Active Lives

What is Active Lives?

The Active Lives Children and Young People survey from Sport England provides a world-leading approach to gathering data on how children engage in sport and physical activity. The survey measures participation and attitudes towards sport, physical activity and wellbeing among children in school years 1 to 11. 

Data gathered in the survey relates to peoples’ sporting and physical activity habits, swimming ability, well-being, volunteering, and even sports spectating. For younger children, the questions are appropriately worded and complemented by images to help identify different types of activity, including playground games and active travel.

The Herts Sport & Physical Activity Partnership has been tasked with administering the Active Lives Children and Young People survey within Hertfordshire and is issued with the list of schools and specific year groups we are required to work with each term.

Frequently Asked Questions

How often will schools be randomly selected to take part in the survey?
It is a randomly selected sample so they could be selected at any time during the academic year.

What are the incentives for schools?
Schools will be rewarded for completing the survey in the form of credits for equipment from ESPO. Sport England will also provide each school with a bespoke report outlining their results, which may also contribute to use of the PE Primary Premium and Ofsted inspection data as well as the Healthy Schools Rating Scheme that recognises and encourages a school's contribution to supporting pupils’ health and wellbeing.

How else can schools benefit from taking part?
The intention is that the data will provide national, local authority and school-level reports on measures of physical activity and health and wellbeing. This will only be possible if enough survey responses are submitted. If your school is selected to take part, it is vital that the surveys are thoroughly completed in order to achieve this.

Can my school take part if we are not on the current list? 
Schools, outside those who are randomly selected, can take part in the survey, but the school should understand that they may be randomly selected at any time. They must provide their assurance that, if they take part on an opt-in basis, they will still take part when randomly selected in a subsequent academic year.

Schools selected - last updated 13/05/25.