PE and Sport at Thornton Primary School

At Thornton Primary School, we believe that every child should have the opportunity to enjoy sport, be physically active and develop the confidence, resilience and skills that come from being part of a team. This reflects our values of Love, Respect and Ambition and our commitment to ensuring that every child can thrive, whatever their starting point or individual need.

What was the PE and Sport Premium?

The Primary PE and Sport Premium was Government funding provided to primary schools to improve the quality and sustainability of PE, school sport and physical activity. The funding was designed to help schools develop high-quality provision, increase participation and support healthier, more active lifestyles for all pupils. For 2025–2026, schools were required to use the funding for additional and sustainable improvements that benefited pupils across the school.

At Thornton, this funding has helped us develop opportunities that complement our wider PE and physical activity offer, including specialist PE teaching, equipment, competitions and outdoor learning.

How does this support sport at Thornton?

Our commitment to physical activity extends well beyond the funding itself. We provide at least one hour of dedicated PE each week, alongside substantial opportunities for physical activity through our Forest School, break and lunchtime activities and before and after-school clubs. We also provide opportunities for children to participate in a wide range of sports and competitions.

Our specialist PE teacher teaches across the school and leads additional sports clubs, helping to ensure that pupils experience high-quality teaching and a broad range of sporting activities.

Our Forest School is an important part of this wider offer. Every child has regular opportunities to learn outdoors, develop physical skills, build confidence and resilience and apply learning in a natural environment. Forest School is also adapted to support pupils with SEND and provides additional opportunities for pupils who benefit from therapeutic and practical approaches to learning.

This is particularly important at Thornton because we have a high level of SEND and disadvantaged pupils. We are committed to ensuring that PE, sport and physical activity are genuinely inclusive. Activities can be adapted or modified so that pupils with SEND can participate, experience success and make progress, while maintaining appropriate levels of challenge.

What is changing?

The 2025–2026 academic year is the final year of the existing PE and Sport Premium model. The Government is phasing out the current funding programme and replacing it with a new PE and School Sport Partnerships Network. The new programme is backed by £580 million and is expected to be fully operational from spring 2027. It is intended to provide a more consistent approach to high-quality PE and school sport, with national sporting expertise supporting schools and a particular focus on ensuring that children have equal opportunities to participate.

This does not mean that PE and sport are becoming less important at Thornton. Quite the opposite. Our existing commitment to high-quality PE, physical activity, Forest School, competitive sport and extracurricular opportunities will continue to form an important part of our curriculum and wider personal development offer.

We will continue to look for opportunities to build on what works well at Thornton and ensure that every child – including pupils with SEND and disadvantaged pupils – has meaningful opportunities to be active, develop their confidence and experience the enjoyment and benefits of sport.

Find out more:
PE and Sport Premium at Thornton Primary School
Our Physical Education Curriculum
Forest School
Extra-Curricular Activities
Our Curriculum Intention and Implementation

For parents/carers wanting the official national information, the DfE's current PE and Sport Premium guidance is available here.