How can primary schools spend the PE and Sport Premium effectively?
School is many children’s only chance to be active.
And being in the midst of a pandemic in which restrictions abound, this is ever more pressing.
Lockdown number one saw a drastic drop in children’s activity levels, with only 19% meeting the recommended 1 hour of physical activity per day.
Since returning to school in September, children have been 47% more physically active.
As we write this, however, we’ve entered lockdown number two spanning November and edging into December.
Lockdown two has one significant difference though, schools are to remain open. But, with sports clubs closing and time outside limited, the pressure on schools to keep children’s activity levels up weighs heavy.
To support schools, the Association for Physical Education (afPE), Active Partnerships and Youth Sport Trust have put together 'Covid-19 and school funding: 7 top tips for spending the Primary PE and Sport Premium'. Used effectively, this funding has the potential to support and significantly impact children’s health and wellbeing.
Here, we’ve picked out the tips that we can directly help you action right now.
Tip:
An option to action:
PE Curriculum Support
Approved as high-quality CPD by the Professional Development Board for Physical Education, the PE Curriculum Support programme is an effective, sustainable investment for your PE and Sport Premium.
More than a mere 1-day training course or standalone activity, Aspire Training Solutions have designed PECS to take a holistic approach to embed PE across your entire school.
Offering regular and ongoing support to empower teachers to raise physical education and activity levels, PECS has a proven record of helping schools drastically improve:
- Planning
- Progress tracking
- Reporting
- Teacher confidence
- Staff subject knowledge
How it’s Covid-safe:
Tip:
Option to action:
Maths on the Move (MOTM)
Using physically active learning, Maths on the Move (MOTM) enhances children’s confidence and attainment in maths.
- Covers the entire KS1 and KS2 of the national curriculum for maths.
- Suitable for all abilities and can tailor to pupil needs.
- 80.1% of children felt more confident in maths and 93% of scores increased pre to post lesson last academic year (2019-20).
By embedding physical activity into the school day, MOTM contributes to those essential 60 minutes children need a day and raises the profile of PE and sport across the school as a tool for whole-school improvement.
How it’s Covid-safe:
Tip:
Options to action:
Level 5 and Level 6
Bespoke physical education qualifications developed by afPE and Sports Leaders UK (SLUK), now delivered online for safe and easy access.
Hosted by Aspire Training Solutions (awarded approved status by the Professional Development Board for PE) and delivered by a team of primary PE experts, these nationally-recognised qualifications give you the knowledge, skills and confidence to assure high-quality PE.
Level 5 Certificate in Primary School PE Specialism:
- Guaranteed to increase delegates’ confidence, skills and PE subject knowledge to assist in raising the standards within primary school PE teaching.
- Proven to raise standards across the curriculum and contribute to whole school improvement (another tip covered, 2-4-1 there!)
Level 6 Award in Primary School PE Leadership:
Move from assisting to leading:
- Lead and implement high-quality primary school physical education as PE subject leader.
- Support and upskill fellow teachers, teaching assistants and coaches in teaching PE.
Aspire:ED
(Where you are right now!)
On-demand courses, resources and support boosting your knowledge, skills and confidence to raise the profile of PE, school sport and physical activity in your school.
Delivered to you in real-time wherever, whenever and however you want.
Including…
Embedding a Powerful Physical Curriculum: Full course:
Develop a fully formed, ready to action plan for your school’s physical curriculum and render PE, sport and physical activity the heartbeat of your school.
Tip:
Option to action:
Bikeability and Balance Bike Training
Trying to find an extra 60 minutes within a day for children to be physically active is a challenge. By making children's journey to and from school active, that pressure can be lifted.
The myriad of benefits cycling promotes makes for a valuable means of commute. And with the government’s Emergency Active Travel Fund recently awarded to the West Midlands, cycling is set to be a more accessible alternative to driving.
So, with that in mind, it’s paramount children have the skill and confidence to cycle safely.
Aspire Sports’ Bikeability and Balance Bike Training:
- Delivered by qualified instructors
- Real-time dynamic risk assessments of the area are conducted prior to delivery
- Follows the latest Bikeability delivery guides addendum
- Covid-safe
To see the 7 top tips in full, you can click: ‘Covid-19 and school funding: 7 top tips for spending the Primary PE and Sport Premium’.
We hope this has given you an idea of how you can get the most from the premium.
There’s so much right now that has the potential to knock children’s self-confidence, hurt their health and be detrimental to their wellbeing. Counteracting this is a challenge, but one powerful means of doing so is through physical activity.
And ‘The PE, School Sport and Physical Activity Health Check’ can help. Through review and evaluation, this FREE tool aids your school’s ongoing development of PESSPA, enabling you to deliver the high-quality children need.
That’s all from us for now, so if you do have questions or would like further details on anything we’ve discussed above, again, Paul is your man, reach him on 0121 663 1979 or email [email protected]
