In May 2020, a survey carried out in the United Kingdom asked respondents with children their views on reopening schools following their closure during the coronavirus lockdown. The greatest support can be found for partially reopening pre-schools and nurseries, as 23 percent of respondents strongly supported this scenario and a further 31 percent somewhat supported it. The latest number of cases in the UK can be found here. For further information about the coronavirus pandemic, please visit our dedicated Facts and Figures page.

Abstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner.

The Active Lives Children and Young People Survey, which was established in September 2017, provides a world-leading approach to gathering data on how children engage with sport and physical activity. This school-based survey is the first and largest established physical activity survey with children and young people in England. It gives anyone working with children aged 5-16 key insight to help understand children's attitudes and behaviours around sport and physical activity. The results will shape and influence local decision-making as well as inform government policy on the PE and Sport Premium, Childhood Obesity Plan and other cross-departmental programmes. More general information about the study can be found on the Sport England Active Lives Survey webpage and the Active Lives Online website, including reports and data tables.

The Active Lives Children and Young People Survey, 2019-2020 began as the usual school-based survey (i.e. completed at school as part of lessons). From 20 March 2020, schools, colleges and nurseries were closed in the UK due to the COVID-19 pandemic and remained closed until 1 June 2020, when there was a phased reopening for reception, and Years 1 and 6. The Active Lives survey fieldwork in Spring term finished two weeks early before the end of term, in line with the school closures.

Due to the closure of schools, the survey had to be adapted for at home completion. The adaptions involved minor questionnaire changes (e.g. to ensure the wording was appropriate for both the new lockdown situation and to account for the new survey completion method at home) and communication changes. For further details on the changes, please see the accompanying technical report. The circumstances and adaptations resulted in a delay to survey fieldwork re-starting. This means that the data does not cover the full lockdown period, and instead re-starts from mid-May 2020 (when the survey was relaunched). Sample targets were also reduced as a result of the pandemic, resulting in a smaller proportion of summer term responses for 2019-20 when compared to previous years. As part of Sport England’s official publication, an additional Coronavirus report was produced, which outlines changes during the ‘easing restrictions’ phase of lockdown from mid-May to the end of July, comparing the summer term in 2020 with summer 2019. Due to the reduced summer term sample, it is recommended to analyse within term and/or school phase for academic year 2019-20.

The survey identifies how participation varies across different activities and sports, by regions of England, between school types and terms, and between different demographic groups in the population. The survey measures levels of activity (active, fairly active and less active), attitudes towards sport and physical activity, swimming capability, the proportion of children and young people that volunteer in sport, sports spectating, and wellbeing measures such as happiness and life satisfaction. The questionnaire was designed to enable analysis of the findings by a broad range of variables, such as gender, family affluence and school year.

The following datasets have been provided:

1. Main dataset: includes responses from children and young people from school years 3 to 11, as well as responses from parents of children in years 1-2. The parents of children in years 1-2 provide behavioural answers about their child’s activity levels, they do not provide attitudinal information. Using this main dataset, full analyses can be carried out into sports and physical activity participation, levels of activity, volunteering (years 5 to 11), etc. Weighting is required when using this dataset (wt_gross / wt_gross.csplan files are available for SPSS users who can utilise them).
2. Year 1-2 dataset: includes responses from children in school years 1-2 directly, providing their attitudinal responses (e.g. whether they like playing sport and find it easy). Analysis can be carried out into feelings towards swimming, enjoyment for being active, happiness etc. Weighting is required when using this dataset (wt_gross / wt_gross.csplan files are available for SPSS users who can utilise them).
3. Teacher dataset – this .sav file includes response from the teachers at schools selected for the survey. Analysis can be carried out into school facilities available, length of PE lessons, whether swimming lessons are offered, etc. Weighting was formerly not available, however, as Sport England have started to publish the Teacher data, from December 2023 we decide to apply weighting to the data. The Teacher dataset now includes weighting by applying the ‘wt_teacher’ weighting variable.

For further information about the variables available for analysis, and the relevant school years...

