Beyond Participation: What’s the Next Step for PE?

𝗕𝗲𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗱 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗡𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗣𝗘?

For years, the goal of PE has been simple: 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗺𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗹𝘂𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗮 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁. That focus has been vital. Participation matters, and it has helped countless young people discover the joy of being active.

But once participation is established, the question becomes: 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝗻𝗲𝘅𝘁?

The best schools don’t stop at “𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗷𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗻.” They ask how PE can 𝗱𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗿, 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝗶𝗺 𝗵𝗶𝗴𝗵𝗲𝗿, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗵𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘄𝘁𝗵 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗮𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿.

Participation is the foundation, but progression is the framework that gives PE meaning.

Think of it in the same way we approach academic subjects. We don’t celebrate that every student “𝗵𝗮𝗱 𝗮 𝗴𝗼” at maths and leave it there.

We design clear steps that build confidence, deepen knowledge, and stretch ability. 𝗣𝗘 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁.

When schools take that next step, PE stops being a timetable filler and becomes a 𝗱𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝘄𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗲-𝘀𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹 𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘀. Students learn resilience, discipline, and teamwork, qualities that transfer far beyond the sports hall. Teachers gain a sense of purpose because their lessons are part of a bigger journey, not isolated activities.

The challenge for every school leader is to ask: 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘄𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗲, 𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘄𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝘁𝗼𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗹𝘆 𝗱𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀?

Because in PE, as in sport, 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗹𝗹. 𝗜𝘁’𝘀 𝗳𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗯𝗲𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗱.