The education secretary, Bridget Phillipson, has announced the scrapping of a £320 million annual grant for primary school sports in England, replacing it with a £193 million scheme that covers both primary and secondary schools. The move, which effectively cuts funding by about 40%, has been met with widespread scepticism from headteachers and academy leaders.
New Scheme Details
The Department for Education (DfE) confirmed that the existing PE and sports premium, paid directly to primary schools to cement the 2012 Olympic legacy, will be abolished. In its place, a “sport partnerships network” worth £193 million per year will be introduced, targeting both primary and secondary schools. The DfE stated the new initiative will be “fully up and running from spring 2027.”
Reactions from Education Leaders
Pepe Di’Iasio, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, expressed concern: “We are worried about the removal of an established funding stream to provide PE and sport in primary schools and its replacement with an initiative which – to put it mildly – is extremely complex and lacks clarity about how it will be delivered. It appears to be a funding cut dressed up as an initiative to boost PE and sport in schools when it may actually have the opposite effect, certainly in primaries.”
Leora Cruddas, chief executive of the Confederation of School Trusts, echoed these sentiments, noting that the lack of clarity is unhelpful for schools that have already planned for next year. She urged the government to delay implementation until September 2027 to allow proper planning, adding: “This would also help the sector understand how support can be extended to 3.6 million secondary school pupils at what looks like significantly reduced annual funding.”
Government Justification
Bridget Phillipson defended the changes, stating: “Our new approach will see every child, across both primary and secondary, more physically active regardless of their circumstances, background, ability or where they go to school.” The government also earmarked additional capital funding of less than £200 million for improving school sports facilities.
Background and History
This announcement marks the third time in 20 years that school sport funding has been reformed. The last Labour government established a national sports network with 450 school sport coordinator roles, but funding was scrapped by the coalition government in 2010. Following the London 2012 Olympics, the coalition launched a £150 million annual grant to primary schools, which David Cameron claimed would “foster the aspirations of future Olympians and Paralympians.”
The DfE said it will appoint a “delivery partner” to provide a “mixture of universal and targeted support to schools based on their needs,” potentially including top-up swimming lessons, increased extracurricular opportunities, and online training.
Support from Youth Sport Trust
Ali Oliver, chief executive of the Youth Sport Trust, backed the new approach despite acknowledging short-term challenges: “We recognise the shifts in investment may cause challenges in the short-term. The period of change to a new era of PE and school sport will take time, and understandably cause disruption particularly to primary schools. However, the protection of dedicated funding to support the physical, social and emotional development of children and young people must be welcomed and we all need to work together to manage a difficult transition.”
