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PE Funding

School Sport Funding Action Plan

The government is providing additional funding of £150 million per annum to improve provision of physical education (PE) and sport in primary schools. This funding, provided jointly by the Departments for Education, Health and Culture, Media and Sport, will be allocated to each primary school. This funding is ring-fenced and therefore can only be spent on provision of PE and sport in schools.

Purpose of funding

Schools must spend the additional 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 might include:

  • hiring specialist PE teachers or qualified sports coaches to work with primary teachers when teaching PE
  • supporting and engaging the least active children through new or additional Change4Life clubs
  • paying for professional development opportunities for teachers in PE and sport
  • providing cover to release primary teachers for professional development in PE and sport
  • running sport competitions, or increasing pupils’ participation in the School Games
  • buying quality assured professional development modules or materials for PE and sport
  • providing places for pupils on after school sports clubs and holiday clubs
  • pooling the additional funding with that of other local schools.

Accountability

From September 2013, schools will be held to account over how they spend their additional, ring-fenced funding. Ofsted will strengthen the coverage of PE and sport within the 'Inspectors’ handbook' and supporting guidance so that both schools and inspectors know how sport and PE will be assessed in future as part of the school’s overall provision.

Schools will also be required to include details of their provision of PE and sport on their website, alongside details of their broader curriculum, so that parents can compare sports provision between schools, both within and beyond the school day.

'The PE and Sport Grant for the 2015 to 2016 academic year is funded over two financial years' DofE September 2013