The Government invested £320 million in order to improve the provision of physical education and sport in primary schools. This funding is provided by the Department for Education, Health and Culture, Media and Sport. All schools with 17 or more primary-aged pupils received a lump sum of £16,000 plus a premium of £10 per pupil. St Mary's Catholic Primary School's allocation was £19,560.00 in 2021.
There are 5 key indicators that schools should expect to see improvement across with this additional funding:
- the engagement of all pupils in regular physical activity - the Chief Medical Officer guidelines recommend that all children and young people aged 5 to 18 engage in at least 60 minutes of physical activity a day, of which 30 minutes should be in school
- the profile of PE and sport is raised across the school as a tool for whole-school improvement
- increased confidence, knowledge and skills of all staff in teaching PE and sport
- broader experience of a range of sports and activities offered to all pupils
- increased participation in competitive sport