The DfE has announced the increase in funding with hopes that it will improve the quality of PE and sport in primary schools, helping pupils to be active and healthy.
Under the old funding rate of £160 million, each primary school received a flat rate of £8,000 to spend on sport programmes, with £5 added per pupil. With the funding now increased to £320 million, schools with 16 or fewer eligible pupils (aged 5- to 10-years-old) receive £1,000 per pupil, and schools with 17 or more eligible pupils receive £16,000, with £10 added per pupil.

The public health minister, Steve Brine, said the money for increasing the PE and sport premium will come from the ‘sugar tax’.

Year Amount of Grant Amount Spent
2017-18 £18,910 £19,240
2018-19 £17, 211  

Purpose of the funding

The money from the PE and sport premium can be used by schools in a variety of ways, including to “introduce new sports, dance or other activities”, or to “partner with other schools to run sports activities and clubs”. The premium must be used to fund additional and sustainable improvements to the provision ofPE and sport, for the benefit of primary-aged pupils, in the 2017 to 2018 academic year, to encourage the development of healthy, active lifestyles. Schools have the freedom to choose how they do this.

PE & Sports Premium Vision & Objectives

VISION

To ensure that all pupils leaving primary school are physically literate and have the knowledge, skills and motivation necessary to equip them for a healthy lifestyle and lifelong participation in physical activity and sport.

OBJECTIVES

To achieve self-sustaining improvement in the quality of PE and sport in primary schools. Some possible indicators of improvement could include: The engagement of all pupils in regular physical activity – kick-starting healthy active lifestyles. The profile of PE and sport being raised across the school as a tool for whole school improvement. Increased confidence, knowledge and skills of all staff in teaching PE and sport. Broader experience of a range of sports and activities offered to all pupils. Increased participation in competitive sport.

Terms on which the premium is allocated to schools

The premium must be spent by schools on making additional and sustainable improvements to the provision of PE and sport for the benefit of all pupils to encourage the development of healthy, active lifestyles. The Secretary of State does not consider the following expenditure as falling within the scope of additional or sustainable improvement:

  • Employing coaches or specialist teachers to cover planning, preparation and assessment (PPA) arrangements – these should come out of schools’ core staffing budgets.
  • Teaching the minimum requirements of the national curriculum PE programmes of study – including those specified for swimming.
  • Schools must publish information about their use of the premium on their website by April 2018. Schools should publish the amount of premium received; a full breakdown of how it has been spent (or will be spent); what impact the school has seen on pupils’ PE and sport participation and attainment and how the improvements will be sustainable in the future. Schools should also consider how their use of the premium is giving pupils the opportunity to develop a healthy, active lifestyle.

How schools can use the PE and sports premium

Schools must use the funding to make additional and sustainable improvements to the quality of the PE and sport they offer. This means that schools should use the premium to:

  • Develop or add to the PE and sport activities that your school already offers.
  • Make improvements now that will benefit pupils joining your school in future years.

Possible uses suggested for the funding include:

  • Hire specialist PE teachers or qualified sports coaches to work with teachers.
  • Provide existing staff with training or resources to help them teach PE and sport more effectively.
  • Introduce new sports or activities and encourage more pupils to take up sport.
  • Support and engage the least active children through new or additional Change4Life clubs.
  • Providing cover to release primary teachers for professional development in PE and sport.
  • Running sport competitions, or increasing pupils’ participation in the School Games.
  • Running sports activities with other schools.