What actions were taken? Who was involved? What did they do? What did it look like?

Phillimore Primary School, north east Sheffield, is in an area of high deprivation with 91% of pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds, 79% having English as an additional language and our 'in year admissions' and ‘leavers’ are higher than average. Phillimore strives to overcome barriers to learning by providing exciting and challenging opportunities.

‘Impact’ and ‘sustainability’ were words that arrived in school hand in hand with the Sport Premium funding November 2013 and we set about ensuring that every penny spent would benefit both present and future cohorts of children. Our action plan stated we would spend 75% of the funding on up skilling our teaching staff with known high quality deliverers of Physical Education in three areas of activity: Games, Dance and Gymnastics. Having audited (June 2013) existing school staff on their competence and confidence to deliver all areas of Physical Education, we were ready with a timetable of CPD for the new academic year where each teacher received at least 12 weeks CPD (two separate six week units of work) in the area(s) they requested. Every year group including FS1, benefited from high quality PE lessons with younger pupils developing and extending their fundamental movement skills, while older pupils applied their knowledge and skills to specific areas of sport. In January 2014, our external Gymnastics teacher gave a demonstration lesson to an audience of Sheffield teachers with a class of our Y5s working on Counter Balance and Counter Tension. It cannot be coincidence that in February 2015, our Y6 team came first at the Sheffield School Games Gymnastics finals and went on to win the South Yorkshire Regional finals, March 2015. Similarly, our Y4 Basketball team made it through to the City Finals in January 2015 after a programme of Invasion Games with an external coach working alongside the Y3 teachers 2013/14. This success has been entirely driven by school based programmes as our recent audit of Y5/6 physical activity revealed: 98% enjoy PE lessons, less than 1% participate in community clubs and over 55% participate in school based clubs.

The second year of the Sport Premium was further defined by what the school needed in order to move towards high quality PE lessons. With the knowledge that the funding would be ring fenced for physical activity until 2016, a continuous programme of strategically targeted support for teachers has been developed. This included detailed planning with the external deliverers so that all PE lessons match the school’s specific criteria for ‘outstanding’ lessons bringing uniformity to an area of the curriculum previously overlooked. PE lessons are now monitored to check standards are being met and to ensure the funding spent on CPD is having impact. In addition to receiving practical support, the Sport Premium also enables staff to receive inset training during staff meetings. This is delivered by the subject leader covering an understanding of PE in relation to Section 5 Ofsted inspections, assessment for learning, differentiation, safety using large apparatus, cross curricular links and the creation of a portfolio demonstrating impact of the Sport Premium. The latter has become a ‘non-negotiable’ for all teaching staff – each year group must provide a double A3 page on any aspect of PE and school sport ranging from specific learning outcomes of lessons to examples of ways their pupils have been inspired, and evidenced by photos, lesson plans, pupils’ writing. This has visually informed the school’s governing body about the Sport Premium. In addition, the subject leader has attended a number of national PE conferences to keep up-to-date with developments informing ongoing management of the Sport Premium.

A selection of staff comments on the benefits of the Sport Premium:

“...improving my own limited knowledge”

“...to see how to get children active from the beginning of a lesson without having to listen to lengthy instructions”

“Children saw how they could connect their dance to our Learning Journey. I could see them using aspects of gymnastics in their dance”

“Looking at Ofsted expectations and reviews of high quality PE has reminded me to make LOs and steps to success clear to children as I would in other lessons”

“Keeping us focused on priorities particularly differentiation”

“I think that PE is much more valued across the staff than it was a few years ago”

“Thank you Jo for all your support. PE is now a top strength at Phillimore. Provision in the timetable, extra-curricular and enjoyment are clearly evident”

Further spinoffs of the funding enabling greater participation in local competitions has meant that community clubs and sports providers are offering to work with pupils at school (free of charge) but with the potential of starting to create pathways for our pupils to join their clubs. These include Links School Sports Partnership, Sheffield Sharks, Activity Sheffield and Sheffield International Venues Athletics and Skating. Suddenly Phillimore is on the map and a win-win situation has been created.

The importance of ensuring impact and sustainability of the Sport Premium has meant that any additional funding the school has been able to access has been targeted more strategically than before, either to fill gaps in provision or to ensure specific targets are met. The impact on health and well-being from improved PE lessons and greater provision of extra-curricular clubs has been supplemented by walking programmes in Y2 and Y3 (our pupils still talk about ‘power walking’ up the hills in Darnall) and a through school biking programme ranging from balance bikes in FS2, learn to ride programmes for all ages, Bike Ability qualifications for Y5/6, to Mountain Bike adventures for Y6. Swimming is also an area that the school feels passionate about and with strategic targeting of funding, our results have moved from 10% of pupils being able to swim 25m (2009) to 79% (2014). We used the Sport Premium to buy into the ASA School Swimming Charter as our promise to ensure all children at Phillimore learn to swim. It is important to demonstrate to parents that the school is providing value for money and an education which will benefit all children. Details can be found on our school website. Again auditing and assessment of pupils throughout school has enabled us to direct funding where it is needed and where it will make a difference to our pupils’ lives.

Areas to target with future Sport Premium grants include:

· increasing participation of KS1 pupils in after school clubs

· monitoring the success of community club pathways

· creating a sustainable transport programme for the school

· managing weight issues/obesity of our pupils by analysing results of the National Child Measurement Programme using gender, age and ethnicity; using the NICE guidelines to work with parents/carers, our Healthy Schools co-ordinator and city wide initiatives such as MoveMore

What was the impact on participants? What have been the positive impacts of this work on the young people?

Time, energy and the Sport Premium have been spent on opening up opportunities for our pupils. The children love their PE lessons with an overriding sense of happiness pervading feedback they give. Happy, healthy children are more receptive to learning in other areas of the curriculum.

“PE makes me feel happy because it is fun.” (Y5 girl)

“I really love PE because…it has improved my fitness.” (Y3 girl)

“He enjoys PE, it’s good for his health and the teachers are very good at helping him how to play.” (Parent of Y3 boy)

Pupils’ participation in competitive school sport has increased with new sports being offered to those previously unable to access them.

“I like Botcha (Boccia) more than any other sport. When we went (to the competition), it was really fun.” (Y6 girl)

“There are always opportunities for people if they didn’t get to go.” (Y6 girl)

Some children join every after school club on offer.

“I love every sport I do in my after school clubs which are athletics, gymnastics, cricket and football.” (Y5 boy)

“I enjoy after school clubs like curling.” (Y3 girl)

“I am inspired by sitting volleyball because I really love it.”(Y5 girl)

The school is always on the lookout for activities which pupils can do to a very high standard whether being chosen to open the national School Games or travelling to London to win the national Paralympic Day competition, giving the children a real sense of pride.

“Making a presentation to the British Olympic Association in front of an audience with Paralympic athletes was the best day of my life.” (Y6 girl)