The long-awaited OFSTED report into school sport and PE was finally released this week. Given the speculation and conspiracy theories surrounding its delay and timing you would have been led to believe this was a nightmare bad news story waiting to be buried.

The Full report can be found here and this is what OFSTED said themselves:

Ofsted is publishing its Beyond 2012 – outstanding physical education for all report today. It makes recommendations for schools and the Department for Education to secure the quality of PE in schools and draws out improvements made to PE and sport over the last four years.

The report found that PE is generally in good health. Considerable investment over the last decade has ensured PE is a central part of school life for pupils of all ages. However, in some schools Ofsted found there was not enough physical activity in PE lessons. In more than a quarter of schools, teaching did not improve pupils' physical fitness.

Her Majesty's Chief Inspector, Sir Michael Wilshaw said:

'Physical education is part of every child's entitlement to a good education. Generally, PE in our schools is in good health, but there are some issues the report highlights as areas for improvement. In particular, we found there often wasn't enough physical, strenuous activity in PE lessons. Some teachers talked for too long and pupils were not provided with enough activity to enable them to learn or practise their skills.'

Anybody who has anything to do with OFSTED in education as teacher, head, governor or parent will know you have to read the whole report. Selective quoting can prove almost anything the writer wants to achieve.

So we are not going to prescribe what you should learn from this report. However, this report alongside a growing body of research and academic work alongside practitioner experience does add up to the need for a consensus to emerge amongst policy makers over the importance of PE/Sport in school, for it to be structured, funded and valued.

Alongside a wide range of bodies we will be trying to steer the policy makers to the evidence and encourage them to read the details of this report!