New Games Primary School Intervention – Report Summary

This report is an overview of the findings from an evaluation of New Games, a primary school active lesson intervention designed to increase pupil school physical activity (PA), wellbeing, and classroom engagement in a PE lesson, with a specific focus on those pupils who do not engage with traditional PE.

The Chief Medical Officer (CMO) for the UK has recommended that children and young people should achieve a minimum of 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) each day (30 minutes at school and 30 minutes at home). This is a minimum requirement and the CMO guidelines suggest children should be active up to several hours a day. Research into physical activity has increased in recent time, due to evidence suggesting that daily physical activity is on the decline, leading to more sedentary lifestyles (Health Survey for England (HSE), 2015). Additionally, national evidence from the HSE (2015) suggests that only 22% of children and young people aged 5-15 years of age are meeting the current physical activity guidelines.

Within a school setting, there is evidence to suggest that children who are more active benefit from improved confidence, peer acceptance, self-esteem, anxiety and stress reduction, and even attention/concentration, cognitive functions and academic achievement (Chalkley, Milton, Foster, 2015). This evidence suggests that any increase in pupil PA and MVPA at school, is likely to bring about these benefits for individuals involved.

The purpose of the New Games evaluation is to assess the impact of New Games in a primary school settng, to see if it has an impact on pupil PA and behavioural outcomes, as well as assess how pupils and teachers evaluate New Games.

In order to achieve this, a mixed method approach was adopted to examine the programmes impact. Therefore, this evaluation should:

  • Objectively measure pupil PA during a standard PE lesson, and in a New Games session
  • Explore the teachers experiences with New Games, and the impact it had on their delivery of PE
  • Examine the impact New Games has on pupil behaviour within a lesson
  • Measure the impact on child wellbeing
  • Explore the experience of pupils with New Games
  • Gain insight into what works and what does not work about the programme
  • Explore the feasibility of New Games in the primary school setting

Primary outcome

The primary outcome of was to identify if New Games impacted pupil physical activity during a PE lesson.

Secondary outcomes

Secondary outcomes of the New Games evaluation included:

  • Identifying the impact on teachers delivery of PE
  • Explore other benefits / limitations of the New Games
  • Measure the impact New Games had on pupil behaviour after 10 weeks
  • Measure the impact an New Games had on child wellbeing after 10 weeks
  • Explore the perceptions of New Games from a pupil and teacher

The complete study report can also be downloaded here:

New Games Primary School Intervention – Full Report Download
You are welcome to use this report provided that reference is made to the full report and attributed clearly.