Girls and boys are to be offered the same school sports as the government seeks to create the next generation of Lionesses.
The plans, unveiled on International Women’s Day, will ensure that all pupils are granted equal access to sports during PE lessons and after school.
It comes after the England Women’s football team, known as the Lionesses, launched the Let Girls Play campaign last year following their success at the Euros. At the time Arsenal and England player Lotte Wubben-Moy said that the “inequality” of access that affects girls in school should be “illegal”.
Ministers say schools that successfully deliver equal opportunities will be rewarded through what will be known as a School Games Mark. Schools are also being asked to offer a minimum of two hours PE time a week.
The government said the measures would be backed by over £600million in funding over the next two academic years, specifically designed to help improve the quality of PE and sports in primary schools.
