Sports Premium

What is the Sports Premium?

The Government is continuing to to provide substantial primary school sport funding. 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 Head teachers to spend on improving the quality of sport and P.E. for all their children.

The sport funding can only be spent on sport and P.E. provision in schools and spending is subject to OFSTED scrutiny during school inspections. Information on how the Sport Premium is spent has to be documented on the school’s website.

Purpose of funding

Schools will have to spend the sport funding on improving their provision of P.E. and sport, but they will have the freedom to choose how they do this. When planning how to spend the Sports Premium, schools must consider the five key areas of focus:

1. The engagement of all pupils in regular physical activity – kick-starting healthy, active lifestyles.

2. The profile of P.E. and sport is raised across the school as a tool for whole-school improvement.

3. Increased confidence, knowledge and skills of all staff in teaching P.E. and sport.

4. Broader experience of a range of sports and activities offered to all pupils.

5. Increased participation in competitive sport.

According to national guidance, possible uses for the funding include:

- hiring specialist P.E. teachers or qualified sports coaches to work alongside primary teachers when teaching P.E.

- new or additional Change4Life sport clubs

- paying for professional development opportunities in P.E./sport

- providing cover to release primary teachers for professional development in P.E./sport

- running sport competitions, or increasing participation in the school games

- buying quality assured professional development modules or materials for P.E./sport

- providing places for pupils on after school sport clubs and holiday clubs.

How we are 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 and that resourcing needs of sport and P.E. are best met.

We are looking ahead to ensuring our school has long lasting resources available to teachers to teach high quality, varied P.E. as well as providing resources to provide the children with outdoor opportunities for physical activity. Here at The Willows, we firmly believe that a healthy, active child is a happy child that is ready to learn. Staff CPD remains a key priority for Sports Premium expenditure to ensure long lasting expertise amongst our staff members, who are our most valuable resource.

Below is a table of Sports Premium expenditure for 2023-24 outlining how we have addressed school P.E. and Sport needs over the last academic year: