More than four-fifths of Brits believe PE is important, but girls’ enjoyment of it falls sharply during their teenage years. Experts say clothing, comfort and confidence could all play a part.
For many children, PE is a chance to run around, have fun and discover the sports they enjoy. But new research suggests that many girls become less positive about PE as they reach their teenage years, with confidence, periods and even what they wear potentially affecting whether they want to take part.
Research from the Youth Sport Trust’s Girls Active Survey, involving more than 15,000 young women, found that 86% of girls aged seven to eight enjoy PE. By the age of 15, this has fallen to 56%.
The research also suggests that many girls are not turning away from physical activity itself. Nearly two-thirds (62%) said they wanted to be more active at school but faced barriers.
Among 14 and 15-year-olds, 46% said a lack of confidence stopped them being more active, while 52% identified periods as a barrier.
Could PE kit be part of the problem?
What girls are expected to wear for PE may be another factor.
Only one in four girls aged 11 to 13 said they felt confident in their PE kit, compared with 65% of girls aged seven to eight. Meanwhile, 58% of girls said they wanted more PE kit options, compared with 29% of boys.
The Girls’ Day School Trust (GDST) believes the figures highlight the importance of listening to girls about their experiences of sport, rather than simply expecting them to adapt to existing arrangements.
For a teenager going through puberty, dealing with periods and becoming increasingly aware of their changing body, feeling comfortable in sports kit can make a difference to how confident they feel taking part.
Research led by Great Britain hockey player Tess Howard, involving more than 400 women, found that 70% had seen girls drop out of sport because of sports kit and related body-image concerns.
The research contributed to changes in England Hockey’s domestic playing-kit regulations, giving players greater choice between shorts, skirts and skorts.
For schools, the issue raises a simple question: could giving girls more choice about what they wear make it easier for them to participate?
A girl who enjoys hockey, football, athletics or fitness may still feel self-conscious if she is worrying about a skirt riding up, sweat showing through fabric, leggings feeling too revealing or how she will manage her period while exercising.
‘There are no girls’ sports, only sport’
Coutts Coutts-Wood, Trust Consultant Teacher for Sport at the Girls’ Day School Trust (GDST) and Director of Sport for Wimbledon High School, says schools need to listen to what girls are telling them about their experiences.
“There are no girls’ sports, only sport. Every girl should have the opportunity to participate, enjoy it and discover what she is capable of.
“But if we are serious about keeping girls active, we must listen carefully to what they tell us about their experience of sport. That means looking not only at the activities on the timetable, but at the environment we create around them.
“PE kits might appear to be a small detail to an adult. To a teenager navigating puberty, periods and changing body confidence, it can feel anything but small.”
The GDST has increasingly focused on providing sportswear designed around girls’ needs and experiences, as part of a wider approach to encouraging girls to find physical activities they genuinely enjoy.
Five questions schools could ask about girls’ PE kit
The GDST suggests schools reviewing their PE and sports provision consider:
1. Do girls have meaningful choice?
Could pupils choose between suitable shorts, skorts, leggings or trousers rather than being restricted to one style?
2. Has the kit been considered through the lens of puberty?
Does it work for changing bodies, different body shapes and periods?
3. Is comfort prioritised alongside appearance?
Can girls run, jump, stretch and compete without constantly adjusting or worrying about their clothing?
4. Does the kit work for different activities and conditions?
What works for hockey in January may not necessarily be suitable for athletics in June.
5. Have girls actually been asked?
Giving pupils a voice in decisions about the clothing they are expected to exercise in could help schools understand what is making participation easier or harder.
Coutts adds:
“Keeping girls in sport isn’t achieved by simply telling them to be more active. We need to understand why some girls are stepping away and be prepared to change the things that are getting in their way.
“Schools cannot solve every barrier to girls’ participation overnight. But there are things within our control. We can listen to girls. We can think differently about kit, periods and body confidence. And we can create sporting cultures in which girls feel that they belong.”
With 58% of girls saying they want more PE kit options, the research highlights the importance of giving teenage girls a voice in decisions that affect their participation.
The decline in enjoyment during adolescence also matters because attitudes towards exercise can develop during these years. Helping girls find physical activities they enjoy and feel comfortable taking part in could help them build a more positive relationship with exercise as they grow up.
