The Department allocated £7,600 to state funded schools with secondary aged pupils in each of the 2011/12 and 2012/13 academic years, for PE teacher release funding. The final tranche of payments to academies and local authority maintained schools was distributed by the Education Funding Agency in April 2013.

Eligible schools 

All state funded schools with at least 20 secondary aged pupils (in the age range 12-16) as reported to the Department in the 2010 school census. This included state maintained secondary schools, academies; middle-deemed secondary schools, special schools (including non-maintained special schools); and pupil referral units, which met the above criteria.

Level of funding 

The grant was £7,600 per eligible school, per academic year. Schools were free to use their own budgets to increase the amount of time spent on this role. Schools may also wish to note that the grant does not have to be completely spent by schools in the financial year beginning 1 April 2013; some or all of it can be carried forward to future financial years.

Funding period

Funding was for the two academic years 2011/12 and 2012/13. It was made clear that schools should plan from the outset to embed the work that the released PE teachers do within their school and with local schools into their core provision.

Purpose of funding 

The PE teacher release funding is not ring-fenced. The department encourages schools to use the funding to release a secondary PE teacher from timetable for one day a week: to provide specialist PE and sport support to local schools and within their own school; to embed good practice; and to provide more competitive sport for all pupils, including the School Games. 
 
These PE teachers can:

  • help schools to create sustainable school sport competition, both within and between schools, involving all pupils
  • help schools to involve their staff, parents, local people and young leaders and volunteers to lead competitive sport
  • help schools to engage in sport pupils who are less active or who do not have equal access or opportunity to compete (e.g. pupils with disabilities).

More information about school games is available.