It comes as no surprise that Research from Loughborough University has revealed that many 4-year-olds are not physically ready to start school.

Early Year specialists tested children as two different schools and found a larger number than previously estimated are experiencing problems with balance and coordination that are actually impacting their ability to learn in the classroom.

We have seen for some time statistics showing the growing level of obesity and reduced physical literacy in young children entering the school system, yet still too much of our campaigning work seems to revolve around what schools are doing for PL, PA, PE and Sport. For some time we have argued that is probably too late in the development of the child and that we can't put all the emphasis on the Schools to rectify what are increasingly societal issues and problems.

We have to sensitively approach this subject as we can't be judgemental about the causes of these changes, and must avoid a blame game. The reasons are complex and again as we have argued extensively at the Think Tank complex issues require complex policy responses not simplistic headlines.

We want to work with all the agencies currently arguing the case for improved policy around schools, PE and PA by making the case for a wider perspective that includes the early years intervention at the heart not as an afterthought and also to make play a central core of this. We need to help parents and carers to reinvent play for the 21st century and what we can do to encourage this in early years development.

Once again we can only do this by working together as a sector and learning from best practise and responding positively to societal changes that mean we need to think differently about what some of this looks like for stretched families. We would love to hear from some best practise and start to work with those outside the sector to take up the cause!