PE and Sport Premium
About the PE and sport premium
Now in its twelfth year, the PE and sport premium helps schools provide equal access to high-quality PE, sport, and physical activity. The funding is intended to remove barriers so that all children, whatever their background or ability, can achieve and thrive.
Every child and young person should be supported to take part in daily physical activity. Current recommendations are at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity each day - or a minimum of 20 minutes a day for disabled children and young people.
It is important that schools make the most effective use of the PE and Sport Premium funding. To achieve this, spending should focus on improvements in five key areas:
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Increased confidence, knowledge and skills of all staff in teaching PE and sport
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Engagement of all pupils in regular physical activity
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The profile of PE and sport is raised across the school as a tool for whole-school improvement
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Broader experience of a range of sports and physical activities offered to all pupils
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Increased participation in competitive sport.
Full guidance, including examples of effective and ineffective spending, is available on the DfE website.
Access the PE and sport premium Conditions of Grant 2025/26 here. This sets out the rules schools must follow, including what is allowed, how the funding should be allocated and how to remain compliant.
School governors also play a crucial role in ensuring accountability and the effective use of funding in line with their school’s context. To support this, the Department for Education (DfE) and the Local Government Association (LGA) have developed a monitoring tool that sets out key areas of focus for governing boards when evaluating PE and Sport Premium spending. You can access it here.
PE and sport premium Digital Expenditure Reporting Return
From July 2025, all schools will be required to complete the PE and Sport Premium Digital Expenditure Reporting Return. This online form records how funding has been used and the impact it has made.
To help schools prepare, the Youth Sport Trust, in partnership with the Association for PE (afPE), has developed two practical resources:
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PE and sport premium Monitoring and Tracking Form - a working document to plan, monitor, and evidence use of funding throughout the year.
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PE and sport premium Spending Tracker - a simple Excel tool to record spending in real time, with totals calculated automatically.
Both resources are designed to make reporting easier and are available to download here. You can also watch our walkthrough video to see how these tools save time, reduce workload, and support more effective reporting.
Schools should also make full use of the DfE’s existing guidance, which must be followed when completing the return:
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FAQs from the digital reporting webinar, covering timelines, technical access, submission, and common questions raised with the DfE.
In addition to completing the return, schools must publish a report on their website by 31 July each year. The PDFs generated from the digital return meet this requirement but provide only a limited snapshot of your PESSPA offer and its impact. We recommend downloading and saving these PDFs as soon as you receive the email notification, as the link will expire.
The Monitoring and Tracking Form also meets the reporting requirement and can be uploaded as your school’s published report, giving a fuller picture of intent, implementation, and impact. For maximum transparency, publishing both the PDFs and the Monitoring and Tracking Form together offers the most comprehensive way to demonstrate spend and impact.
Resources Linked to the Five Key Indicators
To help schools plan for and sustain the impact of their PE and sport premium funding, we have developed dedicated toolkits for each of the five key indicators. These resources can support schools when reviewing provision, setting objectives, and considering long-term improvements. Each toolkit includes practical guidance and review tools directly linked to its respective indicator.
Please log in or register for a free Youth Sport Trust account to download the toolkits.
Digital reporting webinar
In June 2025, the Youth Sport Trust delivered a webinar alongside the Department for Education, Association for Physical Education and Swim England, providing a clear introduction to the new mandatory digital reporting form.
The webinar included practical examples, video walkthroughs and insights from schools that had already tested the system, plus a question and answer session based on pre-submitted questions.
Please complete the short form below to access the recording - this will be sent to you via email.
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