A new landmark in the Daily Mile scheme in England has been
reached as Local Government Association (LGA) analysis published
today shows that every council in the country has a school
participating in The Daily Mile.
With the support of their local councils, Active Partnerships and
Sport England, children in over 8,000 primary schools and early
years settings in England are getting active for fifteen minutes
a day.
Over 40 per cent of primary schools in 152 council areas have
signed up for The Daily Mile, marking a significant stride in
promoting physical health and wellbeing among children.
The Daily Mile was started by former Head Teacher Elaine Wyllie
MBE in 2012 and encourages children to run, wheel or walk for
fifteen minutes. It gets children outside and active with their
friends and teachers, refreshed for further learning. The Daily
Mile is simple, free, fun and fits in the school day easily.
The LGA's analysis shows that:
- Southend-on-Sea has the highest proportion of educational
settings for 0-11 year olds signed up to The Daily Mile (97 per
cent), followed by Southwark (90 per cent) and Tower Hamlets (81
per cent).
- Essex has the highest number of settings participating in The
Daily Mile (370), followed by Hertfordshire (326) and Kent (296).
- Over half of educational settings for children aged 0-11 are
signed up in London (52.5 per cent), followed by the northwest
(47.9 per cent) and the east of England (45.9 per cent)
Evidence has shown The Daily Mile has a positive impact on
physical, mental, and social health of children as well as
supporting improved focus in class.
Studies collected by the Office of Health Improvement and
Disparities (OHID) has found that participation in initiatives
like The Daily Mile support positive classroom behaviour,
improved self-esteem, and an increase in fitness levels among
children.
In England, the National Child Measurement Programme (NCMP) has
identified increasing numbers of overweight and obese children,
particular in areas with higher levels of deprivation.
The Daily Mile provides a practical example of where
schools and local council public health teams can work together
to help children get active and help improve their wellbeing.
Cllr David Fothergill, Chairman of the Local Government
Association’s Community Wellbeing Board said:
“This new data shows that England is creating more opportunities
for our children and young people to be active.
“Thanks to the support of councils, over 8000 primary schools and
early years settings are participating in The Daily Mile, with
schools from Cornwall up to Northumberland hosting the
initiative.
“We know that The Daily Mile is a vitally important tool in
tackling physical inactivity and obesity in our local
communities.
“We want England to become a nation where more people are more
active, more often.
“The benefits of instilling these habits early are plain to see.
Councils are committed to improving, supporting, and promoting
the health and wellbeing of all our children and young people.”
Elaine Wyllie MBE, Founder of The Daily Mile
said:
“I am very proud of what The Daily Mile has achieved since it was
established in 2012 and I am excited about our future ambitions.
We have had the pleasure of working with many schools, teachers,
and likeminded partners such as the LGA, who have supported us in
reaching 2 million children in England.
“I have always believed The Daily Mile can have a positive and
sustainable impact on our children’s health and wellbeing. There
really has never been a more important time to work collectively
to create opportunities for children to be more physically
active, helping to improve physical, mental, and social health.”
Notes to editors
The full report has been compiled by the LGA’s data hosting
platform, LG Inform, and can be found by
visiting their website.
The LGA visited Grange Park Primary School in Telford who have
provided a Daily Mile Track to support their pupils to take part
in the scheme. Attached is the full video where you can find out
about the staff and pupils experiences of the scheme.
This is the school’s particular approach to the Daily Mile. It is
important to note that the Daily Mile does not require any
specialist equipment.
