Tag: lionesses
Girls granted equal access to school sport after Lionesses’ campaign
Government’s £600m package for school sport part of Lionesses ‘legacy’
Schools told they must offer girls the chance to play football in victory for Lionesses
Bronze and Williamson praise Lionesses’ Euros legacy as PM pledges to provide equal football access for schoolchildren
LUCY BRONZE hailed the Lionesses’ legacy as the government pledged to provide equal sports access for school pupils.
The England star welcomed the move that will see schools asked to provide two hours of PE for girls and boys per week.
Lucy Bronze wants girls across the country to have more opportunities to play football[/caption]
The Lionesses’ call for action after the Euros has led to a government pledge to ensure children have two hours of PE lessons at school every week[/caption]
Leah Williamson praised Lotte Wubben-Moy for the the role she played in instigating the Lionesses’ call via an open letter[/caption]
This includes girls having equal access to all sports at school including football.
It follows the Lionesses’ open letter to Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss, spearheaded by Lotte Wubben-Moy and sent days after their historic Euros triumph.
Last August all 23 members of Sarina Wiegman’s squad called on then prime ministerial candidates to ensure football is offered as part of PE to all girls at school.
Bronze, 31, said: “It’s nice to think we played a small part with the Euros and we’re able to create a legacy to help make changes and help with equity within women’s football and women’s sport in general.
“Hopefully we can keep pushing to make these changes, whether it’s in inner city areas, getting more facilities, resources, or pushing the curriculum in schools to help girls get to play the sport that we grew up loving so much.
“It’s important that sports be made an important part of people’s lives because it’s generally just good for you.”
Bronze was sharing her thoughts as PM Sunak and education secretary Gillian Keegan announced a revamped school sport action plan.
The plan has been backed by investment including £600 million in funding for the PE and sport premium over the next two academic years.
The premium is used by schools to support improvements to the quality of their PE and sports education.
At present 67 per cent of all schools and 41 per cent of secondary schools provide football equally to girls in PE lessons.
And 46 per cent of schools deliver the same extracurricular sports opportunities as boys.
Bronze added: “That’s where schools can play a big part.
“This was part of the letter we wrote after the Euros (calling for) increasing the time that girls can have to play football and other sports as well in general.
“It’s important that sports be made an important part of people’s lives because it’s generally just good for you.”
Lionesses captain Leah Williamson, 25, said: “The (Euros) success of last summer has inspired so many young girls to pursue their passion for football.
“We see it as our responsibility to open the doors for them to do so and this announcement makes that possible.
“This is the legacy that we want to live much longer than us as a team.
“On behalf of all the Lionesses players, we’d like to thank our teammate Lotte Wubben-Moy as a driving force behind this transformational change.
“We couldn’t be prouder to stand alongside her and we all look forward to seeing the impact this legacy creates.”
The government says schools will be offered strengthened guidance on how to spend the funding including guidelines on equal access.
Those who are successful in providing opportunities will be awarded through via the Schools Game Mark.
This is a system which assesses parity in the provision of PE and extracurricular sports activities.
FA chief Mark Bullingham says equal access to football for girls could help transform the future of the women’s game[/caption]
FA’s chief executive said: “The magic of last summer’s Euros victory can now live on with a legacy that has the ability to change the future of women’s football and positively impact society.
“Equal access for girls is one of the FA’s strategic ambitions and for such progress to be made is a very proud day.
“We’re all extremely grateful to the players for using their voice to deliver change.
“We would like to place on record our thanks to the government for the positive measures announced today.”
Girls will all get the chance to play football at school under Rishi Sunak’s drive to breed next generation of Lionesses
GIRLS will all get the chance to play football at school under Rishi Sunak’s drive to breed the next generation of Lionesses.
New government standards will tell teachers to offer female pupils the same sports as boys.
A curriculum shake-up will also encourage schools to increase PE lessons to a minimum two hours each week.
The Saints-supporting PM said: “Last year the Lionesses’ victory changed the game.
“Young girls know when they take to the pitch that football is for them and, thanks to the Lionesses, they too could be a part of the next generation to bring it home for their country.”
England women’s captain Leah Williamson added: “The success of the summer has inspired so many young girls to pursue their passion for football.
“We see it as our responsibility to open the doors for them to do so and this announcement makes that possible. This is the legacy that we want to live much longer than us as a team.”
It follows the Let Girls Play joint campaign by the Lionesses and the FA following their Euros 22 triumph.
Schools will be told that where it is wanted they must offer girls the same activities as boys – also including rugby and cricket – in lessons and after-school clubs.
Ministers also want teachers to ring fence at least two hours a week for sports, although they cannot dictate how much of the curriculum it takes up.
But Education Secretary Gillian Keegan insists it would be “great for both physical and mental health” as well as teamwork.
A £600million pot of previously announced money will be used to help heads lay on sports over the next two years.
A further £57million funding will be used for schools to keep their pitches open after lessons for pupils to use