MSSP Updates January 2025
New PE Funding Online Reporting Tool – Mandatory for 24/25
The Department for Education will require all schools to complete their funding report in a new online format. The digital reporting tool has not been launched yet but AfPE and the YST have provided some more information about what schools need to do to prepare for their reporting this summer.
Key Information for Primary Schools:
- MANDATORY – All schools must complete the digital online report this year as part of the conditions of the grant.
- The online tool was piloted with some schools last year. It will include breakdown of costs, impact against the 5 key PE indicators and swimming attainment data. This will help the DfE to look at what the impact has been for schools as they review their spending in this area. It will also help them to manage compliance through filters and flagging up ineligible spending.
- The online portal will open at the beginning of June 2025 and all schools must submit by 31st July 2025.
- It must be signed off by the Head Teacher and PE Governor – they have accountability for the spending within the conditions of the grant.
- Make sure you download a PDF version of the online report to post on your website (might need to change it to an HTML version to view it). It will only be available to access on the portal for a set time after submission so be sure to download a copy.
Planning your PE spending for this year:
• Figures on the overall spend
• What the funding has been spent on
• Whether there is any unspent funding
• Swimming and water safety attainment
AfPE and the YST have created a new planning document titled the ‘PE Funding Evaluation Form’ to help schools prepare to spend the funding and complete the online report later on in June/July.
This can be accessed from the AfPE and YST webpages and it is recommended as best practice, to support effective planning, evidencing throughout the year in building to the reporting window. See link here
They will send out a PDF with the actual questions for the new tool at some point before the summer – MSSP will this pass on as soon as we get a copy of this.
Further Information / Links:
- Information and supporting materials from the YST here
- New guidance/FAQs from AfPE here
- Gov. website info for 24/25 PE funding here
- Conditions of grant for all MATs and LA Schools now on one document here: PE and sport premium: conditions of grant 2024 to 2025 – GOV.UK
Webinar
The Department for Education (DfE), Association for PE (AfPE) and the Youth Sport Trust (YST) have recently held a webinar to explain how things currently sit with the PE Funding and the new Digital Online Reporting Tool:
Reminders around eligibility:
- Cannot use it for PPA cover or salaries to deliver PE.
- Cannot use for capital spend (check ‘de-minimis’ value for your LA, School, MAT)
- MATs may pool resources to enhance provision but each school must still get their own allocated portion of the funding (it can’t all be spent on one school within the trust). They still have to complete one online report per school, accounting for that school’s allocated amount of funding.
- Spending must be sustainable and impactful around the 5 key indicators:
- Increased confidence, knowledge and skills of all staff in teaching PE and sport
- The engagement of all pupils in regular physical activity
- The profile of PE and sport is raised across the school as a tool for whole-school improvement
- Broader experience of a range of sports and activities offered to all pupils
- Increased participation in competitive sport
An example around ‘PE Mentoring’ was raised at the webinar – ‘if one member of staff is mentored for a whole year within their PE lesson, they should not then have this mentoring for a second/third year as it would not be sustainable. Other staff could then be trained’.
GLL Swimming Timetable / Lesson Bookings 2025-26
GLL have been working with the Merton School Swimming Development Group to confirm the allocated 2 week core swimming blocks (and any 1 week top ups) for the Academic year 25-26. The way that Easter falls next year, means that there are minimal changes to the number of school weeks within each half term and as such, there will be minimal changes to your 25-26 bookings from this current year.
GLL will be getting in touch directly with each school in the new year to offer a swimming slot based on their requirements and booking dates from this year.
When your school get the email from GLL in the new year, with your allocated lesson dates please confirm via email ASAP if you want to book those dates.
You will be invoiced at a later date, but your slot will be reserved once you email back to accept it.
School Swimming Charter
Please find our most recent Charter for school swimming in Merton on our website at the bottom of the page. mertonssp.org.uk/swimming/
MSSP Affiliations 2025 onwards
We don’t currently know how the new Labour government may fund School Sport and Physical Activity moving forwards. The School Games Organiser (SGO) post funding has just been confirmed up to 31st March 2026 and MSSP are working with Head Teachers and our Steering Committee to prepare an affiliation plan and budget from Sept 2025 onwards.
Merton Head Teachers Meeting on 13th March 2025 to be held at the All England Lawn Tennis Club, Church Road Wimbledon.
We are delighted to announce that the AELTC will be hosting the upcoming Primary and Special School Head Teachers Meeting on 13th March 2025. Secondary Head Teachers will also be invited to the meeting and for a networking lunch provided by the club.
During the meeting MSSP will be linking up with LB Merton Public Health and the Borough of Sport Team to focus on enhancing PE, physical activity, sport, health and wellbeing across our schools.
More details and the full agenda are to follow but please keep your diary clear from 08:30 and we hope you can also stay for lunch and a guided tour afterwards.