New Coaching In Primary Schools Portal Developed

A new Coaching in Primary Schools Portal has been developed by sports coach UK with the support of national partners including the Youth Sport Trust.

The Portal is a free-to-access resource for schools identifying a need for coaching through the Government’s £150 million a year Primary PE and Sport Premium.

Through the Premium, primary schools in England have additional funding to enhance their PE and school sport offer to children and many schools have identified a role for sports coaching through this additional funding.

Coaches can perform a valuable role in supporting and upskilling teachers to improve the delivery of physical education in primary schools as well as providing breakfast, lunchtime and after school clubs.

The new portal means that with a couple of clicks, headteachers and PE leads can find all the information they require to effectively and sustainably recruit and deploy a coach in their school.

The Youth Sport Trust was one of the key national partners that worked with sports coach UK in developing the new Portal alongside the Association for Physical Education, the County Sports Partnership Network, Compass and Sport England.

Youth Sport Trust Chief Executive Ali Oliver said: “The PE and Sport Premium is a hugely important investment from Government and the Youth Sport Trust has continually worked to guide and support schools in maximising their funding.

“We are therefore delighted to have supported sports coach UK in developing this new Portal alongside our national partners from the Association for Physical Education, the County Sports Partnership Network, Compass and Sport England.

“This Portal will help headteachers, PE leads, coaches and coach deployers gain the step-by-step information required to ensure that the use of coaches through the Premium is both effective and sustainable.”

To coincide with the launch, Sport England has produced some short films to illustrate how schools can use the funding.

Children and Families Minister Edward Timpson – who features in one of the films – believes that the PE and Sports Premium had already helped to transform school sport. He said: “We want all primary school children to play and enjoy sport, so they keep up the healthy habit for life.

“Our PE and Sports Premium is helping to transform PE lessons – and enabling schools to hire extra coaches, buy new equipment and run free after school classes.

“I’m delighted to launch a new sports coach website for schools – and take part in the guidance films – to give head teachers advice on how to make good use of coaches.”

So far head teachers have used the funding to recruit extra specialist PE teachers and train up staff – as well as buying new equipment and offering a wider selection of sports clubs. Two thirds of schools (67 per cent) have used the funding to bring in new sports coaches.

sports coach UK executive director John Driscoll said: “We’re pleased that the majority of primary schools are using specialist sports coaches to support their teachers in the delivery of PE and sport.

“We know that identifying, recruiting and deploying the right coach is a tough task.

“The Coaching in Schools Portal is a free source of objective advice on everything head teachers and PE co-ordinators need to recruit and deploy coaches to support their staff, effectively and sustainably.”

To visit the Coaching in Primary Schools Portal, click here

To view the Sport England short films, click here

For Youth Sport Trust guidance on using the PE and Sport Premium, click here