Specialist Schools: Sports

Sandra Gidley
To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many specialist sport schools there are; and what steps his Department is taking to ensure that there are at least 400 sports specialist schools and academies.

Kevin Brennan
There are already 433 designated sports colleges, composed of:

371 schools with sport as a first specialism;

22 schools with sport as a combined specialism;

26 schools with sport as a second specialism; and

14 academies with sport as a focus.

The Department part funds the Youth Sport Trust to provide guidance and support to schools seeking to apply for sports college status. We are now working towards our ambition to establish 450 sports colleges and academies with a sports focus.