5 more great ways to use your PE and Sport Premium funding

Update for 2026 to 2027: DfE rules now say the PE and sport premium must not be used for capital spending such as new multi-use games areas or mile tracks, and funding for schools with 17 or more eligible pupils is £6,240 plus £10 per pupil. Refreshing existing playground lines can count as maintenance. See our up-to-date Sport Premium guide.

If you read our recent post on the PE and Sport Premium funding, you’ll already know all about why playground markings (and school playground design in general) support its aims so well. New markings are now usually funded from a capital or premises budget, PTA fundraising or a grant, while refreshing existing lines can count as maintenance under the premium. Either way, there are plenty more excellent ways in which you can spend the premium itself. Here are a few of our suggestions!

Providing additional teacher training, extra equipment and resources to teach PE and sports

Expanding the breadth and depth of your teaching staff’s skills is never a bad investment, especially as it can be so useful in helping them to make lessons even more detailed and engaging.

You could also choose to invest the funding in physical learning aids, such as new play equipment, or extra kit for individual sports. Now, we know that certain primary schools can face the challenge of dealing with a lack of physical space. However, thankfully there are plenty of manufacturers which make surprisingly compact or even collapsible equipment, so that even relatively small spaces can still be effectively used for a wide array of activities and sports such as tennis, football and hockey. (And once again, this is where carefully-chosen playground markings can be particularly useful!)

Consider introducing brand new sports or activities

Games like football and netball are some of the most popular sports that more or less every school has provision for. However, it’s often worthwhile to think about any sports or activities that might not be regularly taught in PE lessons. It’s worth asking not only your staff, but also checking with parents, and most importantly the children themselves! Games like rounders or stripped-down versions of cricket are amongst those which aren’t always widely taught in primary schools, but are often popular with children nonetheless

Similarly, there are games which can work on the playground which might not be enough to sustain an entire PE lesson, such as the Mirror Me game from our Courts and Sports range. It’s yet another way that your school can get the maximum amount of use out of your space and keeping it inclusive, especially for children who might be intimidated by more traditional sports or games. Speaking of which…

Set up or extend sports clubs

Being intimidated by certain sports like football or netball is a challenge that many children face, especially in crowded environments like the school playground. It’s part of the reason why another great use for the PE and Sports Premium is to set up sports clubs (or extend their running times if you already have them). These can serve as fantastic environments in which to ease children into activities they might otherwise feel uneasy participating in, providing a relaxed atmosphere for them to hone their skills, so that they can improve their skills and work on their confidence as they do so.

Obviously the circumstances and budgets for each school will differ, so these are just a few ideas to get you started. And as we’ve probably reinforced by now, school playground design is a brilliant supportive resource whatever you end up choosing. That’s why we’re proud to help here at Uniplay, our philosophy is “to see children of all abilities develop essential skills through play” and we specialise in the design and installation of thermoplastic playground markings, giving playgrounds colour and creativity to enhance play, fitness and fun. You can choose your favourites from our extensive range of categories, or if give one of our friendly experts a call on 0333 321 6699 if you have any questions, or need any advice. We’re always happy to help!