PE and Sport Premium
About the PE and sport premium
The PE and Sport Premium has supported schools to make significant improvements to PE, school sport and physical activity since 2013. It has helped schools strengthen their provision and remove barriers so that all children and young people, regardless of their background or ability, can achieve and thrive through access to high-quality PE, sport and physical activity opportunities.
PE and Sport Premium Transition Update
The Government has announced that the current PE and Sport Premium funding model will transition to a new PE and School Sport Partnerships Network, expected to begin operating from Spring 2027. As part of this transition, the Government has confirmed a £150 million transitional payment for primary schools for the 2026/27 academic year, alongside continued investment in PE, school sport and physical activity.
For the 2026/27 academic year, schools will receive a one-off transition payment through the existing PE and Sport Premium funding allocations. Schools can use this funding throughout the academic year to support high-quality PE, physical activity and school sport provision.
Schools should continue to invest in approaches that build capacity, create sustainable improvements and deliver long-term impact. This includes focusing on the Department for Education's five key indicators:
- Increased confidence, knowledge and skills of all staff in teaching PE and sport
- Engagement of all pupils in regular physical activity
- The profile of PE and sport being raised across the school as a tool for whole-school improvement
- A broader experience of a range of sports and physical activities offered to all pupils
- Increased participation in competitive sport
Full guidance, including examples of appropriate and inappropriate use of funding, is available on the DfE website.
Access the latest PE and Sport Premium Conditions of Grant here. This sets out the terms of the grant, including how funding can be used, what spending is not permitted and the requirements schools must meet.
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
Schools must complete the PE and Sport Premium digital expenditure reporting return between 25 June and 5pm on 30 September 2026. The return records how funding has been allocated, the impact it has had and how improvements will be sustained over time.
Schools will continue to submit their PE and Sport Premium reporting through the digital reporting service using a DfE Sign-in account. This year's form has been streamlined by the DfE to reduce administrative burden on schools, helping to make the reporting process more straightforward.
Alongside reporting on 2025/26 spend, schools will be asked about the types of targeted support they would value from the new PE and School Sport Partnerships Network. Schools will also be asked whether they consent to the information collected through the return being shared with the National Delivery Partner once established. Where consent is given, this information has the potential to help shape future support for schools. Schools will also continue to submit key swimming and water safety information as part of the return.
To support this process, Youth Sport Trust has developed two practical resources with the Association for PE (afPE):
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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 and support, which should be followed when completing the return:
- FAQs from the digital reporting webinar, which cover timelines, technical access, submission requirements and answers to common questions raised directly with the DfE.
Schools are required to publish information about their PE and Sport Premium spending and impact on their website in accordance with the Conditions of Grant.
The PDFs from the digital expenditure reporting return are suitable for meeting this requirement, but they only provide a limited picture of your PESSPA offer and the impact it has had. We recommend you download and save these PDFs as soon as you receive the email option to do so, as the link will expire.
The monitoring and tracking form also meets the requirements for a published report and can be uploaded to your website, while providing a fuller picture of intent, implementation and impact. Publishing both the PDFs and the monitoring and tracking form together provides a very thorough option for demonstrating 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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