Quote from Penny McCarthy on March 13, 2025, 1:05 pm

Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) Youth Schools’ Free Teacher Training Course to Enhance PE Delivery in Schools

Nearly half of teachers feel they lack sufficient training to teach subjects outside their expertise, including physical education (PE), according to Teacher Tapp (2024). Addressing this gap, the LTA, the national governing body for tennis in Great Britain, is offering their free LTA Youth Schools Teacher Training Course to empower teachers to deliver high-quality, inclusive PE lessons confidently.

With only 56% of primary school teachers feeling confident teaching PE (Youth Sport Trust, 2024) and a decline in PE hours in schools, the initiative is both timely and essential. Designed by teachers, the 90-minute course provides practical strategies for introducing tennis, adapting lessons for all abilities (including students with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities – SEND), and building broader skills such as teamwork and resilience. With over half of all schools in Britain signed up, the LTA is keen to ensure that every school benefits from the programme.

Accessible via the LTA Youth Schools platform, the course provides teachers with continued access to comprehensive resources after completing the training, including detailed lesson plans, activity guides, and videos. Participants also receive a certificate of achievement that they can add to their CV.

British wheelchair tennis women’s number one and three-time Paralympic medallist Lucy Shuker praised the programme, saying;

"The work of the LTA Youth Schools programme to improve teachers' tennis delivery in schools is making a real impact. It's brilliant that kids of all ages, disabled and non-disabled, and from all over the country are getting the chance to try tennis where they might not have been able to before through their PE lessons. Hopefully even more teachers can sign up and give even more kids the chance to give tennis a go."

Additionally, upon completion of the course, teachers will have access to unique benefits including:

A £250 voucher* for their school to spend on tennis equipment or 10 hours of team teaching with an LTA Accredited Coach, thanks to funding from the LTA Tennis Foundation.

• Primary schools: Teachers will get a resource pack with activity book including fun games, pupil rewards (certificates and stickers), Hartley Jelly discount vouchers, and exclusive fun LTA Tennisables character cards.
• Secondary schools: Teachers will be entered into a prize draw to win a money can’t buy experience for your students alongside 16 tickets to the historic HSBC Championship WTA 500 event at The Queen's Club, marking the return of women’s tour-level tennis after 50+ years*.

Michelle Gray, Schools Programme Strategy Manager at the LTA, said,

"Through LTA Youth Schools, we are working hard to ensure that teachers feel confident to deliver tennis and children get the best possible introduction to the sport in school. We are proud that so many teachers and schools have already completed the course, accessing ongoing delivery support, curriculum-aligned resources and £250 vouchers thanks to the funding from the LTA Tennis Foundation. We want numbers to keep rising, so that even more children, teachers and schools can experience the educational, mental and physical benefits of tennis through the programme."

In 2024, only 56% of teachers participated in training provided by external organisations (Department for Education Report, 2024), highlighting the pressing need for more tailored professional development opportunities. Initiatives like these align perfectly with the LTA’s mission to inspire a new generation of players while enhancing teachers’ skills and confidence in the classroom.

The LTA’s impact surveys support this:

• 99% of teachers who completed the course believe their teaching has improved or will improve.
• 90% believe tennis boosts pupils’ confidence, 79% see it enhancing aspirations, and 63% recognise its impact on academic achievement.

Visit the LTA Youth Schools website to register for the Teacher Training Course and discover how to bring tennis into the heart of school life.