How to Spend Your Primary PE and Sport Premium Effectively (2026–27 Guide)

Posted by EYR Team on 13th Oct 2025

The Primary PE and Sport Premium continues to play an important role in helping eligible primary schools in England improve the quality of PE, physical activity and school sport. By investing strategically, schools can encourage healthy, active lifestyles while creating lasting improvements that benefit pupils and staff alike.

The 2026–27 academic year is a transitional one. The government has announced plans to replace the current Primary PE and Sport Premium with a new PE and School Sport Partnerships Network, expected to be fully operational from Spring 2027. Schools should therefore continue to use their funding in line with current Department for Education (DfE) guidance while planning for the upcoming changes.

Whether you're reviewing your current provision or planning how to allocate your funding, this guide explains how to make the most of your PE and Sport Premium.

In this guide:

What is the Primary PE and Sport Premium?
How can schools spend their funding?
PE equipment ideas
Improving participation
Measuring impact
Reporting requirements

What is the Primary PE and Sport Premium?

The Primary PE and Sport Premium is government funding provided to eligible primary schools in England to make additional and sustainable improvements to PE, physical activity and sport.

Rather than covering the cost of delivering the existing PE curriculum, the funding is intended to enhance provision, increase participation and improve the quality of teaching so that children develop positive attitudes towards physical activity that last beyond their primary education.

How Can Schools Spend Their PE and Sport Premium?

Schools have flexibility in how they use their funding, provided it delivers sustainable improvements and benefits all pupils.

Some of the most effective ways to invest your funding include:

Improve Teachers' Skills and Confidence

Investing in professional development is one of the most sustainable ways to use the funding. Training, mentoring and specialist coaching can help teachers deliver more engaging PE lessons while building confidence across the whole school.

Examples include:

PE CPD courses
Team teaching with specialist coaches
Subject leader training
Inclusive PE training

Purchase Quality PE Equipment

Having the right equipment enables schools to deliver a wider range of activities and encourages children to stay active.

Popular purchases include:

When purchasing equipment, consider how it will support long-term improvements rather than one-off activities.

Explore our range of PE equipment and resources designed to support active learning, physical development and school sport.

Increase Physical Activity Throughout the School Day

The funding doesn't need to be limited to PE lessons.

Many schools use their premium to encourage movement throughout the day by introducing:

Active playgrounds
Lunchtime activity programmes
Daily movement breaks
Active learning initiatives
Outdoor fitness activities

Increasing opportunities for physical activity can improve concentration, wellbeing and pupil engagement.

Expand Extra-Curricular Opportunities

Offering a wider range of clubs and sporting opportunities encourages more children to take part in physical activity.

Funding could support:

After-school sports clubs
Sports festivals
Inter-school competitions
New sports and activities
Opportunities for less active pupils

Providing a varied programme helps ensure every child can find an activity they enjoy.

Promote Inclusive Participation

An important priority for many schools is ensuring all pupils can participate, regardless of ability or background.

Schools may wish to invest in:

Adapted PE equipment
Inclusive sports activities
SEND-friendly resources
Staff training in adaptive PE
Activities that encourage participation from girls and less active pupils

Removing barriers to participation helps every child enjoy the benefits of being physically active.

Planning Your Spending

Before allocating your funding, it's worth reviewing your current PE provision.

Ask yourself:

Which areas of PE need improving?
Are all pupils participating?
Do staff feel confident teaching PE?
How can physical activity be increased throughout the school day?
Which improvements will continue to benefit pupils in future years?

Once you have identified the areas you would like to improve, the next step is choosing the right resources to support your goals. Take a look at our essential PE equipment list for primary schools for inspiration on the equipment that can help enhance PE lessons, physical activity and school sport.

Measuring the Impact of Your Funding

The DfE expects schools to demonstrate how their funding has improved PE, physical activity and school sport.

Useful ways to measure success include:

Increased participation in PE and clubs
Improved pupil engagement
Greater teacher confidence
Better quality PE lessons
Increased opportunities for inclusive sport
Positive feedback from pupils and staff

Collecting evidence throughout the year will make reporting easier and help inform future spending decisions.

Reporting Requirements

Schools are expected to keep clear records showing how their funding has been spent and the impact it has had.

Keeping track of your spending throughout the year will make completing the required reporting much simpler.

Useful information to record includes:

Funding received
How the funding was allocated
Why spending decisions were made
Evidence of impact
Participation levels
Plans for sustaining improvements

Schools should refer to the latest DfE Primary PE and Sport Premium guidance when planning, recording and reporting their funding decisions.

What Shouldn't the Funding Be Used For?

The PE and Sport Premium should not replace existing school budgets or fund the minimum PE curriculum.

Instead, it should be used to create additional opportunities and sustainable improvements that enhance pupils' experiences of PE, physical activity and school sport.

Looking Ahead

The 2026–27 academic year marks the beginning of a transition towards the government's new PE and School Sport Partnerships Network, which is expected to replace the current funding model from Spring 2027. While schools should continue to follow the current guidance for this academic year, it's worth keeping an eye on future announcements as more details become available.

Supporting Active Schools

Creating engaging PE lessons starts with having the right resources.

From PE equipment and outdoor play resources to games that encourage movement and physical development, investing in high-quality equipment can help maximise the impact of your funding while creating enjoyable experiences for every pupil.

Browse our range of PE and outdoor learning resources to support your school's physical education programme.