Government to spend extra £1bn on PE and school sport

The UK government will invest £1bn in PE and school sport over the next three years, as part of plans to “end the fitness postcode lottery” and ensure more young people will have access to high quality physical activity.

The investment will see targeted improvements being made to school sports facilities, support for primary schools and also include funding for the new Partnerships Network.

Backed by £580m and set to be fully up and running from Spring 2027, the Partnership Network will replace the existing PE and Sport Premium. The government says the network will “put an end to the one-size fits all model” that has “failed too many children for too long”.

Around £200m will be spent on improving school sporting facilities, alongside a one-off £100m PE Premium payment to support primary schools during the transition year.

Government data shows that less than half of young people get the 60 minutes of activity a day they need – with girls, those with SEND and those from disadvantaged backgrounds impacted the most. By the time children reach the end of primary school, 1 in 5 are living with obesity, despite successive governments investing billions through the PE Premium over the past decade.