Sports Premium

The PE & Sport Premium is government funding designed to help primary schools improve the quality of their PE, sport and physical activity provision. It aims to encourage all children to develop healthy, active lifestyles by supporting staff training, broadening opportunities and increasing participation in competitive events.

For the most recent academic year, St John the Baptist School received £18,210, which was fully allocated to enhance our PE and sports provision. The funding is reported a year in arrears, meaning our published report reflects spending from the previous academic year.

PE & Sport Premium 2024-25: The difference it made at St John’s

While these reports are important, the new national format is quite technical and doesn’t always reflect the real difference the funding makes in school. That’s why we’ve written this short summary, to share the story behind the numbers.

At St John’s we believe PE and sport should be for everyone - a chance for children to grow in confidence and find enjoyment in being active. This year we used our allocation of £18,210 to strengthen our provision, open up more opportunities and make sure pupils had the chance to take part and represent their school.

One focus was staff development. Lessons were modelled and planned alongside class teachers, with simple ideas and progressions that could be built into everyday teaching.

We also widened opportunities for pupils. A broad range of lunchtime and after-school clubs ran across the year - football, netball, gymnastics, dance, basketball, dodgeball and athletics among them. Clubs were inclusive, with SEND and PPG pupils supported to join in. Regular inter-house competitions gave every child a chance to take part, and borough fixtures meant pupils proudly represented St John’s in local and borough events.

The impact was clear. More than half of our pupils represented the school in at least one sport, from cross-country and swimming to cricket, rugby, golf and dodgeball. Our football and netball teams reached borough finals, our swimmers brought home medals, and our athletes shone. Just as importantly, many children who might not have thought of themselves as “sporty” took part, found enjoyment, and experienced the pride of being in a team.

Sport was also celebrated across school life. Assemblies, Newsletters and ClassDojo shared photos, reports and results, while displays around school highlighted achievements and role models. A new group of Sports Leaders helped to promote our Sports Code of Conduct and encouraged fair play.

These changes will last. Staff are more confident in teaching PE, children are more active and willing to try new things, and sport has continued to become a visible, valued part of daily life at St John’s.