Bradford research shapes national warning that England is raising an Inactive Nation
England faces a growing crisis in children’s physical activity, with over half of primary pupils failing to meet daily guidelines. A new Centre for Social Justice report, Inactive Nation, draws heavily on University of Bradford research, particularly Creating Active Schools. The evidence shows that embedding movement across the whole school day is effective and sustainable, especially in disadvantaged communities. With national PE and School Sport Partnerships due, Bradford’s work demonstrates how policy ambition could translate into practical, equitable change nationally.
England is facing a growing crisis in children’s physical activity, health and wellbeing – and research led by the University of Bradford is now helping to shape what could be a national response.
A major new report from the Centre for Social Justice (CSJ), Inactive Nation, warns that more than half of primary school children in England are failing to meet recommended levels of daily physical activity, with screen time increasingly replacing movement, play and sport.
The report draws extensively on research conducted at the University of Bradford, including work from its nationally recognised Creating Active Schools programme.
Inaction and inequality
The CSJ report argues that physical activity must become a core part of the education system rather than an optional extra. That position closely reflects findings from Bradford academics, whose research demonstrates that whole‑school approaches, embedding movement throughout the school day, curriculum and culture, are both effective and sustainable, particularly in communities facing the greatest inequalities.
Researchers from the University of Bradford contributed evidence, case studies and policy insight to the report, with five Creating Active Schools case studies cited. The work also reflects principles developed collaboratively with more than 150 stakeholders through an international conference hosted by the University in 2024 on the future of whole‑school physical activity.
Creating Active Schools, developed and led in Bradford, provides schools with a structured, evidence‑based framework to build physical activity into daily life, from active lessons and playtimes to school travel and community links.
Place‑based work such as the Join Us Move Play project has shown that these approaches can increase children’s activity levels, support long‑term culture change and reduce inequalities when embedded in local systems.
A way forward
Dr Anna Chalkley, Senior Research Fellow at the University of Bradford, said: “The CSJ report sets out what needs to happen nationally. Our work in Bradford shows how it can happen in practice. If we are serious about improving children’s physical activity, we need to scale models of delivery that already work, particularly in places facing the greatest health inequalities.
“This report shows England faces a real crisis in children’s inactivity. Our research in Bradford demonstrates that when physical activity is embedded across the whole school day, it can improve health, wellbeing and learning, especially in the communities that need it most.
“Bradford has led the way in England with the whole school approach through the Creating Active Schools programme (CAS), which focuses on organisational and cultural change promoting physical activity in schools.
“The programme’s success has led to CAS being implemented in 443 schools and has drawn national attention. In recent government guidance on enhancing PE and improving access to sport and physical activity, five separate CAS schools were used as examples of schools making a positive difference."
Time for action
The report’s publication comes at a critical moment, with the Department for Education expected to shortly release a tender to establish a new national PE and School Sport Partnerships Network, supported by the Departments of Health and Social Care, and Culture, Media and Sport. The network aims to support schools to consistently deliver high‑quality physical activity and sport.
The University of Bradford’s research demonstrates how that ambition could be translated into delivery on the ground, aligning education, public health and community systems to help schools move from aspiration to impact.
As concerns grow about children’s health, mental wellbeing and the long-term effects of sedentary lifestyles, the researchers argue that the evidence already exists. The question, they say, is whether policy will now move quickly enough to respond.