Sports Premium

Sports Premium

Updated Guidance for 2023-2024 academic year

The renewal of the Sports Premium Funding for 2023-2024 is a positive step in promoting primary pe and sport among children in England. However, it is important to note that the funding alone is not enough to address the issue of declining exercise levels among children. It is also important for parents, schools, and communities to encourage children to be active and engage in physical activity and sports outside of school hours.

With the UK Chief Medical Officers recommending that all children and young people should take part in moderate to vigorous intensity physical activity for at least 60 minutes every day, Sport Premium funding is key to helping to achieve this.

Primary Schools are where the foundations of positive and enjoyable participation in regular physical activity is embedded, so schools have a key role to play in ensuring children lead healthy & active lifestyles.

Children of all ages and all abilities should have access to high-quality PE provision and opportunities to experience, engage and participate in a wide range of physical activities and sports games. The benefits of increasing physical activity carry through from the sports field & playground to the classroom and beyond.

Sports Premium should be used to make additional and sustainable improvements to primary PE, Sport & physical Activity, and prioritise the spending to improve 5 key areas. Playground Markings are a fantastic way to address the key areas and ensure fun activity across the whole school.

Increase all staff’s confidence, knowledge and skills in teaching Physical Education and Sports.

Playground Markings are great for increasing staff confidence, knowledge & skills in physical activity. Uniplay believes thermoplastic graphics and sports markings give staff a focus and confidence to encourage participation, particularly welfare staff to encourage children to be active at break times and participate in games that increase physical activity during the school day outside of lesson time.

Mile A Day Playground Markings Increasing Engagement of all pupils in regular physical activity & sport.

In addition to the Sport Premium Funding, the UK government has also introduced other initiatives to promote physical activity and sports among children. This includes the Daily Mile, a program that encourages children to run or jog for 15 minutes every day, and the School Games, a national program that promotes competitive sport among schools.

The Daily Mile has been successful in increasing children’s physical activity levels and has been adopted by over 11,000 schools in England. The School Games has also been successful in promoting competitive sport among schools and has seen over 18,000 schools participate in the program since its launch in 2012.

Sports court playground markings and other active games increase participation not just in the more able children, but also in the less active. Bright coloured, engaging games can increase participation in all physical activity across the whole school and improve gross motor skills. Pupils are more inclined to play team sports with an attractive court marking, maybe personalised to school with a logo or school values. 

Raising the profile of PE and sport across the school, to support whole school improvement.

The Sports Premium Funding has been successful in increasing participation in physical activity and sports among children. According to a report by the Department for Education, 95% of primary schools in England have used the funding to improve their PE and sport provision. The report also found that the funding had a positive impact on the quality of PE teaching and increased the number of children participating in sport outside of school hours.

Long lasting preformed thermoplastic markings are suitable for whole school use in all weather. The use of playground markings can peak children’s interest to get active and raise attainment not only in sport but also academically. Playground markings are great to encourage least active children to get involved in sport and physical activity. New or renewed markings will raise the profile of sport in school and in turn encourage participation.

Offer a broader and more equal experience of a range of sports and physical activities to all pupils.

The Sport Premium update is an important initiative for schools, as it provides them with the resources they need to provide high-quality physical education and sport programs. This includes funding for equipment, specialist coaches, and teacher training. The funding also enables schools to increase participation in physical activity and sports by providing access to a wider range of activities, such as dance, yoga, and martial arts.

The renewed funding for 2023-2024 will provide schools with £320 million, an increase of £10 million from the previous year. This increase in funding is a recognition of the importance of physical activity and sports in improving children’s health and wellbeing. The government hopes that this funding will help to address the decline in physical activity among children in recent years, which has been linked to a range of health problems, including obesity and poor mental health.

Playground markings allow children to experience sports they wouldn’t always be able to play. Sports markings such as basketball and netball allow children to experience first hand the rules of the games, positions and engage with their peers in team games. Graphics such as long jumps and active trails are fun and allow children to participate and reinvent games for their own pleasure.

Increase participation in competitive sport.

Thermoplastic sports courts allow school children to compete in sports and follow the rules of the game. Having a professionally marked out court to exact dimensions on the school playground teaches children the rules and how to play the game correctly, this ensures confidence and therefore increases the desire to participate in competitive sport.

With the largest chunk of Sports Premium funding being allocated in the Autumn term to schools, there is no better time to look to spend your funding effectively at a time when the British weather places your school field out of bounds. Playground markings are a great addition to your provision and ensure physical education is maintained at break times throughout the whole school year.

Playground markings are sustainable and will benefit children joining schools in years to come. With a long life span, playground markings prove to be a valuable investment to your outdoor area, developing or adding high quality pe and school sport your school already provides.

Thermoplastic playground markings ensure that physical activity is embedded into the school day. Our graphics can be also be used outside of the playground to creative active trails to and from school and encourage active travel. Active trails often lead to safer crossing points for school and help to improve traffic flow and keep families safe.

Schools can utilise sports premium to maintain existing assets, for example repainting lines on the playground is allowable as a maintenance cost.

Use of playground markings can easily be accounted for and reported. Participation in a fitness circuit or daily mile for example can be recorded to show increased participation and also improvement in times and stamina, displaying the benefit of using your playground games and therefore successful use of your sports premium funding.

Speak to our team about Sports Premium

The Sport Premium Funding was first introduced in 2013 and has since been renewed annually. The funding is available to all primary schools in England and is calculated based on the number of pupils in the school. The funding is intended to help schools improve the quality and range of their physical education (PE) and sport provision, including after-school clubs and activities.

This renewal of Sport Premium Funding for years to come is fantastic news for schools throughout England and Wales. If you are planning ways to spend your sports premium, our team are here to help. We specialise in creating unique and engaging playground markings including sports court and mile track markings. To speak to one of our friendly advisors simply call  0333 321 6695 or email info@uni-play.co.uk and we will be in touch as soon as possible.