Advice, Guidance & Training for Schools

Advice, Guidance and Training for Schools

They are essential for children’s development. Sport and physical activity supports children and young people’s academic attainment, and helps to build resilience and social skills. They are also key tools to help achieve whole school outcomes.

We have developed a range of resources and training opportunities to help head teachers, educators, and governors to better understand, use, and maximise the benefits of physical activity in schools. This includes a new training programme, the Activity in Schools e-learning modules to help schools maximise the benefits of physical activity for their students.

Activity in School Training & Resource guide

The impact of the pandemic on students’ health and wellbeing – both mentally and physically – is profound.

Making physical activity part of every school day will help young people as they settle back into school-based learning. It will help to undo some of the negative impacts of lockdown.

We have created free resources and training to support schools to understand the benefits of physical activity. These materials are designed for school staff, senior leaders, and governors. The training and resources included here will demonstrate how movement and exercise can improve pupil’s health, including mental health. In addition, how it can support with improving their learning behaviours and outcomes.

We also provide practical information about how to maximise the resource already available to schools.

Activity In Schools Resource Guide (pdf, 2.45 MB)

How can physical activity help schools reduce the negative impacts of lockdown for young people?

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Activity in Schools Resources (pdf, 113.34 KB)

A quick reference resource sheet to help with activity in schools

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We have developed a series of online training modules to support school staff to use physical activity in schools to achieve healthy outcomes for pupils.

Using Coaches in Schools

Coaches can perform a valuable role in schools. They can support and up-skill teachers to improve the delivery of physical education in primary schools. In addition, they can provide breakfast, lunchtime and after school clubs.

Coaches are different from teachers. Although some teachers will have expertise in some sports, they are not coaches. Coaches have detailed knowledge, understanding, qualifications and experience in specific sports.

Where teachers feel they need support, the technical knowledge and skills that coaches can bring into the school can create outstanding outcomes.

However, coaches should not replace teachers. Coaches are ideal to bring in for the short term to enhance the teacher’s delivery. The school is responsible for ensuring outcomes are achieved, along with liability and duty of care. Also, according to the DfE, the PE and Sport Premium cannot be used to employ coaches or specialist teachers to cover planning preparation and assessment (PPA) arrangements. These should come out of your core staffing budgets.

Guide to Using Coaches in Schools (pdf, 4.81 MB)

A comprehensive guide to using coaches in schools.

Download the Coaches Guide

Primary Premium and the Governor’s Guide

The Primary PE and Sport Premium is allocated to primary school headteachers. The amount is based on the number of pupils in year 1-6.

The funding is ring-fenced, and schools must spend the funding on additional and sustainable improvements to their PE and sport provision. This provision must be used to maximise pupils’ health and wellbeing benefits.

Schools have the freedom to choose how they do this. However, they must use the funding to encourage the development of healthy and active lifestyles.

The Vision for the Premium:

All pupils leaving primary school physically literate and with the knowledge, skills and motivation necessary to equip them for a healthy lifestyle and lifelong participation in physical activity and sport.

We have developed the Primary School Governors Guide to help school leaders and governors understand their responsibilities around the funding. This guide details how you can use it to get the best health outcomes for pupils, and how it can help you deliver your school improvement and development plan.

Governors Guide (pdf, 4.97 MB)

The Primary School Governors Guide to using the PE & Sport Premium to maximise outcomes for your school

Download the Governor’s Guide