More sport in schools

Up to five hours sport a week for every child, and a national school sports day led by Olympic Champion Dame Kelly Holmes are part of a new drive to increase the amount of sport children do.

With at least two hours timetabled sport, there will be an increased focus on teaching children how to swim, wider provision of school and community sports coaches, and more competitions and sporting events for children to participate in.

The changes come in the run up to the 2012 Olympics and will be implemented with £100 million pounds of government funding.

Half of all primary schools are scheduled for refurbishments to improve sports facilities over the next 15 years.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown said: “We need to put school sport back where it belongs, playing a central role in the school day. I want every child to have that opportunity to take part.”