About the survey
The Schools Physical Activity Survey helps us understand how active children and young people are, what helps them to be active and what can get in the way.
The survey was first carried out in 2013. The 2026 survey is the ninth round, giving us more than a decade of local information about physical activity. In 2026, 3,706 pupils from P4 to S6 took part.
The findings help us monitor patterns over time, understand inequalities and guide delivery of the Physical Activity Strategy 2025–2030.
At a glance
Progress towards our Strategy ambitions
The Strategy aims to increase the proportion of pupils meeting physical activity guidelines to 65% and reduce the proportion with very low activity to 15.1%.
In 2026, 47.6% met the physical activity guideline and 23.5% had very low activity levels. The findings show there is still more to do, particularly for children and young people who are least active.
What does this mean for the Strategy?
The findings are helping us focus action on:
- supporting those who are least active
- reducing inequalities
- building confidence and inclusion
- helping young people stay active as they get older
- strengthening opportunities in schools, communities and everyday life.
Find out more
Main Report
Read the full findings from the 2026 Schools Physical Activity Survey.
Policy Briefings
Six short briefings turn the survey findings into key messages for policy, planning and practice, helping partners understand the evidence and what it means for action.
- Overall Levels of Movement
- Physical Literacy
- Active Travel
- The Very Low Activity Group
- Inequalities
- System Learning
School-level findings
Participating schools will also receive their own findings to support local planning and action with Active Schools and partners.
Next survey
The survey is planned to be repeated in 2027 to continue monitoring progress and patterns over time.
(Updated 9 October 2026)