offers a broad overview of physical literacy, why it matters and how it can be developed and supported.

Tim Hollingsworth, Sport England CEO, believes the new consensus statement will be important in helping the organisation deliver on its ong-term strategy.

“In Uniting the Movement, we said that every child and young person has the right to be active, to benefit from being active in a safe, positive and trusted environment, and to have an equal chance to achieve their potential,” he said.

“The new Physical Literacy Consensus Statement for England provides a framework to help us explore this in greater depth and is relevant for all ages and everyone working to improve the activity levels and health of our nation.

“It must be seen as one of the first steps in our efforts to promote positive experiences and lifelong participation for all children and young people, but particularly for those who face the greatest inequalities.

“Putting the concept of physical literacy into practice is now our collective task.”

For more information and to read the statement in full, click here.