Can I still use my Sports Premium for Playground Markings?
Updated on: August 12, 2024
Are you a school wondering whether you can utilise your Sports Premium funding for playground markings? The answer is yes! Despite recent changes in guidelines, playground markings remain an eligible expense under the Sports Premium initiative.
Since 2013, Sports Premium funding has been aimed at primary schools to improve sports and physical education provision. Getting the sports premium is relatively easy, but as with any good game, there are some rules (which can cause some confusion to many schools)!
In this blog we will discuss everything Sports Premium including:
- What is Sports Premium?
- What can the funding be used for?
- What can’t be covered under the Sports Premium funding?
- Can the funding be used for playground markings?
- How will I record my spending?
- Who can I speak to about spending my Sports Premium?
1. What is Sports Premium?
Sports Premium is a government initiative aimed at improving physical education (PE) and sports provision in primary schools across the UK. It provides additional funding to schools to enhance the quality of PE and sport activities for pupils.
The funding is allocated directly to primary schools and is based on the number of pupils in Years 1 to 6. The funding can be used in various ways, including hiring specialist PE teachers, providing professional development for staff, purchasing sports equipment, and enhancing facilities such as playgrounds and sports fields. The Sports Premium aims to increase participation in physical activity, improve the quality of PE teaching, and promote lifelong health and well-being among pupils.
According to the Department of Education, schools should prioritise PE and sport premium spending to improve in the following 5 key areas:
- increasing all staff’s confidence, knowledge and skills in teaching PE and sport
- increasing engagement of all pupils in regular physical activity and sport
- raising the profile of PE and sport across the school, to support whole school improvement
- offer a broader and more equal experience of a range of sports and physical activities to all pupils
- increase participation in competitive sport
2. What should the funding be used for?
Sports Premium should be used to build capacity and capability in the school and make sure that improvements made to the quality of PE, sport and physical activity provision now are sustainable and will benefit pupils joining the school in future. Finally, it should develop or add to the PE, sport and physical activity that the school provides.
Therefore, before you consider sports premium spending ideas, you need to understand that you should use the funding for the following:
- Only for sports and PE.
- To replace or refresh activities, facilities or equipment, including after-school sports clubs.
- To benefit all primary-aged pupils.
- To build physical activity into the school day.
- To promote active travel to and from school.
- Utilised to improve attainment in swimming and water safety for pupils who haven’t met the national curriculum requirements.
Additionally, schools can use the funding as continued professional development (CPD) for teachers, to ensure that the future quality of the teaching of PE, sport and physical activity is sustainable. This includes providing staff with professional development, mentoring, appropriate training and access to external resources.
3. What should the Sports Premium funding not be used for?
The Sports Premium funding should not be used for activities or expenses that are not directly related to improving physical education (PE) and sports provision for pupils. Specifically, the funding should not be used to:
- Fund capital expenditure (for assets that enhance and not merely maintain the value of an existing asset). Examples include new multi-use games areas and Daily Mile tracks, Forest School environments and Trim Trails, buying vehicles, fixed playground equipment, such as climbing frames, trophy cabinets or similar.
- Employ specialist sports/PE teachers or coaches to cover PA
- Teach the basic requirements of the PE national curriculum (except for top-up swimming lessons following core lessons)
- Services that will be delivered or/used in following academic years
- Staff PE kit
4. Can the funding be used for playground markings?
According to the Department of Education “Schools can use grant funds to maintain existing assets because the funding can be used towards maintenance costs. For example, repainting lines on the playground is allowable as the playground should already be recognised as an asset, and the cost of repainting lines on it is a revenue maintenance cost.”
As mentioned earlier, schools can use the Sports Premium to integrate physical activity into the school day through implementing active break times and offering targeted activities to engage less active children. This supports the eligibility criteria for using the funding for improving playground facilities, using markings to encourage all pupils to be active.
Would a multi-use game marking or a Daily Mile Track be covered by Sports Premium?
This solely depends on the de minimis value for purchases set by your school. If the cost of a multi-use games area and Daily Mile track is under this value then yes it can be covered.
5. How will I record my spending?
It is the responsibility of schools to ensure accountability in the use of Sport Premium funding. The senior leadership team of the school should ensure that the funding is utilised for its intended purpose and recorded correctly.
The Association for PE and Youth Sport Trust have created a downloadable template which allows schools to plan and report their spending on one document. Additionally, the Department of Education will be introducing a new digital Sports Premium reporting tool for schools in May or June 2024. The digital platform will capture details on how a school has used its PE and sport premium and the impact it has had on achieving the aims and objectives of the funding.
6. Who can I speak to about spending my Sports Premium?
If you have any questions or need assistance in planning your playground project, please don’t hesitate to contact us. We’re here to support you in making the most of your Sports Premium funding for the benefit of your school community.
*all guidance in this blog is based on our understanding of the information provided by the Department of Education.
Rebecca Occomore
Rebecca is a seasoned marketing professional with over 10 years of experience. With a diverse background in copywriting and social media management across various industries and sectors; Rebecca brings a wealth of knowledge and creativity to her work.
Rebecca is passionate about Fun & Active's mission to positively impact UK outdoor play environments through advanced playground marking designs and services. Through her dedication and expertise, she strives to create engaging and innovative content that inspires children to play, learn, and thrive in their outdoor environments.
