Schools Advocate Training - Why Section
Section 1: Why is PE Kit a Barrier?
Why is PE Kit a barrier for so many pupils?
• PE kit continues to be a significant barrier to participation, enjoyment and performance in sport and physical activity across a range of pupils.
Task 1: Check your understanding - tick all the below statements to understand why - ‘Too often, PE kit can…’
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How does PE kit impact physical and mental health?
• Inclusive PE kit can help more young people stay active and develop life-long relationships with sport and activity.
• PE kit is a public health issue because it can directly affect how young people engage with activity and their bodies.
Task 2: Answer if you think these statements are True or False. [Data updated 2024]
PE kit is vital for developing a young person’s relationship with movement and physical activity for life – defined as ‘physical literacy’ by Sport England.
81% of children and young people in England meet the UK Chief Medical Officers’ guidelines of taking part in an average of 60 minutes or more of daily physical activity.
Significantly more girls enjoy PE less from age 8 to age 14, but that is normal for girls.
1 in 3 secondary girls feel their PE kit stops them from being active / more active.
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What does research show us about pupil opinion of PE kit?
• Comfort in PE kit is crucial for enabling pupils to focus on the activity and sport rather than how they feel.
• Comfort in clothing matters for confidence, particularly for girls.
• Comfort is both physical (i.e., supporting movement patterns or how an item feels on skin, and mental (i.e., feeling confident or happy in clothing)
[Note - These statistics relate to responses about PE kit within the Youth Sport Trust 2024 Girls Active Survey.]
Task 3: Select which of these statistics you think are correct to check your understanding.

Confidence

What percentage of boys feel confident in their PE kit?
What percentage of girls feel confident in their PE kit?

Comfort

What percentage of boys feel comfortable in their PE kit?
What percentage of girls feel comfortable in their PE kit?
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Why are sports bras so important in schools?
• Practicality for girls means supporting them through puberty, and that means girls must have access to adequate sports bra knowledge and access.
[Note - These statistics relate to responses from the Women in Sport 2024 Study.]
Task 4: Click True or False to check your understanding.
2 in 3 secondary school girls wear sports bras.
Only 14% of girls report sports bras being on their school PE kit.
When girls wear a sports bra for exercise, it increases their comfort, confidence and ability to jump.
1 in 3 secondary girls feel their PE kit stops them from being active / more active.
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Why is collaboration key for a successful inclusive PE kit policy?
• Our pupils know what would help them feel more comfortable and confident in PE kit.
• It is our responsibility to listen to them.
• The top 3 suggestions for kit improvement were the same for boys as girls although there were marked differences in percentages.
[Note - These statistics relate to responses about PE kit within the Youth Sport Trust 2024 Girls Active Survey.]
Task 5: Check your understanding - tick all the below statements to understand what the top 3 suggestions for kit improvements were for pupils.  
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Your Current Uniform Policy
Many schools may have had the same school uniform and PE kit for years as the process of making changes can be long and involves essential input and agreement of a number of parties including Senior Leaders, Governors, Uniform Suppliers, parents and pupils.
It is important for schools to review the items they specify within their uniform lists to ensure they remain current and reflect the evolving needs of pupils and parents.
Task 6: Think about your current uniform policy

We invite you to consider:

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When was your schools’ PE kit last reviewed?
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Do you have gendered PE kit lists?
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Does your current kit reflect the changing social circumstances?
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How effective are the fabrics and materials used within your PE kit?
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How many items are requested and are they all still needed?
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How costly is your PE kit and could this be improved?
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Is there a need for a separate school and PE uniform?
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What are pupils and parents’ views on your schools’ PE kit?
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