DfE urged to confirm PE funding for next year

Forty organisation working in youth sport – including many of the major national governing bodies like the FA, RFU, ECB and LTA -  have united behind an open letter calling for the Education Secretary Gavin Williamson to confirm funding for PE and school sport for the next academic year.

The letter says: "The past year has taken an incredible toll on young people’s health and wellbeing. We are sure you will agree that getting young people active again in school has a hugely important role to play in their recovery. As a sector we have been working together to support and encourage schools to offer daily physical activity and weekly PE as core building blocks of the recovery curriculum.
 
"However, with just a few weeks left of the summer term, schools have not yet received confirmation that the PE and Sport Premium will continue into September.

"We are becoming increasingly alarmed at the impact this uncertainty is having, at a critical time for schools who are planning their provision for the next academic year. This comes at a time of huge demand from schools, families and young people."

The letter goes on to say that the signatories are aware of at least one local authority advising schools to budget on the assumption that this funding will not continue.
 
The letter ends: "We appreciate the huge number of challenges government is tackling at the moment as we emerge from the pandemic. However, with young people’s recovery of such paramount importance, it would be devastating if the national effort to support the recovery of young people’s health and wellbeing was hampered by an avoidable delay in confirming funding for next year.
 
"This national effort to support young people’s recovery would be significantly strengthened by an immediate confirmation from your department that this funding will continue into the 2021/22 academic year."