Primary schools across the country will see PE and sport funding doubled this month in a bid to change the lives of a generation.
The average state-funded primary school has 275 pupils according to the Department of Education’s
Schools, pupils and their characteristics report, meaning the average school could see up to £18,750 extra funding to improve physical education thanks a doubling of the government’s Primary PE and School Sport Premium.
Children’s charity the Youth Sport Trust (YST) is working with more than 6,000 primary schools to ensure the funding boost has a long-term impact.
“There’s so much potential for what schools can achieve with this extra funding,” said Ali Oliver, chief executive of the YST. “It presents the best chance we have in a generation to really transform PE and harness its potential to improve children’s wellbeing.
“This generation is facing a health crisis as it experiences the lowest levels of physical, social and emotional wellbeing on record, so we must be ambitious.”
The YST has set out five areas for improvement:
• Every primary school teacher professionally developed to help children become physically literate by the time they leave primary school.
• Closing the gender and disability gap which sees girls and children with disabilities much less likely to participate in school sport.
• All coaches working in after-school sport to have been professionally trained in how to coach children as well as how to coach sport, with the introduction of nationally recognised training and standards for coaching children.
• Two hours of PE on the curriculum at every primary school with a focus on sporting activities as a vehicle for self-development. This should maximise the potential of PE and school sport to improve children’s performance in the classroom as well as their physical, social and emotional wellbeing.
• An Active School action plan for every school ensuring 30 active minutes per day for every pupil through active travel, active playgrounds and active classrooms.
Oliver added: “Children’s first formative experiences of PE at primary school has an impact which can last a lifetime. Get it right and we will transform the life chances of a generation.”
