Background

“Funding for schools will be calculated by reference to the number of primary-aged pupils (between the ages of 5 and 11), as recorded in the annual schools census in January 2013.”

This funding is ring-fenced and therefore can only be spent on provision of PE and sport in schools.

Accountability

Schools are free to determine how best to use this funding to improve the quality and breadth of PE and sport provision, including increasing participation in PE and sport so that all pupils develop healthy lifestyles and reach the performance levels they are capable of.

From 1 September 2013, inspectors will assess and report on how effectively this new funding is being used to improve PE and Sport provision when making the judgement on the quality of the school’s leadership and management.

Inspectors will use evidence gained from meetings with school leaders, including governors to assess the impact of additional funding on improving the quality and breadth of PE and sport provision. Inspectors may also use evidence from observations of lessons and/or extra-curricular sports clubs, and discussions with pupils. Inspectors may also review the details of a school’s PE and sport provision on their school website prior to an inspection. 

Schools will also be required to include details of their provision of PE and sport on their website, alongside details of their broader curriculum, so that parents can compare sports provision between schools, both within and beyond the school day.

 Refer to: Inspecting primary school PE and school sport: new funding document 

Excellence

In every aspect of school life, high expectations for all pupils are evident and ingrained in the culture and ethos of the school. Not unlike every other school, there is considerable pressure to maintain standards and good status, but the school’s leadership recognises that one of its key contributing tools for success has been the importance placed on competitive sport. Through sport, the children begin to develop the important qualities of discipline, resilience, communication, teamwork, and ambition: qualities that they are then able to use in their learning within the classroom.

From an early age, competitive sport is nurtured and encouraged, with KS1 pupils preparing for and entering local competitions in athletics, football, and gymnastics. In KS2, the school’s aim is for every child to take part in at least one sport festival, with staff identifying the pupils with specific talents in, for example, football, tennis or orienteering. Skills are taught through P.E. lessons and through a wide variety of sports provision offered after school, both through teachers but also through highly skilled sports coaches who, with their skill and interventions. This is led by class teachers and KIXX providers. This enables not only the less active pupils, but also the most able children to develop their skills in specific sporting interventions. This helps pupils to build on key skills ahead of tournaments and competitions and further develop their resilience, teamwork and passion of the sports which they participate in.

In Year 5 & 6, we deliver a Sports Leadership programme which is led by the HSSP (The Harrogate School Sports Partnership). Pupils use this to teach, plan and assess PE lessons and provide extra-curricular sporting opportunities for other pupils. This is an engaging project for all pupils. 

The school is keen to provide a wide range of extra-curricular clubs for pupils throughout the year. Pupils enjoy the opportunity to try new sports such as running, sewing, gymnastics and wellbeing. We monitor participation and check uptake against gender, SEND and free school meals. We also enter a wide range of competitions in these sports and have progressed to the North Yorkshire finals in a range of sports.

Partnership Work

Our school is part of the Harrogate School Sports Partnership, a group of over 40 primary schools and 2 secondary schools, which meet every term to plan competitions for the children and share good practice. We have found this beneficial as it has given our children the opportunity to participate regularly in inter-school competitions and use the wider range of resources which the secondary schools in the cluster are able to offer. There are a wide range of competitions, which allow all children to compete; for example, we have recently participated in a football tournament, swimming gala and KS1 multi-skills event. In the Cluster we share documents we have produced; for example, a session was spent looking at how pupils are assessed, and successful pro-formas shared between us.

Sport events include: orienteering, rounders, tennis, cricket, golf, athletics, gymnastics, dance and rugby, and at Hampsthwaite there is 100% effort given in every event. The children’s achievements, for participation or success, are celebrated each time in assembly and regular updates are posted in our school newsletter.

We recognise the impact upon community cohesion, which is strengthened through the school’s involvement in competitive sport. Pupils from local primary schools build good relationships with other children with whom they will move to secondary school with.

Parental involvement is good at Hampsthwaite, with many of our parents offering to support or just come along and cheer on the team, and our relationships with parents are deeper and stronger as a result.

Whilst some schools choose to prioritise core subjects over the development of a strong sporting culture, we believe that the positive benefits upon the development of a child’s character of competitive sport, believing wholeheartedly that a child who learns to be resilient, disciplined, respectful and determined in the sports field will apply the same skills within the classroom.

To find out more information on the Harrogate School Sports Partnership please visit www.harrogatessp.com