For developing children, PE lessons have a crucial role in promoting an active and healthy lifestyle. From an early age, these lessons teach children important physical skills, teamwork, and the value of staying active.
With this in mind, the UK Government introduced the PE and Sport Premium funding in 2013 to provide schools with additional resources to enhance PE provision. This funding is allocated each year to help train staff and increase children’s participation in sports.
However, ensuring that PE lessons are both high quality and sustainable requires more than just funding. Schools can make a significant impact by investing in the right children’s gym equipment and strategies to improve the delivery of PE lessons.
Here, we’ll explore how schools can maximise their use of playground funding and provide five top tips for enhancing PE lessons. In the process, you’ll create an engaging and active learning environment for pupils.
What is PE and Sports Premium Funding?
PE and Sport premium funding was introduced in 2013 by the UK Government to improve the delivery of physical education, sport, and physical activity in primary schools. With the allocation of extra funding to headteachers, it has aimed to double the number of PE specialists working in primary schools.
However, when children leave school, their participation in sports and keeping active deteriorates. This can lead to unhealthy lifestyles and problems later in life.
The Government therefore wants to encourage more people to participate in physical activity and sports safely from a young age and help them to continue throughout their life.
Minister for Children, MP Edward Timpson, said: “PE teaching is a specialist role and deserves bespoke support. PE specialists are vital to really embedding sporting expertise in schools, as well as giving children every chance of developing a sporting habit for life.”
Ofsted inspections will report on PE and sport provision and on how schools spend their additional funding. Schools are also required to publish details of how they spend (or will spend) their PE and sport grant. They must also include details about the impact this funding has on pupils’ PE and sport participation and attainment.
How Can Schools Use Premium Funding to Improve PE Lessons?
Schools can choose how they use premium funding to improve the quality of PE lessons. For example, they can use it to:
- Hire specialist PE teachers or qualified sports coaches to work with primary teachers during PE lessons
- Provide resources to improve the delivery of PE and sports in schools, and their sustainability
- Provide training courses in PE and sport for teachers
- Support and involve the least active children by running after-school sports clubs and holiday clubs
- Run sports competitions and sports activities with other schools
How to Improve Your PE Lessons: Five Top Tips
When it comes time to carry out your PE lesson, it’s important to keep children engaged and willing to learn. Here are five top tips to help you deliver a PE lesson that meets your teaching goals.
Incorporate a Range of Different Activities
To keep your children interested in what you’re teaching them, you’ll need to provide them with a varied range of sports and physical activities. Incorporating team games, individual challenges, and non-traditional sports keeps lessons exciting.
Not only this, but it will also help to develop different physical and social skills for children.
Keep your Lessons Inclusive
While monitoring all of your students can be difficult when teaching a full class, it’s important to try and include everyone as much as possible. This means involving children across the spectrum of ability and accessibility requirements.
You can do this with the help of modified activities or adaptive equipment that keep all of your students engaged.
Reward Progress
A motivated student is a happy student. Keep them wanting to work hard by rewarding them over the course of their lessons should they make progress or achieve a particular goal.
Whether it’s mastering a new skill or improving their fitness levels, positive reinforcement helps build confidence and a lasting interest in physical activity.
Combine Play and Learning
As well as having fun, your lessons are a great opportunity for children to learn. By using playground equipment like markings and fitness trails, you can make movement more engaging for children partaking in your lesson.
Use Specialists Where Possible
Sometimes, you may find it beneficial to use PE specialists or qualified coaches to support your lessons. They can bring expertise, offer new techniques, and help teachers build their confidence in delivering high-quality PE sessions.
Transform Your PE Lessons with Sovereign Play’s Equipment
If you are looking to invest in your children’s play facilities, Sovereign is able to provide a quality range of sport and PE ideas. Explore just some of our outdoor playground equipment below:
Sports & fitness range
Sovereign’s sports and fitness range of playground equipment is designed to facilitate playground sports and encourage active, outdoor fitness through play.
Our collection of trim trails offers an assault course style of activity where children can enhance their motor skills through running, climbing and balancing tasks.
Meanwhile, our playground gym equipment focuses on isolated movements that train specific parts of the body. This is recommended for play areas with more mature users.
Promote the benefits of exercise in your playground and browse the range here.
Playground markings range
Our range of thermoplastic playground markings are an essential addition for any outdoor sports area and can enhance your PE lessons drastically. We offer plenty of designs to choose from, including classic playground games like hopscotch.
This also covers various sports line markings and MUGAs, like tennis court lines and netball courts, and other fun, educational, and creative graphics.
Promote the benefits of playground PE markings in your playground and browse the range here.
For more help on improving your PE lessons, call our PE and funding specialist at Sovereign, Katy Huntington PGCE, BA (hons) on 07733002388. Furthermore, you can contact us online for a free quotation and more information on our playground services.
