Tories accused of ruining London Olympic legacy as just 1 in 100 sixth-formers from poor backgrounds doing sport in school

The government has been accused of squandering the legacy of the 2012 London Olympics after new figures revealed that only a tiny fraction of 16-18-year-olds from poorer backgrounds are doing sport in schools.

208 students who qualified for free school meals took PE A Level in the last academic year, according to government data - just 1.1 per cent of all A Level students who qualify for free school meals. The figure is significantly less than the 3.3 per cent of all A Level students who take PE.

Boris Johnson, the new prime minister, made the perceived success of the London games, which he oversaw as mayor of the capital, a key theme of his campaign to be Tory leader.

But Labour said the Conservatives had "damaged" the legacy of the games.

The new figures, obtained through a parliamentary question from Tom Watson, Labour’s deputy leader and the shadow culture minister, were released on the seventh anniversary of the start of the 2012 Olympics.

The games were supposed to have a lasting legacy by boosting the number of children doing sport in schools. However, the number of students taking PE A Level has dropped significantly since then, from 14,392 students in 2011/12 to 9,802 in 2017/18.

In total, 9,802 students took A Level PE last year, meaning the 208 students eligible for free school meals accounted for just 2.1 per cent of them.

Labour said sport in schools had become even more important in the context of other sports facilities having been sold off in recent years. The party said 2,488 school grass pitches and 677 public tennis courts had been lost since 2010.

Mr Watson said: “The public had high hopes that the 2012 London Olympics would leave a lasting legacy, but because of the regressive policies of successive Tory governments, poorer students are still missing out.

“The Olympics inspired millions of children and young people, so it is a deep disappointment that participation in sport is still reserved for the few.

“Boris Johnson is desperate to claim credit for the Olympic Games, but it is clear that his party has damaged and done a great disservice to their legacy.”

A government spokesperson said: "We have been consistently clear that being physically active delivers a range of physical and social benefits to pupils, which is why PE remains a compulsory subject at all four key stages in the national curriculum.

“This month we published our School Sport and Activity Action Plan, designed to give all children – particularly less active groups such as girls and those from disadvantaged backgrounds – greater opportunity to take part in competitive sport and be active every day, both inside and outside school.”