What about now? PE Curriculum changes on the horizon...

By Dan Wilson, Head of Education @ BTP

Recently, as expected, my feed was filled with discussion about the new Curriculum and Assessment Review for Physical Education (PE), School Sport and Play. The excitement, optimism and professional debate were clear to see — and rightly so. The review represented a significant opportunity to raise the profile of physical education and ensure that every child experienced high-quality, inclusive PE that built confidence, competence and a lifelong love of movement.

Sector leaders, including the Association for Physical Education (afPE), described it as a “new chapter” for PE, school sport and play — and it certainly felt that way.

What was being proposed in the PE review?

The review outlined a number of key priorities designed to improve PE teaching, school sport, and enrichment across all schools in England:

Physical Education (PE)

• Revisiting the aims of compulsory PE across all four key stages to strengthen fundamental movement skills, participation, wellbeing and educational outcomes.
• Protecting two hours of PE per week for every pupil, particularly at Key Stage 4, to ensure consistency and commitment to active learning.
• Reviewing how swimming, dance and outdoor/adventurous activities were presented to ensure progression and quality teaching.
• Working with Ofqual to review GCSE PE content, ensuring it was distinct from the Key Stage 4 curriculum and encouraged wider participation, including for pupils with disabilities.
• Adding greater focus to dance within PE, with PE and School Sport Partnerships supporting teacher confidence and delivery.

Enrichment

• Introducing a new core enrichment offer to provide every child with access to sport, civic engagement, arts and culture, nature, adventure and life skills.
• Developing new enrichment benchmarks in collaboration with schools, colleges and sector experts, with Ofsted inspection toolkits updated to reflect them.
• Strengthening PE and School Sport Partnerships to enhance extracurricular sport, link schools with local clubs, and connect with National Governing Bodies of sport.
• Recognising the contribution of civil society partners such as the Youth Sport Trust, Duke of Edinburgh’s Award and National Youth Theatre in helping schools deliver high-quality enrichment experiences.

The Government confirmed that the final national curriculum for PE would be published by spring 2027 and implemented from September 2028.

But what about now?

While these proposals are encouraging and suggest a promising future for PE, the reality is that any changes will not reach schools for almost three years.

Three years could be transformative — or damaging — for thousands of children’s relationships with movement. All the strategy papers and policy frameworks in the world would count for little if nothing changes in PE lessons happening the very next day.

That thought kept returning to me:

What about that Year 4 child walking into their PE lesson at 9:15am tomorrow morning?

The profession can look ahead to 2028 with optimism, but real progress depends on what happens now — in the hall, on the playground and on the field. If teachers wait for the system to change, we risk losing vital opportunities to inspire and engage young people today.

Change is already happening

At Beyond the Physical, I am fortunate to work alongside educators who are already delivering the kind of high-quality PE this review envisions. Every day, we design lessons that develop physical literacy, fundamental movement skills and above all, enjoyment. They embed inclusion, creativity, teamwork and resilience — not because a policy document told us to, but because children need it.

Those familiar terms from government reviews — progression, inclusion, wellbeing, engagement — are not just buzzwords for us. They are lived realities across schools working with Beyond the Physical.

Through our PE schemes of work, teacher training and wraparound provision, we continue to help schools bring these ambitions to life immediately. We support teachers to deliver purposeful, inclusive and engaging lessons now - long before the new curriculum is due to arrive.

Because that Year 4 child stepping into their PE lesson deserves a meaningful experience now - not in three years’ time.

A call to action

The Curriculum and Assessment Review might mark the beginning of a new era for physical education, but whether that promise becomes a reality depends entirely on what happens in halls, playgrounds and fields during the years in between.

Change has to start at the coalface — in the daily planning, reflection and delivery of lessons.

So, as the sector looks forward to 2028, I encourage every PE teacher, school leader and coach to ask themselves:

What are we doing now?

Because the choices made now — in every school, every playground and every PE lesson — will ultimately determine whether this “new chapter” for PE truly transforms children’s lives.