The government-backed online national academy has not included PE in its curriculum for the next academic year, new plans reveal.

Until now, Oak National Academy’s physical education offer has consisted of reposting videos from YouTube star Joe Wicks.

While PE is not featured in the curriculum plan for this term, The Body Coach videos are listed as lessons under the subject heading “PE”, and included in Oak’s sequenced plan for remote learning at both primary and secondary level.

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However, new plans for the 2020-21 curriculum make no mention of physical education.

This is despite PE being a compulsory part of the national curriculum at key stages 1 to 4.

Oak National Academy has acknowledged that some subjects are currently “missing” from its provisional lesson plan, including elements of primary history, primary art, secondary citizenship and both primary and secondary RSHE and design and technology.

Oak said it hopes to publish lessons in these subject areas at some point.

However, the academy has not pledged to produce physical education content in any form.

Asked whether PE will continue to form a part of lesson schedules next term, if not the official curriculum, Oak said this is yet to be decided.

Oak National Academy ‘open to exploring PE’ 

It added that it is “open to exploring” the possibility of including PE in its future plans.

A spokesperson said: “Whilst we started with a limited group of subjects, we’ve been working to rapidly grow this, and we’re delighted to now be offering 23 subjects and to have expanded up a year group to Year 11,too. We’re pleased to be including DT and we’re open to other conversations on other subjects, including PE.

“Given the practical nature of PE and our delivery being focused on remote teaching, this is a little harder. As we’re creating our offer of around 10,000 lessons over six weeks, we’ve not been able to include it in our initial plan but we’re open to exploring it.”

It was announced last month that the national academy will remain open for the entirety of the next academic year, supported by more than £4 million in government funding.

Oak said it will adapt its current approach, offering a mixture of resources for both school- and home-based learning so pupils can “easily switch between each” in 2020-21.

It hopes to create 10,000 lessons over the next two months, covering core subjects from Reception to Year 11.