Use of the PE and sport premium for staff training
- 18 November 2016
- Posted by: Andrew Frapwell
- Categories: News, Primary Education, Primary Premium
Use of the PE and sport premium for staff training – SLUK Level 5 Primary PE Specialism / Level 6 Subject Leadership
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The results of a two year research programme was published last year into the use of PE and Sport Premium monies.
Schools welcomed the introduction of the PE and sport premium, reporting that the funds made available across 2013/14 and 2014/15 had increased the school focus on curricular and extra-curricular provision and had provided new opportunities to increase the quality of PE and sport provision in primary schools.
The premium has enabled schools to enhance both the quality and range of PE teaching and sports provision. As a result of this investment, schools reported a range of positive impacts on pupils including increased pupil engagement and participation in PE and sports as well as impacts on social and inter-personal skills, behaviour, and PE skills and fitness.
Schools also perceived positive impacts on the skills and confidence of teachers to deliver PE.
The findings of this study have also highlighted challenges for the future of PE and sport in primary schools. To sustain the impact of the premium, schools have used it to invest in training for existing staff.
However, a question remains over how to maintain this investment in CPD for new teachers entering the profession, once premium funding ends. Schools also raised issues related to sourcing good quality provision in their local area, and may need further support to robustly assess the quality of the provision available. The survey also found that monitoring and evaluation of the premium was not consistent and schools may require further advice and guidance to support them to first assess impacts and then put in place strategies for continuing quality improvement.
(The PE and sport premium: an investigation in primary schools Research report: November 2015)
How to use the PE and sport premium
Schools must use the funding to make additional and sustainable improvements to the quality of PE and sport they offer.
This means that you 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 the school in future years
For example, you can use your funding to:
- hire qualified sports coaches to work with teachers
- provide existing staff with training or resources to help them teach PE and sport more effectively (e.g. Sports Leaders UK Level 5 Primary PE Specialism Certificate / Level 6 Subject Leadership Award). The Level 5/6 qualifications have previously received endorsement from Edward Timpson MP when Minister for Children and Families at an Association for Physical Education Conference: “The Level 5/6 qualifications are already giving generalist teachers the chance to specialise on the job… That’s great news.”
- introduce new sports or activities and encourage more pupils to take up sport
- support and involve the least active children by running or extending school sports clubs, holiday clubs and Change4Lifeclubs
- run sport competitions
- increase pupils’ participation in the School Games
- run sports activities with other schools
You should not use your funding to:
- employ coaches or specialist teachers to cover planning preparation and assessment (PPA) arrangements – these should come out of your core staffing budgets
- teach the minimum requirements of the national curriculum – including those specified for swimming (or, in the case of academies and free schools, to teach your existing PE curriculum)
If your school receives PE (physical education) and sport premium funding, you must publish:
- how much funding you received
- a full breakdown of how you’ve spent the funding or will spend the funding
- the effect of the premium on pupils’ PE and sport participation and attainment
- how you’ll make sure these improvements are sustainable