The Government is investing over £1 billion for Physical Education (PE) and school sports over three years, including £580 million for a new PE and School Sport Partnerships Network. This represents a collaborative approach across the Department of Health and Social Care, the Department for Education, and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport in providing all children, but particularly those who are least active, with the opportunity to reap the health benefits of being physically active, whilst ensuring value for money. Detailed design and funding allocations will be confirmed through the procurement process for a National Delivery Partner in due course.

The Department of Health and Social Care works collaboratively with the Department for Education on a range of programmes to improve children’s health.

This includes making a significant funding contribution to the Department for Education over a number of years to the Primary PE and Sport Premium, and to the new PE and School Sport Partnerships Network, to provide all children with equal opportunities to reap the benefits of physical activity.

The Department of Health and Social Care works collaboratively with the Department for Education on a range of other health-related activity in schools, including the delivery of mental health support teams; integrated Best Start Family Hubs and Healthy Babies; evidence-based screen use guidance for parents and carers of under-five year olds; the School Fruit and Veg Scheme; and on updating the School Food Standards to bring them in line with the latest dietary advice.

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport published the Get Active strategy in 2023, which aims to build a more active nation. This can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/get-active-a-strategy-for-the-future-of-sport-and-physical-activity#Details. Central to this is a focus on ensuring that children establish a lifetime of engagement with sport and physical activity. The strategy sets an ambition that all children should meet the UK Chief Medical Officers’ guidelines on physical activity, with a target of getting 1 million more active children by 2030.

In July 2023 the Department for Education published an update to the cross-government School Sport and Activity Action Plan (SSAAP) which can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-sport-and-activity-action-plan. The plan sets out actions to help all pupils take part in sport and do more physical activity. The update builds on the government’s announcement in March 2023 that set out new ambitions for equal access to physical education (PE) and sport for girls and boys, 2 hours of PE a week alongside over £600 million funding for the Primary PE and Sport Premium (in academic years 2023/24 and 2024/25) and the School Games Organiser Network.

The department will shortly be publishing new non-statutory guidance on PE and sport, exemplifying practice from primary and secondary schools. In recognition of the importance of young children being physically active, physical development is one of the three prime areas of learning as set out in the statutory Early Years Foundation Stage framework that all early years providers in England must follow. This can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-foundation-stage-framework--2.

Regular attendance at school is vital for children's education, wellbeing and long-term development. The foundation of securing good attendance is that school is a calm, orderly, safe, and supportive environment where all pupils want to be and are keen and ready to learn. This includes the positive impact that the curriculum as a whole can have to support children's attendance and engagement.

The government published the School Sport and Activity Action Plan update in July. The action plan is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-sport-and-activity-action-plan. It sets out next steps and further detail for school leaders and teachers on how the government will support them to improve the quality of PE and school sport and to deliver 2 hours of PE a week. This will help all pupils to engage in physical activity and meet the Chief Medical Officers’ recommendations of 60 active minutes a day.

The government published the National Plan for Music Education last year, setting a clear expectation on schools to deliver 1 hour a week of timetabled music for key stages 1 to 3, alongside opportunities to learn to sing, play an instrument, and take part in choirs and ensembles. This is backed by £79 million of funding per year for Music Hubs to 2025 and £25 million for music instruments. The plan is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-power-of-music-to-change-lives-a-national-plan-for-music-education.

The government expects all schools to teach a broad and ambitious curriculum that encompasses the arts, such as art and design, drama and dance. The department will be publishing a Cultural Education Plan in the coming months, working with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and Arts Council England. The Plan will focus on how the government can support participation and progression in a wide range of arts subjects and activities, particularly for pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds and in underrepresented groups. It will also support young people who wish to pursue careers in the creative, cultural, and heritage industries.

Time out of cell in private prisons is monitored through our performance measures and contract management arrangements. In cases where the requirement is not specified in the contract, it is set annually as part of the contract management process.

The information requested is not held by the Ministry of Justice as it would require the detailed monitoring of each wing in each prison establishment.

There is no central guidance which governs the amount of time that prisoners should spend out of their cells. Governors are instead afforded the flexibility to deliver balanced regimes that maintain an appropriate level of time out of cell on a range of activities, including association, which meet the needs of the establishment’s population.