Birmingham 2022 saw thousands of athletes from 72 nations and territories compete in the largest-ever integrated programme of para sport over 11 days.

And what an 11 days it was.

With over 1.5 million tickets sold, more medals awarded to women than men for the first time, and being the most sustainable Games ever to have taken place, it was a record-breaking event.

The power sport has to inspire, to unite, and to transform illuminated Birmingham and beyond.

As part of its aim to inspire the next generation, Birmingham 2022 delivered a comprehensive programme of activities in schools.

The programme created pathways for children and young people to get closer to the Games and feel part of a festival of sport and culture.

And you have the chance to learn all about that programme and the legacy of the Games at The Active Primary Schools Conference in November.

We’re delighted to announce that the Birmingham 2022 team will be joining us to deliver a keynote speech.

The team is set...

Do you want to boost the quality of your primary school's PE, sport and physical activity (PESSPA) to inspire children to be more active, more often?

Join us at The Active Primary Schools Conference to discover how you can do just that.

Some of you may know the conference as the West Midlands PE and School Sport Conference and may be wondering why the name change?

Since its launch back in 2017, the conference has grown year on year. The new name is a reflection of that growth and fuel for further growth. We want to continue to expand our reach to support as many primary schools as possible to raise the standards of PESSPA.

What is The Active Primary Schools Conference?

The conference is a full day event for primary schools to gain knowledge, confidence and a bank of actionable strategies to take their school’s PESSPA to the next level.

Keynotes from industry experts, practical and theory-based workshops, and a marketplace full of innovative resources and services that work...

Birmingham 2022 is ‘The Games for Everyone’.

It’s set to deliver the largest fully integrated para-sport programme in history.

It’s an iconic celebration of sport, one that has the power to inspire children to lead active lives.

So how can you make the most of this momentous event?

Celebrate the most inclusive, fair and progressive multi-sport event in the world with these 13 activities to educate and empower pupils.

Download your free school resource to bring Birmingham 2022 to your school!

The series 3 finale of The Primary PE Huddle is here and what a series it’s been!

For this final episode, we’re taking a look back over the series to bring you the very best insights, advice and words of wisdom.

Who’s joined us on the podcast this series?

Series 3 has seen us welcome a whole host of experts from the field of primary education:

Episode 1:  “We don’t move for functional reasons, we move for the joy of it” with Greg Dryer, co-founder and CEO of miMove

Episode 2:  “Once you’ve got the ear of SLT, then it’s about delivering on your promises” with John Haycock, PE lead at Chilcote Primary School

Episode 3:  “Let's make learning irresistible” with Bryn Llewellyn, founder of Tagtiv8

Episode 4:“My PE teachers were my heroes” with Shaun Dowling, Head of Sport at United Learning

Episode 5: “Engagement over...

A key date in the school sports calendar is coming up.

Sports Day is a chance to celebrate physical activity, improve teamwork, develop social skills, create healthy competition, build resilience and inspire active lives.

But with opportunity comes responsibility.

It’s your job to plan your primary school’s Sports Day, but it’s also your job to stay on top of everything else whilst doing it.

And it’s not just the time it takes. You also want the day to be engaging, inclusive, educational and enjoyable for pupils, teachers and parents. And you need to strike the right balance between competition and fun.

So, how can you do all that with speed and ease?

With this ready-to-go Inclusive Sports Day resource.

A free downloadable resource you can use to plan a circuit-based Sports Day for all ages and abilities at your primary school.

How does the resource help you plan your primary school Sports Day?

The printable booklet ensures you’ve got all the key...

94,000 fewer children and young people were active in the 2020-2021 academic year compared to 2018-2019

The number of children with a probable mental health disorder has increased from one in nine in 2017 to one in six in 2021

And so, if there was ever a time to make sure you’re making the most of your PE and sport premium, it’s now.

You’ve got until the end of this academic year to spend your premium in full, which includes any unspent funds rolled over as a result of the pandemic.

There’s so many ways to spend the premium, but how do you know what will have the most impact on your school and pupils specifically?

Get bespoke recommendations by completing the Primary School PE Scorecard. 

What is the Primary School PE Scorecard?

The Department for Education (DfE) states that schools should use their premium to secure improvements in 5 key indicators:

• Engagement of all pupils in regular physical activity
• The profile of PE and sport is raised...

This week on the podcast we’re joined by class teacher and PE Coordinator Louisa Mulvey.

Who is Louisa Mulvey?

Louisa is a qualified teacher based in Hampshire. Louisa has been working in primary schools since 2014 where her career began on the sunny, leafy side of Wimbledon Village. Louisa spent three years teaching PE exclusively before qualifying in 2017 where she managed the role of class teacher alongside PE coordinator.

Louisa’s teaching journey began after graduating university armed with a 2:2 in Sports Science and minimal career advice. During summers Louisa worked as a children’s camp manager. The company proceeded to offer Louisa a job as a site manager/PE teacher/lunchtime supervisor/afterschool club manager/ competition coordinator. The following three years saw Louisa manage numerous apprentices alongside the continuation of full-time teaching.

At the beginning of Louisa’s third year in teaching she decided she needed to progress her...

This week on the podcast we welcome two of the team from Wodensfield Primary School, Deputy Headteacher Liam Gould and PE Lead Teresa Shackleton.

Who is Liam Gould?

Liam is Deputy Headteacher of Wodensfield Primary School. Liam has over twenty years’ experience working in schools and leadership roles, but his passion has always been in sport and PE. 

From a young age Liam’s parents provided him with lots of opportunities to play and participate in different sports.  Liam’s first official participation in sport was playing for a local junior football team, as he moved into his teens this expanded to cricket, tennis, table tennis and golf.  This engagement with sports has continued into adulthood. Liam continues to play golf and has a handicap of 5, he coaches his son’s (U12’s) and daughter’s (U9’s) football teams, valuing the chance to provide his own children and their teammates with key opportunities to lead...

You have until 31^st July to publish the details of your PE and sport premium spend on your school’s website.

The Department for Education (DfE) monitors your online reporting to make sure the premium is being used for its purpose: to make additional and sustainable improvements to the quality of the PE, school sport and physical activity (PESSPA) provided.

Misuse can result in a school having to repay the premium and future payments being withheld.

So, how do you make sure you’re spending the premium effectively?

You need to benchmark your PESSPA provision against the DfE’s five key indicators.

Here we’ll show you how.

What are the DfE’s 5 key indicators?

First, a reminder of the DfE’s indicators of effective usage:

• Engagement of all pupils in regular physical activity
• 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...

This week on the podcast we welcome United Learning’s Head of Sport Shaun Dowling. 

Who is Shaun Dowling?

Shaun is Head of Sport at United Learning, a national group of primary, secondary and all-through schools across the state and independent sectors. As Head of Sport, Shaun supports Heads of PE and Directors of Sport in further improving the quality of their PE curriculum, school sport programmes and physical activity provision; Shaun ensures they’re using the power of sport to assist young people with their wider educational development.

Shaun is a former Head of PE and Director of Specialism, having progressed to Deputy Headship in two specialist sports colleges. 

Having trained at the West Sussex Institute of Higher Education, Shaun later gained his MA(Ed) from Southampton University. He achieved his NPQH before the opportunity arose to undertake a national role in the education team at the Youth Sport Trust (YST). 

Shaun’s extensive...