At Thwaites School, we are proud to be a very active school. We believe that being physically active is an important part of a happy and healthy childhood, and we want every child to have opportunities to enjoy sport, develop physical skills and experience the benefits of an active lifestyle.

The Primary PE and Sport Premium is funding provided to primary schools to make additional and sustainable improvements to the quality of PE, sport and physical activity they provide.

For the 2025–2026 academic year, Thwaites School received £16,290 in Primary PE and Sport Premium funding. We have used this funding to increase opportunities for children to be active throughout the school day and to make improvements that will continue to benefit our pupils in future years.

Developing our playground and active play

Our largest investment during 2025–2026 has been in developing our playground so that children have even more opportunities to be physically active during breaktime and lunchtime.

We created a designated football area, giving children a suitable space in which to enjoy football during the school day. Footballs were also purchased specifically for use within the area.

This has had an immediate impact on participation. The area is enjoyed every day by children across the school, from Nursery through to Year 6, and has enabled more children to participate regularly in football.

Importantly, this provision is inclusive. It is enjoyed by boys and girls and provides opportunities for children with SEND and disadvantaged pupils to participate and be active alongside their peers.

Alongside our football provision, we have developed additional active play areas on the playground. These give children opportunities to develop skills including coordination, teamwork, throwing and aiming.

We have also invested in a wide range of new play and sporting equipment. This includes equipment for racket activities, throwing and aiming activities, pom-poms and ribbons and other resources that encourage children with different interests and abilities to find ways of being active that they enjoy.

Together, these improvements have increased both the range and quality of physical activity available to our children every day.

Outdoor learning and developing wider skills

We used £500 of our funding to provide an outdoor learning experience for children in Nursery, Reception, Year 1 and Year 2.

The children spent the day taking part in a range of outdoor activities, including learning about fire safety and tracking, as well as activities designed to develop teamwork, resilience and confidence.

This experience broadened the range of physical and outdoor activities available to our younger pupils and provided opportunities for children to learn, explore and work together in a different environment.

Swimming and water safety

Swimming and water safety are important life skills, and we are delighted with the outcomes achieved by our Year 6 pupils.

We invested £1,630 in additional swimming and aquatic opportunities during 2025–2026.

By the end of the academic year:

• 100% of our Year 6 pupils could swim competently, confidently and proficiently over a distance of at least 25 metres.
• 100% could use a range of strokes effectively, such as front crawl, backstroke and breaststroke.
• 100% could perform safe self-rescue in different water-based situations.

How we spent our funding

Our total Primary PE and Sport Premium allocation for 2025–2026 was £16,290.

• £12,850.65 – Development of active playground provision, including our designated football area, new activity areas, equipment and resources.
• £500.00 – Outdoor and extracurricular opportunities.
• £1,630.00 – Swimming and aquatic opportunities.
• £14,980.65 – Total expenditure during 2025–2026.
• £1,309.35 – Funding remaining at the end of the academic year.

Impact and sustainability

Our priority has been to use the PE and Sport Premium in ways that make a difference to as many children as possible.

The improvements made to our playground mean that opportunities to be active are not limited to PE lessons, sports clubs or school teams. Children can be physically active every day, and the range of activities available allows children of different ages, abilities and interests to participate.

Our investment has increased opportunities for children across the school, including boys and girls, children with SEND and disadvantaged pupils. We want physical activity at Thwaites to be something in which every child feels able to take part.

A significant proportion of our expenditure has also created lasting improvements. Our designated football area, active play areas and extensive range of equipment will continue to provide opportunities for physical activity for current pupils and for children joining Thwaites in the years ahead.

At Thwaites, physical activity is an important part of everyday school life. Through PE lessons, active breaktimes and lunchtimes, swimming, outdoor learning and wider sporting opportunities, we aim to help every child develop the skills, confidence, resilience and enjoyment needed to lead an active and healthy life.