Primary School Sport Premium 

New culture of sport to inspire and coach every child

 

There have been wide-spread calls for an investment to be made into primary school sport and the announcement was welcomed by sports and education groups, and leading figures in the world of sport to bring in the Primary School Sport Premium.

“We have listened to teachers, and to Ofsted, who have said that sport provision in our primary schools is far too often just not up to scratch. That is why we are putting money directly into the hands of primary head teachers to spend it on improving PE in their schools” Michael Gove, Secretary of State for Education

The new primary school sport premium fund is worth £150 million per annum for the next two years. Funded by the Department for Education, the Department of Health and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (£10m), it will see ring-fenced funds go directly into the hands of primary school head teachers for them to spend on physical education and sport provision in schools. No other funding for schools is ring-fenced.

How much funding will be available?

 

Funding for schools will be calculated by the number of primary-aged pupils between the ages of 5 and 11. All schools with seventeen or more primary-aged pupils will receive a lump sum of £8,000 plus a premium of £5 per pupil. Smaller schools will receive the sum of £500 per pupil. A typical primary school with 250 primary aged pupils would receive £9,250 per year. Schools are free to pool resources to ensure the greatest impact.

What is the purpose of this funding?

Primary School Sport Premium is focused on improving the quality and breadth of PE and sporting provision for all pupils. The proposal includes recommendations to develop initial teacher training and continual professional development to make a sustained impact on the quality of physical education. A priority must be to develop the teaching skills of non-specialist teachers to create dynamic and enjoyable experiences for children.

 

“We have the opportunity to use sport and physical activity to shape the daily lives of young people. I am particularly pleased with the proposals around initial teacher training and continual professional development because I know from my own experience what an impact teachers and their engagement can have on the lives of young people.” Legacy Ambassador Lord Coe

 

 

How will the sports premium be monitored?

 

In order to ensure all young people have access to high quality PE, schools will be required to publish details of their sporting provision on their websites. Elsewhere, the guidance provided to Ofsted inspectors will be amended in order to ensure they give PE and sport high priority when assessing the overall provision offered by schools. This guidance will direct inspectors to assess how well schools have used their Sport Premium funding to improve the quality and breadth of PE and school sport and increased participation in both. Crucially, one year on from today’s announcement, Ofsted will carry out a survey reporting on the impact of the new funding and holding schools to account on how they have spent their Primary School Sport Premium money. Investment in teacher training at primary school level is desperately needed.

 

Challenges facing schools in 2013:

 

• Auditing of current provision and planning for high quality delivery of PE within the school day.
• Planning an offer of additional sporting activities for every child.
• Providing professional development for teaching staff.
• Access to advisory bodies to support the development of PE and school sport across the key stages.
• Planning for the integration of a new National Curriculum.
• Audit of current provision to be Ofsted ready.

 

Support available:

 

• Continue to work within your networks to pool and share resources.
• Use your school sport coordinator to help plan for the coming academic year.
• Stop, Look and Audit your needs and ensure planning meets the needs of your children.
• Use your school sport coordinator to assist with quality assuring any other professionals that are working with your school to ensure they are appropriately trained to deliver educationally sound lessons.
• Discuss ways partners can support you to develop staff confidence and skills within PE.

 

School Sport Network

Links School Sport Partnership is committed to supporting you during this unique and exciting time for primary school sport with Primary School Sport Premium. We are committed to supporting colleagues to develop programmes that impact directly on the experiences of children in PE and sport. Further details on how you can continue to benefit from the support of PE professionals within Links will be shared at network meetings. If you would like to arrange individual meetings please contact Emma Flaherty, Kim Horton or Craig Malkin.

 

Emma Flaherty (emmaflahertylinks@googlemail.com)

Kim Horton (kimhorton.links@gmail.com) Craig Malkin (csmalkin@hotmail.com)

 

Further information available from the Youth Sport Trust about Sport Premium