{
  "abstract": "Background School environments that promote a whole-school approach to physical activity (PA) can lead to promoting healthy behaviour by improving physical and mental health, and in turn, improving school attendance and academic outcomes. School environments can therefore foster lifelong health and reduce inequalities. The World Health Organization (WHO) outlines six essential criteria for a whole-school approach to promoting PA: (1) quality physical education, (2) active travel, (3) PA opportunities before and/or after school, (4) PA opportunities during scheduled breaks, (5) active classrooms, and (6) an inclusive PA approach for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). Despite these recommendations, there is limited evidence on whether and how primary schools promote and implement WHO guidelines.Methods To assess primary schools’ policies and practices to encourage physical activity among children aged 5–11 years during the school day, we developed a quantitative survey, based on the WHO’s six criteria, in collaboration with teachers. We distributed an online (Qualtrics) and paper version of our questionnaire to all state-funded primary schools ( n = 1,734) across all 32 boroughs of Greater London during September 2023. The survey remained open for one year during which schools were followed up four times to encourage survey completion. School contact details were publicly available from UK government/school websites.Results From 201 responses (12% response rate), 17 responses were excluded from analysis; two surveys where the schools could not be identified, 10 partially completed surveys, and five schools that submitted the survey twice (with the most recent response included). Therefore, 184 schools providing representation from all 32 Greater London boroughs were used for analysis. Results indicate a total of 132 (72%) reporting their school has a PA policy, and of the six WHO recommendations for a whole-school approach to promote PA: (1) 122 (66%) schools deliver quality PE (through a specialist teacher); (2) 147 (78%) have an active travel plan; (3) 179 (97%) provide opportunities for PA before and/or after school; (4) 149 (81%) provide opportunities for PA during breaks; (5) 145 (79%) have active classrooms; and (6) 143 (78%) schools have PA support in place for children with SEND.Conclusion Our results suggest that most primary schools’ policies and practices support the WHO’s recommendations for a whole school approach to promote of PA. However, whether these opportunities are taken up equitably, are yet to be established.",
  "authors": [
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, UK"
      ],
      "name": "Amina Benkhelfa"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, UK"
      ],
      "name": "Nancy Gullett"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, UK"
      ],
      "name": "Mark Cunningham"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, UK"
      ],
      "name": "Mansour Taghavi Azar Sharabiani"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "MRC Epidemiology Unit, School of Clinical Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK"
      ],
      "name": "Esther van Sluijs"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Department of Education, Durham University, Durham, UK",
        "FUSE, The Centre for Translational Research in Public Health, Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, UK"
      ],
      "name": "Nadia Siddiqui"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Sport and Health Sciences Department, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK"
      ],
      "name": "Melvyn Hillsdon"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "FUSE, The Centre for Translational Research in Public Health, Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, UK",
        "Department of Sport and Exercise Sciences, Durham University, Durham, UK"
      ],
      "name": "Carolyn Summerbell"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Department of Applied Health Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK"
      ],
      "name": "Miranda Pallan"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, UK"
      ],
      "name": "Sonia Saxena"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, UK"
      ],
      "name": "Bina Ram"
    }
  ],
  "title": "OP53 Physical activity policies and practices in primary schools: a large cross-sectional survey across Greater London (UK)",
  "uid": "27c0bcc3-f0d6-55cd-b7ec-eac5399cf86d"
}