This evaluation assessed Youth Sport Trust’s Hub Schools, an initiative aimed at raising physical activity levels among less active young people aged 11-13.

Through encouraging schools to engage students in decision-making, design and delivery of activities, Hub Schools offered opportunities to enhance provision, awareness, confidence and competence of the adult workforce and the participation and wellbeing of young people. This evaluation incorporated quantitative and qualitative methodologies to inform the report and showcase achievements.

Key Findings

• Since taking part in Hub Schools 4,953 participants (77%) say they take part in extra-curricular sport and activity clubs in school
• At the start of the programme, over a quarter of participants (27%) and a fifth of control students (20%) reported to meet the Chief Medical Officers’ recommended 60 active minutes every day. By week 10, the percentage achieving 60 daily active minutes is comparable between the control (27%) and Hub School participants (31%)
• At the start of the programme, around three-quarters of both Hub school (72%) and control (70%) students said they had tried a new activity in the last three months. After 10 weeks of programme engagement, the percentage of Hub School participants who have tried something new has increased significantly, with 9 out of 10 Hub School participants (88%) saying they have tried a new sport or activity
• Several practitioners noted that Hub Schools has ignited students’ interest in sports leadership roles. Participation in sports and activities they have chosen and enjoy is seen to have inspired them to lead activities both within the programme and across the school. It is also reported to have inspired students to seek progressive, competitive opportunities at school and in their community
• Data from the Student Survey suggest the perceived wellbeing of students in participant and control groups is broadly comparable across the 10-week period of Hub School activity delivery

Date: 2017 – 2018

Client: Youth Sport Trust and Sport England