VIEWS & OPINION


Maximise your sports funding for a healthier, active future for pupils


Comment by MARTIN ARMYTAGE, Head of Education Business, YPO


Every student must have access to physical education (PE) to pursue a brighter and healthier future.


Maximising PE for pupils is not only about developing physical skills, but it also helps with memory focus and motor skills, developing skills for working in teams and leadership skills and teaching children about sportsmanship


and fair play. Helps pupils build social skills and friendships during PE that can help boost self-esteem and has great mental health benefits of reducing stress, tension, and anxiety.


The Department for Education recognises this need recently stating, “All children should have equal access to high-quality PE provision.” This commitment is not just a statement of intent it is a call to action and one of the critical catalysts for the PE & Sport Premium Funding released to Primary schools and academies throughout Autumn.


Schools and academies play a pivotal role in shaping our children’s future. They are responsible for imparting academic knowledge and laying the groundwork for a lifelong love of physical activity. The good news is that there is funding available to support these endeavours. The Department for Education has released two instalments over the course of the academic year where a school may receive up to £1,000 per pupil depending on the number of eligible pupils in year 1 to year 6.


Providing fundamental movement skills (FMS) is key to a child’s progression:


“FMS (fundamental movement skills) are best developed between the ages of 3 to 8 years old. Therefore, developing careful progression from reception to primary school is vitally important.” UNDERSTANDING MOTOR DEVELOPMENT DL GALLAHUE, JC OZMUN, AND JD GOODWAY


Getting pupils to participate in activities that involve them moving in all different ways and practising different skills is important for their physical development. During these key ages, it sets a foundation for their ability to complete physical tasks in both sports and day-to-day life.


Education can help to build the foundations of equality and inclusion:


“Through the careful selection and sequencing of curriculum content that develops pupils’ competence, more pupils can believe that PE is for them, and inequalities can be reduced.” OFSTED RESEARCH REVIEW PE, 2022


Having competence in their abilities will give pupils confidence to take part in more physical activities. An inclusive class boosts students’ self-esteem and reduces anxiety. Which can significantly improve participation and performance. In turn, this means they have more chances to engage and socialise with their peers.


Maximise your sports funding with YPO At YPO, we care about the health and wellbeing of our future generations, and we know the importance of keeping pupils active and engaged in PE. Each school must make the most of available resources to ensure every child gets equal access to high-quality PE. We are committed to helping local authority schools and academies


November 2023


to excel by providing a wide range of services and quality PE and sports equipment to support the daily activities of pupils.


We can assist you in maximising your sports funding by:


• Keeping your class active and engaged: We offer a wide range of equipment and resources to keep your students active, engaged, and motivated in their physical activities. From sports gear to gym equipment, we’ve got you covered.


• Helping to take your sports program to the next level: We provide expert product guidance, ensuring your sports program is effective and enjoyable for students.


• Making your sports funding go further: We understand the value of every pound spent on education. We help you make the most of your sports funding, ensuring it benefits the maximum number of students.


• Building awareness of available funding: We not only supply materials, but we also educate schools and academies about the various funding opportunities which are available.


• Encouraging investment in a healthier future: We urge primary schools and academies to invest their funding in creating a brighter, more active future for our youth. View the range here.


Working with our partners


We find ourselves lucky enough to be partnered with some amazing education brands and charities that all share our same vision of helping support and deliver the best service to schools and teachers – including the importance of healthy and active pupils. How Twinkl can help: Our partnership with Twinkl delivers a wide range of classroom solutions for schools, as well as discounts and giveaways, to further a shared mission to support teachers and learners.


Twinkl Move is an empowering teaching package that provides a complete breadth of planning from Reception through to Key Stage 2. This easy-to-use toolkit offers full PE schemes of work and CPD content, all written by experienced primary teachers to help increase your confidence, skills and knowledge. With Twinkl Move you can build a rich and engaging PE curriculum, using resources that include, interactive PowerPoints, lesson plans, home-learning tasks, aims posters, assessment packs, learning journeys and differentiation cards.


Unlocking potential for all


Every child deserves an equal opportunity to develop their physical, mental, and emotional well-being throughout their school life.


“Without being taught the language of sport and physical activity, pupils can miss out on an enriching aspect of our communal life.” OFSTED RESEARCH REVIEW PE, 2022


Let’s come together to ensure that every Primary school child, regardless of their background and physical ability, has the necessary tools and resources to offer an all-inclusive, top-tier physical education. Together, we can unlock the potential within every child and help to build a healthier, happier future. Find out more about funding eligibility at gov.uk/guidance/pe- and-sport-premium-for-primary-schools


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