How schools can audit physical activity throughout the school day

How schools can audit physical activity throughout the school day

By: Imogen Buxton-Pickles • Read time: 4 min • Published: October 22 2026

Quick Answer

A whole-school physical activity audit helps leaders understand how and when pupils have opportunities to move. Schools can review lessons, PE, breaktimes, lunchtimes, clubs and activity before school, then use a simple red, amber and green system to identify priorities. Selecting two or three achievable improvements can make change more manageable and sustainable.

In this article

Before introducing anything new, carry out a simple activity audit. Look across the whole week and consider what pupils actually experience:

  • before school
  • during morning lessons
  • at break time
  • afternoon lessons
  • at lunchtime
  • in PE
  • after school

How can schools assess their current physical activity provision?

Then rate each of the five areas using a simple red, amber, green system:

Red: needs attention

Amber: developing

Green: established

This gives senior leaders a much clearer picture than simply counting PE hours or listing clubs. It might reveal that one year group uses active learning confidently while another doesn’t. It might show that the playground works well for confident footballers but for few others. It could also highlight that good practice depends too heavily on one or two particular members of staff.

One school that’s now a genuinely active school started its journey with a staff meeting where the team simply brainstormed ways to get the school moving, using the talent already in the room, like runners, dancers, tennis players, all enthusiastic about something specific. Their ideas became the bedrock of the transformation, because it came from the teachers themselves, not a directive from above.

Choose two or three priorities rather than trying to improve everything at once.

How can schools introduce changes gradually?

Long-term change is far more likely when it’s introduced gradually. A practical sequence might look like this:

  1. Plan: Carry out the audit, identify priorities, and involve pupils and staff.
  2. Launch: Introduce one or two simple routines, such as daily movement breaks and structured playground zones.
  3. Embed: Give staff time to share successes, solve problems, and build movement into normal practice using their own ideas.
  4. Review: Revisit the audit and look at what’s actually changed for pupils, not just what’s been introduced.

Useful evidence to track might include staff confidence, pupil participation, engagement after movement breaks, playground use, and consistency of practice across year groups.

The strongest active schools aren’t always the ones with the most equipment or the biggest budget. They’re the ones that make movement simple, regular and inclusive.

My advice isn’t to add another initiative. It’s to create a school day where every child has more opportunities to move, learn and enjoy themselves, while ticking the enrichment framework box too.

The accompanying Creating an Active School guide offers a practical audit, examples and ideas to help schools and trusts begin that process.

If you’d like any more information, want to pick my brains further, or would like to trial the imoves active schools programme, please email me directly at ImogenBP@imoves.com

Imogen Buxton-Pickles
Founder and CEO, imoves Active Education Ltd.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a whole-school physical activity audit?
A whole-school physical activity audit reviews when and how pupils have opportunities to move. It should consider provision before school, during morning and afternoon lessons, at breaktime, during lunchtime, in PE and after school. This provides a broader picture than simply counting PE lessons or clubs.
How can schools rate their current physical activity provision?
Schools can use a red, amber and green system. Red identifies an area requiring attention, amber shows that provision is developing and green indicates an established approach. Leaders can apply these ratings across active learning, playground provision, PE and activity outside the timetable.
What might an activity audit reveal?
An audit might show that active learning is established in some year groups but not others. It could identify playground provision that works well for confident or competitive pupils while excluding others. It may also reveal that successful practice depends too heavily on individual members of staff.
How many active-school priorities should leaders choose?
Schools should begin with two or three priorities rather than trying to improve everything simultaneously. Focusing on a manageable number of changes gives staff and pupils time to test approaches, share feedback and address difficulties before the work is extended across the school.
How should schools review whether their changes are working?
Schools can review staff confidence, pupil participation, playground use and consistency across year groups. They could also consider pupils’ engagement after movement breaks. The focus should be on what has genuinely changed for pupils rather than simply recording which activities or initiatives have been introduced.

Author

Author Avatar

Imogen Buxton-Pickles

Primary PE & Specialist | Founder of imoves

Imogen Buxton-Pickles, primary PE specialist and founder of imoves, an all-in-one PE and active learning platform that empowers teachers to deliver PE confidently.