Physical activity has numerous benefits for children and young people’s physical health, as well as their mental wellbeing (increasing self-esteem and emotional wellbeing and lowering anxiety and depression), and children who are physically active are happier, more resilient and more trusting of their peers. Ensuring that pupils have access to sufficient daily activity can also have wider benefits for pupils and schools, improving behaviour as well as enhancing academic achievement. The PE and Sports Premium can help primary schools to achieve this commitment.

What is PE and Sports Funding?

The Government has provided funding for schools to make additional and sustainable improvements to the quality of the PE, physical activity and sport offered through their core budgets. It is allocated directly to schools, so they have the flexibility to use it in the way that works best for their pupils.

Purpose of the Funding

Schools will have to spend the sports funding on improving their provision of PE and sport, but they will have the freedom to choose how they do this.

Possible uses for the funding include:

• hiring specialist PE teachers or qualified sports coaches to work alongside primary teachers when teaching PE.
• new or additional Change4Life sport clubs.
• paying for professional development opportunities in PE/sport.
• providing cover to release primary teachers for professional development in PE/sport.
• running sport competitions, or increasing participation in the school games.
• buying quality assured professional development modules or materials for PE/sport.
• providing places for pupils on after-school sports clubs.
• giving children experiences of PE that they might not otherwise have (cultural capital).

How will we be spending the PE and Sports Funding?

We believe all children should benefit from the funding regardless of sporting ability; that children should be given the opportunity to compete in advanced tournaments and that staff should have access to training opportunities and continued professional development.

Some of the funding will be used to purchase new equipment, some to bring coaches into school to introduce new sports and some funding will be used to improve confidence amongst staff in the delivery of high quality PE lessons across the school. We feel that this is the most effective and efficient way for the funding to have a long-lasting and positive effect on future learning and physical development of children within our school.