PE and Sports Premium

PE and Sports Premium

Please read the information below which gives details of our PE and Sport Premium Grant and how we allocate the funding.

What is PE and Sports Premium Funding?

Schools receive PE and sport premium funding based on the number of pupils in years 1 to 6. Funding continued for the 2022-2023 academic year based on the number of eligible pupils; over the course of the year we received £21,190, this funding is used to make additional and sustainable improvements to the quality of physical education (PE), physical activity and sport that we offer at Southborough. 

Aims

At Southborough we have an ongoing ambition to deliver both a high quality and a varied amount of PE and School sports for every child. We aim to develop confident, independent learners in a safe, competitive environment, ensuring all pupils have a secure understanding of PE and sport through enjoyment, teamwork and participation. In order to give every child, every chance to be active and informed of the importance of living a healthy life, we deliver 2 hours per week of PE throughout the school at present.

In September 2022 our school was again recognised for its excellent delivery and provision of PE and Sport and after achieving the Gold School Games Mark for over 4 years we were awarded the Platinum School Games Mark Award.

The key areas for development of the funding are Subject Leadership, Staff CPD opportunities, Healthy Living, Leadership and Sports clubs including School-club links and inter-school competition as well as increase the participation and achievement within PE and School Sport at Southborough.

How does the funding improve PE and Sport at Southborough?

We are building capacity and capability within our school to ensure that improvements made now will benefit current pupils and those joining the school in future years, this includes continuing professional development for the delivery of PE lessons and active play times, with specialist coaches providing bespoke training to teachers and TAs, together with working alongside classes to further improve the quality of PE in our school and ensure increased confidence, knowledge and skills of all staff in teaching PE and sport. This will improve the effectiveness of PE and sport teaching and embed physical activity across our school, whilst simultaneously extending current opportunities. 

We are raising the profile of PE and sport across the school as a tool for whole-school improvement through increased participation in competitive and non-competitive sporting events, e.g. cross country, team dance, gymnastics and agility events, as well as traditional team sports. After-school and lunchtime coaching and clubs along with structured playground PE activities are all helping to broaden and increase pupil participation and improve confidence and skills. Additional support funded by the premium from Sprint PE has been allocated to increase the provision of out of school clubs, sports and play leaders, improve competition and fixture participation, increasing participation in gymnastics, improve lunch time activity and provide CPD for TAs/CDTAs and teachers. Additional equipment has been purchased to enhance the overall provision of PE and sport in our school. As well as the completion of work to further extend and improve Early Years Outdoor activity areas.

Pupil ‘Sports Leaders’ receive ongoing training and mentoring from a specialist coach to increase confidence, knowledge and skills and help peer support and engage children who will benefit from increased activity during lunch times. Pupil ‘Sports Leaders’ also benefit from mentoring others and developing their planning, organisational and leadership skills.

Clubs outside of the normal school day are provided to promote healthy lifestyles and help to engage children to better understand the links between nutrition, fitness and keeping fit and healthy.

Swimming lessons are subsidised in Key Stage 2, in order to raise attainment in primary school swimming and work towards successfully meeting the requirements of the national curriculum before our pupils move on to secondary school. Further participation is also encouraged and coaching provided for entry into inter-school swimming galas.

Forest School continues to be a popular way to improve children’s engagement with outdoor physical activities, in addition to providing some very positive results with regard to improving enjoyment and emotional wellbeing both in and out of the classroom. We are now in our eighth year of offering children in Years R-6 Forest School and Outdoor Learning opportunities and learning experiences. This year a total of £5000 has been allocated to the Forest School Provision, allowing for improvements to resources and for more pupils to benefit from forest school. A specialist Forest School Teacher (who is also a qualified Primary School Teacher) has run Southborough Forest School since autumn 2013 and the development of pupils’ tenacity, perseverance and problem solving skills has really been enhanced by the challenges they are able to experience and overcome whilst at Forest School. We are continuing our strong collaboration with both the Countryside Management Partnerships and the Kent High Weald Partnership to extend our forest school provision to more children and training has been provided to upskill more of our own staff in the delivery of forest school.