A child heads outside with a football only to be met with a weathered plaque nailed to a brick wall: No Ball Games. No explanation. Just a message loud and clear. This space isn’t for you.

The Raising the Nation Play Commission recently recommended a national ban on these signs after concluding they send harmful signals to children and communities. The call comes amid growing concern about the decline of outdoor play and its impact on children’s wellbeing.

According to Sport England only 47% of children in England meet the recommended levels of physical activity each day. That’s fewer than half. With screen time social isolation and childhood obesity all on the rise the need for play has never been more urgent.

At Educationwise we believe apprenticeships have a key role to play in turning things around.