Overview
- Analysis of 17,000 pupils across 165 primary schools found just 30% achieved the recommended 30 minutes of moderate‑to‑vigorous activity during school hours.
- Between‑school differences were stark, with average daily MVPA ranging from about 8 minutes to over 40 and pupil step counts spanning roughly 1,800 to more than 10,000.
- Pupils in more deprived schools accumulated about 25 fewer minutes of MVPA each week than peers in less deprived schools.
- Playground size did not account for disparities, while schools with more active teachers tended to have more active pupils.
- The peer‑reviewed study, published in the Journal of Physical Activity and Health using 2021–22 wearable data, calls for school‑to‑school knowledge exchange and targeted monitoring to identify low‑activity times and pupils.