Support & Guidance for Your School

The existing guidelines regarding the use of the PE and sport premium continue to apply. These guidelines already permit a significant amount of flexibility in how the PE and sport premium can be used.

Any use of the PE and sport premium should continue to support at least one of the key indicators. The restrictions on using the PE and sport premium remain current.

At present the 31 July 2020 deadline still holds, however we are keeping this position under review.

We recognise that schools’ ability to collect swimming and water safety attainment data may have been interrupted by the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. Any data that schools do hold regarding swimming and water safety attainment should be entered into the online report with a note to clarify the proportion of the year group that this relates to and any other limitations of the data. Where no data is held, schools should state this in the online report.

As a result of the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, the Department for Education has taken steps to relax the ring-fencing arrangements for the PE and sport premium in the 2019 to 2020 academic year to allow any unspent grant to be carried forward into the next academic year (2020 to 2021). Where schools are carrying forward under-spends, their published online report should set out the amount being carried forward and give brief reasons for this under-spend.

Any under-spends carried forward will need to be spent in full by 31 March 2021 and schools should factor this into spending plans for their 2020 to 2021 PE and sport premium allocation. The 2019 to 2020 conditions of grant document has been updated to reflect this exceptional amendment to the ring-fencing of the grant.

Schools are able to resume swimming lessons where they can do so in line with guidance. The DfE guidance for the Wider Opening of Schools sets out that schools should follow the returning to pools guidance documents which has been developed by Swim England in cooperation with industry partners, including local authorities, leisure operators, the Department for Education and the Association for Physical Education. This document aims to support schools, swim schools and operators with the return of National Curriculum School Swimming and Water Safety following the period of closure and provides guidance on reducing the risk of Covid-19 transmission within the swimming pool environment.

Coaches are able to work across school sites on the basis they adhere to Government guidance and comply with the school’s arrangements for managing and minimising risk, including taking particular care to maintain distance from other staff and pupils. Schools should ensure they are considering carefully how such arrangements can operate within their wider protective measures and should also have regard to any other relevant government guidance. 

It is for schools to assess the risks and put in place appropriate measures for transport. We have provided guidance on dedicated transport to schools and other places of education. You may wish to have regard to this guidance to help you: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/transport-to-school-and-other-places-of-education-autumn-term-2020

Outdoor sports should be prioritised where possible, and large indoor spaces used where it is not, maximising natural ventilation flows (through opening windows and doors or using air conditioning systems wherever possible) distancing between pupils and paying scrupulous attention to cleaning and hygiene. This is particularly important in a sports setting because of the way in which people breathe during exercise.