Blog: Unlocking the Joy of Movement: Exciting Strategies to Inspire Primary School Children Towards an Active Lifestyle

Breaking Boundaries: Child Population Health Theme Lead, Professor Sonia Saxena, Leads alongside Dr Bina Ram on Groundbreaking Research to Revolutionise Children's Health through Active School Environments

Promoting physical activity in schools is essential for children's physical development and has wider benefits including better social and emotional health. Children spend a third of their time at school where there may be opportunities for all children to be physically active. The WHO’s Promoting Physical Activity Through Schools: A Toolkit sets out six criteria for schools; to provide quality physical education, opportunities for children to be physically active before and after school, and during scheduled breaks, active travel, active classrooms, and to provide physical activities for children with additional needs.

In November 2023, the project team gave an assembly on the importance of physical activity at St Bernadette’s Catholic Primary School & Nursery in Northwest London involving 420 children, aged 5–11 years. The team involved the children in a range of activities. Parents and teachers were all invited to attend the assembly, and everyone was encouraged to join in.