According to a survey carried in Great Britain in April 2020, 30 percent of Brits thought that the government should have reopening schools as the top priority when it starts to gradually loosen restrictions, while 19 percent want the government to encourage non-essential workers to go back to work as the top priority. The latest number of cases in the UK can be found here. For further information about the coronavirus pandemic, please visit our dedicated Facts and Figures page.

Local authority level vaccine coverage estimates for the school-based meningococcal ACWY adolescent vaccination programme for 14 to 15 year olds.

Rationale The MenACWY vaccination was introduced into the national immunisation programme in autumn 2015 to respond to a rapid and accelerating increase in cases of invasive meningococcal group W (MenW) disease, which was declared a national incident. The MenACWY conjugate vaccine provides direct protection to the vaccinated cohort and, by reducing MenW carriage, will also provide indirect protection to unvaccinated children and adults. This follows advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI). It is routinely offered through schools in academic school Years 9 and 10 (rising 14 and rising 15 year olds). The indicator measures local authority level MenACWY vaccine coverage for students at the end of school Yr 10. Vaccination coverage is the best indicator of the level of protection a population will have against vaccine preventable communicable diseases. Coverage is closely correlated with levels of disease. Monitoring coverage identifies possible drops in immunity before levels of disease rise. Previous evidence shows that highlighting vaccination programmes encourages improvements in uptake levels. May also have relevance for NICE guidance PH21: Reducing differences in the uptake of immunisations (The guidance aims to increase immunisation uptake among those aged under 19 years from groups where uptake is low).

Definition of numerator Total number of adolescents in LA responsible population whose 15th birthday falls within the time period who have ever received MenACWY vaccine.

Definition of denominator Total number of adolescents attending school in LA plus adolescents resident in the LA not linked to any school whose 15th birthday falls within the time period.

Caveats On 23 March 2020, all educational settings in England were advised to close by the UK Government as part of COVID-19 pandemic measures. Although the importance of maintaining good vaccine uptake was impressed, operational delivery of all school-aged immunisation programmes was paused for a short period of time as a consequence of school closures limiting access to venues for providers and children who were eligible for vaccination and to ensure that lockdown regulations were not breached.

The NHSEI central public health commissioning and operations team rapidly established an Immunisation Task and Finish Group, with regional NHSEI and UKHSA representation. The group was established to:

assess the impact of COVID-19 on all immunisation programmes, including school-aged programmes develop technical guidance and a plan for restoration and recovery of school-aged programmes, once education settings were reopened

From 1 June 2020, some schools partially reopened for some year groups for a mini summer term. NHSEI published clinical guidance for healthcare professionals on maintaining immunisation programmes during COVID-19, and the Department of Education published further guidance which led to schools allowing vaccination sessions to resume on site.

NHSEI commissioned, school-aged immunisation providers were able to implement their restoration and recovery plans to commence catch-up during the summer of 2020. This included delivery of programmes in school and community settings following a robust risk assessment and in line with UK Government Public Health COVID-19 guidance.

In September 2020, schools across the UK reopened for general in-person attendance. During the 2020 to 2021 academic year, students were required to stay at home and learn remotely if they tested positive for COVID-19 or if they were a contact of a confirmed COVID-19 case, and so school attendance rates in England were lower than normal, especially in areas with very high COVID-19 incidence rates. In England, as part of a wider national lockdown in January 2021, schools were closed to all except children of keyworkers and vulnerable children. From early March 2021, primary schools reopened, with a phased reopening of secondary schools.

Although this led to some disruption of school-based elements of programme delivery in the 2020 to 2021 academic year, NHSEI Regional Public Health Commissioning teams worked with NHSEI commissioned school-aged immunisation providers to maintain the delivery of the routine programme and catch-up. As the routine programme is commissioned for a school-aged cohort rather than a school-based cohort, providers were able to build on existing arrangements such as community-based clinics in place for children not in mainstream education. A wide variety of local arrangements were established to ensure programme delivery continued effectively and safely in the school and community premises, during the term time and school breaks.