Rounders chief executive criticises Department of Education decision

Rounders England chief executive Alison Howard says the removal of the sport from the assessed GCSE PE curriculum flies in the face of efforts to increase female participation in sport.

The Department for Education (DfE) announced at the weekend that the sport, which is played by 8m schoolchildren nationwide, will no longer form part of the GCSE assessment criteria.

Howard has accused the DfE of sending out a negative message which counteracts initiatives such as UK Sport’s This Girl Can campaign that are designed to get more females active.

“We’re hugely disappointed that rounders is no longer one of the assessed sports for GCSE PE,” Howard told Sky Sports News HQ. “We think rounders is a great sport to focus on and to be assessed on at GCSE.

“There’s a great progression from playing basic rounders to playing a higher skill level of rounders. We think there are a huge variety of skills can be demonstrated while you work your way through this progression.

“It’s not a great message, is it? In terms of rounders, it’s more like ‘This Girl Can’t’ - certainly at GCSE level.

“We’re massively disappointed that rounders is being dropped. It’s a fun sport that particularly appeals to girls as well as boys.

“It sends out completely the wrong message - certainly to young girls at school - who enjoy playing rounders.”

Howard says Rounders England will make every effort to get the sport reinstated on the assessed GCSE curriculum at the first available opportunity.

“The Depart for Education have advised us that they do review the list and when that time comes around – we don’t when that it is yet – that they will consult with us again,” she said.

“We will be making every effort possible to get rounders back on that list. We have lots of support. A lot of people are absolutely gutted about the decision that has been made by the Department for Education, so we will be trying all that we can to make sure we get back in there.”

When contacted by Sky Sports News HQ, a DfE spokesperson said: “As part of our plan for education, we are reforming qualifications to ensure they are high-quality, demanding and academically rigorous.

“Sports included in the new PE GCSE had to meet strict criteria based on how reliably they can be assessed and how comparable they are, so all pupils can be marked fairly.”

The Department for Education were also keen to stress that schools are still free to teach rounders - or any sport - in PE lessons and that these lessons are compulsory for all pupils from the age of five to 16.

Additionally, all GCSE students will now need to be assessed in three activities including at least one team sport.