Of the 928 parents surveyed by primary school sports provider Premier Education in September, 63 per cent said that their children did less physical activity than before the start of the pandemic, which was impacting on their mood, behaviour and confidence.
Just 18 per cent said their child was getting the recommended hour every day when the UK was placed under national lockdown.
Of those surveyed, 7 per cent said they had no access to outdoor space.
Families were also asked to rate their child’s school’s response to the pandemic on a scale of 0-10. Parents voted 7.38 on average, with 34 per cent believing the support and guidance they received to be ‘good’ or ‘very good’.
The aim of the Child Wellbeing Survey 2021 was to understand the true extent of the coronavirus pandemic on children. It follows a similar survey of parents last year, and forms ongoing research by Premier Education into children’s wellbeing.
Results from both surveys are published in a white paper from the sport and physical activity provider.
'Children's wellbeing must be written into the curriculum'
David Batch, chief executive of Premier Education, said, ‘Parents have coped well under the extraordinary pressures of the pandemic. They’ve juggled work, financial concerns, home-schooling, lack of social contact, pressure on relationships and the mental health degradation that comes with enforced lockdown.
'Although life shows signs of returning to normal, concerns over Covid’s impact lingers for parents. The survey was our opportunity to understand those concerns in order to shape how we support primary schools, parents and children.’
He added, ‘Wellbeing must be written and re-written into the curriculum, fed through to PE lessons and pastoral or wraparound care. Parents are in desperate need of support and, while some schools are very good at setting the wellbeing agenda, it needs to be front and centre in more settings and at all touchpoints – at school, recreationally and at home.’