In April 2013, the Government announced new funding of £150 million for physical education (PE) and sport, per annum for academic years 2013/14 and 2014/15. This funding should be used to improve the quality and breadth of PE and sport provision. 

Funding will be allocated to all maintained and state-funded schools with primary phase pupils, including: primary, middle, special and non-maintained special schools, academies and pupil referral units from 1 September 2013.  

Schools are free to determine how best to use this funding to improve the quality and breadth of PE and sport provision, including increasing participation in PE and sport so that all pupils develop healthy lifestyles and reach the performance levels they are capable of. 

Funding for schools will be calculated by the number of primary aged pupils (between the ages of 5 and 11) as at the annual census in January 2013. All schools with 17 or more primary aged pupils will receive a lump sum of £8,000 plus a premium of £5 per pupil. Smaller schools will receive £500 per pupil. 

Schools will be held to account for how they spend the sport funding. Ofsted has strengthened its coverage of sport and PE within the Inspectors' Handbook and supporting guidance, so that schools and inspectors know how sport and PE will be assessed in future as part of the school's overall provision offered. 

Schools must use the funding to make additional and sustainable improvements to the quality of PE and sport they offer. This means that you should use the premium to: 

• develop or add to the PE and sport activities that your school already offers 

• make improvements now that will benefit pupils joining the school in future years 

For example, you can use your funding to: 

• hire qualified sports coaches to work with teachers 

• provide existing staff with training or resources to help them teach PE and sport more effectively 

• introduce new sports or activities and encourage more pupils to take up sport 

• support and involve the least active children by running or extending school sports clubs, holiday clubs and Change4Life clubs 

• run sport competitions 

• increase pupils’ participation in the School Games 

• run sports activities with other schools 

You should not use your funding to: 

• employ coaches or specialist teachers to cover planning preparation and assessment (PPA) arrangements - these should come out of your core staffing budgets 

• teach the minimum requirements of the national curriculum – including those specified for swimming. 

In the Autumn Statement 2013, the then Chancellor, George Osbourne announced an additional year’s £150m extended funding, taking the total investment to the end of the 2016 academic year. On 6th February 2014 the then Prime Minister, David Cameron committed to continue the funding for the Primary PE & Sport Premium until 2020. On the 17th July 2015 the Department for Education announced that 2015/6 funding will remain at the same level as last year. 

On 17th July 2017 the Department for Education confirmed that the Primary PE & Sport Premium will double from September 2017. The Secretary of State’s announcement on school funding, includes a section reconfirming the commitment to doubling the Primary PE & Sport Premium from September 2017. 

On 28th July 2017, the Department for Education (DfE) has announced some changes to the Primary PE & Sport Premium pages on the Gov.uk website to reflect recent ministerial decisions on the allocation formula for the doubled Primary PE & Sport Premium. 

The high level changes are that from September 2017: 

Schools with 17 or more eligible pupils receive £16,000 and an additional payment of £10 per pupil 

This is a straight doubling of the current formula and will mean that all schools will be able to deliver further improvements to their PE and Sport provision. The mechanism for payment will remain the same, with schools receiving 7/12ths of funding in Oct/Nov and the remaining 5/12ths in April/May.