Sports Premium
At Lenthall Infant and Nursery School, we aim to deliver a high-quality physical education curriculum, which inspires ALL pupils to succeed and excel in competitive sports and other physically demanding activities. We aim to provide opportunities for pupils to become physically confident in a way that supports their health and fitness. These areas of the curriculum enable children to develop an awareness and understanding of their bodies in action and promote lifelong positive attitudes toward health and wellbeing. This enables children to make informed choices about physical activity throughout their lives. Opportunities to compete in sports and other activities contribute to character building and help to embed values such as fairness and respect.
Sports Premium Grant
This funding is jointly provided by the DfE, Health and Culture, Media and Sport and will take the form of an annual lump sum to the school to improve PE and sports. This funding is ring-fenced and therefore can only be spent on the provision of PE and sports in schools.
Purpose of Funding
Schools must spend the additional funding on improving their provision of PE and sports, but they will have the freedom to choose how they do this. The Government, however, has outlined the following three areas for focus.
- Promote Physical Education: lessons taught in school by teachers and additional providers, such as specialist PE teachers or qualified sports coaches.
Promote Healthy, Active Lifestyles: providing extracurricular opportunities to gain knowledge of healthy lifestyles through new or additional Change4Life clubs. - Promote Competitive Sport: running inter-school competitions or participation in competitions with other local schools.
Impact Summary
The national funding has significantly increased the regularity and focus of physical activity in our PE sessions and cross-curricular work. Children are eager participants, enjoying sports and PE both during and after the school day. This enthusiasm has boosted the uptake of Out of School Hours learning activities, with children engaging in FUNdamentals, athletics, netball, football, yoga, dance, and gardening throughout the year. We have successfully targeted pupil premium children and enriched the experiences of children with diverse needs.
Continued opportunities to develop teamwork and leadership skills have been provided across the school. This aligns with our work in other areas, including our weekly Forest School sessions and the development of sports ambassadors who assist our play leader at lunchtimes. Values such as resilience, respect, and perseverance, cultivated during these sessions, are applied in PE. Similarly, skills in collaboration and leadership gained are utilised in Forest School and other subjects.
Children are encouraged to share their sporting and physical achievements during our weekly assemblies, where they are celebrated, and others are inspired to try new activities.
Teaching and Learning
The funding has enabled us to maintain regular CPD through our collaboration with CFCCT. Teachers and support staff work alongside specialist coaches throughout the year, receiving valuable input. Lesson observations are regularly conducted by the Headteacher, PE Lead, and coach. Teachers report feeling supported in lesson planning and staying up-to-date with best practices. They have particularly benefited from specialist coaching in gymnastics and dance, which has empowered them to lead after-school clubs in these areas as their knowledge and confidence grow.