Schools are cutting time spent on PE lessons because of exam pressures, a survey has found.

Secondary school teachers said that older teenagers were particularly likely to miss out, as 38 per cent said time spent on physical education for 14-16 year-olds had fallen in the past five years, and almost one in four said it had dropped within the past year.

Teachers told the Youth Sport Trust's poll that increased pressure to produce exam results was leading to children being pulled out of PE lessons for tutoring.

One in three said exam pressures were behind the decline, while 38 per cent said core subjects such as English and Maths had been given more time at the expense of PE.

The charity said pupils moving from Key Stage 3 to Key Stage 4 experience a 21 per cent drop in the amount of curriculum time set aside for PE per week. By the time they are aged 16 to 18-years-old they are doing just 34 minutes a week at school.

Almost all of the teachers from the 487 schools polled said PE should be more valued for its benefits to young people.

Mental health experts also warned that cutting down on exercise could exacerbate children's mental health problems.