Overview

• Researchers tracked more than 17,000 pupils and 2,300 teachers in 165 English primary schools using wearables for an average of 25 school days in 2021–22.
• Only 30% of pupils met the recommended 30 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous activity during school hours, with school averages ranging from 8 to over 40 minutes and daily steps from 1,800 to above 10,000.
• Pupils in more deprived schools logged about 25 fewer minutes of in-school MVPA per week than peers in less deprived schools.
• Teacher activity levels correlated with pupil activity, and playground size did not account for the between-school differences.
• The peer-reviewed findings, published in the Journal of Physical Activity and Health and funded by the ESRC South West Doctoral Training Partnership, support data-driven, school-level interventions and sharing of effective practices.