What is the Sports Premium?
The Government is providing funding of £150 million per annum for academic years, which has been extended to 2025. This is in place to provide new, substantial sports funding for primary schools. This funding is being jointly provided by the Departments for Education, Health and Culture, Media and Sport, and will see money going directly to primary school headteachers to spend on improving the quality of sport and PE for all their children. Click here for the Department of Education link to the Primary School’s Sports Funding page.
Purpose of funding
Schools will have to spend the sport 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 clubs/ other 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 sport clubs and holiday clubs.
- Creating opportunities for children to develop as healthier young people.
How are we spending the Sports Funding and who will benefit?
The Governors agree that the money must be used so that: all children benefit regardless of sporting ability; that the most able children are given the opportunity to compete in advanced tournaments; that staff have access to training opportunities and continued professional development. Having achieved School Games Gold, Silver and Bronze Awards in recent years, we are really trying to build on the enjoyment and participation in PE and sport at St Francis.