Source · Select Committees · Women and Equalities Committee
Recommendation 4
4
Acknowledged
Paragraph: 35
Review school PE kit guidance to ensure widest choice for girls, including sports bras.
Recommendation
The evidence on girls’ anxieties around PE kit is overwhelming. We recommend the Department for Education and National Physical Activity Taskforce review guidance for schools on school PE kit, with the aim of ensuring all schools permit the widest possible choice for girls. That guidance should include advice to schools on use of sports bras by girls taking part in PE and school sports.
Government response summary AI-generated
The government accepted the recommendation but provided a vague commitment, describing the general activities of the National Physical Activity Taskforce and the Board of Women's Sport, without outlining specific actions or timelines for reviewing PE kit guidance for schools to ensure wider choice for girls or advice on sports bras.
Summary of the government's response below — read the verbatim text to verify.
Paragraph Reference:
35
Government Response
Acknowledged
HM Government · verbatim extract
Acknowledged
The Government accepts this recommendation. The Department for Education recognises the importance of ensuring schools offer the widest possible choice of PE kit to girls to promote their participation in sport and PE. School governing boards are responsible for deciding whether to have a school uniform and what it should be–including any clothing needed for PE. To support schools in developing and implementing their school uniform policy, the Department for Education has already issued Non Statutory Guidance regarding school uniform and recommends that schools proactively engage with parents and pupils when designing their uniform policies. The guidance advises schools to select PE kit which is practical, comfortable, and appropriate to the activity involved. The Department for Education is committed to continually reviewing the guidance issued to schools for the development of their school uniform and PE kit policy. Whilst not directly relevant to PE kit, it is important to note wider changes happening in this space. For example, the UK Sports Institute (a wholly owned subsidiary of UK Sport) have been working closely with research partners and commercial suppliers over the past four years to provide athletes with education and access to correctly fitting sports bras. This culminated in over 100 athletes from 15 different sports being provided with bespoke bras for the Tokyo Games. During the Paris cycle, UKSI partnered with Panache to continue this work and have worked with around 50 athletes from six sports so far. As part of the Paris cycle, UKSI have also worked with 11 sports and approximately 150 female athletes on apparel development. Work in this space explores the fit, feel and form Health barriers for girls and women in sport: Government and Sport England responses 7 of female training and competition kit, collating both qualitative and quantitative data on how it performs and is perceived. The collaboration with the athletes enables them to take ownership of kit selection, making informed decisions.
Read the full response on Parliament ↗