CHILDREN are spending less time doing PE less than three years after the London Olympics, according to figures from the Youth Sport Trust (YST).

Despite calls for Government leaders to capitalise on the legacy of the London 2012 Olympics, a survey of schools has found that PE has actually declined since 2010.

But at Nova Hreod, staff and students remain dedicated to encouraging youngsters to lead healthy and active lifestyles.

Darren Barton, headteacher at Nova Hreod, said: “At Nova Hreod, we are committed to providing a high standard of PE lessons in school and in the community, and we actively promote the importance of healthy lifestyles.

“We have 100 per cent participation in house sport and actively promote PE enrichment and participation in teams.

“The Academy works with the RFU to provide after-school clubs and staff development at the school.

“We are also involved in the Sports Satellite Clubs, which allows pupils to get involved in sports such as boxing, basketball and table tennis at school.

“Many of our pupils are involved in extra-curricular sport in school teams and also in the wider community. We host the annual Swindon Cross Country event and we work more broadly to encourage children to make healthy choices in terms of an active lifestyle.”

Last year the Government was committed to funding the £150m-a-year PE and sports premium for primary schools for a further five years, pledging a total of £750m.

But new figures show that despite the extra funding, take-up of PE has fallen to well below the recommended five hours a week.

The research coincides with the launch of the YST's manifesto, which demands more time for high-quality PE, as well as physical activity being embedded into every school day.

Research also suggested that up-take of physical activity will lead to increases in academic achievement.

YST chairman Baroness Sue Campbell said reversing the trend of physical inactivity among young people was a huge challenge.

She said: “With one in three children leaving primary school obese or overweight, and less than one in five meeting the minimum recommended guidelines for physical activity, it is a bleak and worrying picture.

“We have set out where we believe any future government should focus its efforts if we are to stand any real chance of reversing the worrying trends that are leading to increasing sedentary lifestyles amongst young people.”