This year has turned out to be one of the most challenging for schools in recent history, but the creativity that has come from the PE, physical activity and school sports sector has been fantastic to see. 

We look forward to working with you again in the new school year.

In this newsletter:

• PE and Sport Premium announcement
• School Games update
• Amazing pictures taken by Gloucestershire children
• New government advice and guidance for PE and physical activity in September 
• Opening School Facilities programme
   

PE and Sport Premium announcement

PE and Sport Premium, which was doubled in 2017, will once again continue at this higher rate of £320 million next year. You can read the full report here​. It builds on the ambitious School Sport and Activity Action Plan launched last year and underlines the importance of PE and sport in the government's manifesto.

"During these challenging times, it has become clearer to me than ever the importance of keeping active and how it benefits not just our physical health but also our ability to pay attention, our mood and our mental health too." 
Gavin Williamson, Education Secretary

Gloucestershire School Games update

Thank you to the thousands of young people, families and teachers who have taken part in the summer term virtual School Games programme. We have been blown away by your creativity and sense of fun, whether at school or at home, with so many new and different young people representing their schools.

Watch out for exciting news about Gloucestershire’s new school games programme in the new academic year! 

Follow School Games on Twitter and Facebook and Instagram.

You have also been sharing your images whilst you have been out and about across the county. Here are some of the winning entries.

New government guidance for PE, physical activity in September

This is an extract from the government guidance launched to support the full reopening of schools in September.

'Schools have the flexibility to decide how physical education, sport and physical activity will be provided whilst following the measures in their system of controls. Pupils should be kept in consistent groups, sports equipment thoroughly cleaned between each use by different individual groups, and contact sports avoided.

Outdoor sports should be prioritised where possible, and large indoor spaces used where it is not, maximising distancing between pupils and paying scrupulous attention to cleaning and hygiene. This is particularly important in a sports setting because of the way in which people breathe during exercise. External facilities can also be used in line with government guidance for the use of, and travel to and from, those facilities'. You can see the full report here.

Here are some more resources to support your school:

• Government guidance on the phased return of sport and recreation
• Guidance from Sport England
• Advice from the Association for Physical Education
• Youth Sport Trust coronavirus support for schools.

Opening School Facilities programme

This programme aims to encourage and support schools to enable people in their local area to hire the school’s facilities so they can play sport and be more active.

There are lots of benefits to community use of your facilities, including:

• promoting parental and wider community engagement
• helping pupil attainment through increased physical activity
• supporting the provision of after school clubs
• providing a new source of income for the school
• offering a great way of marketing the school to prospective pupils
• stimulating investment in and protection of sports facilities

We can signpost schools to a number of useful online resources, as well as providing support specific to your school such as finding out what the local community want, booking systems, safeguarding, pricing and much more.

Your school will already have been sent a questionnaire asking whether or not you would like support with opening your facilities to the community.

We are already working with a number of the schools that replied, but don’t worry, it’s not too late to get some support. Just contact our lead for the project, Richard Fishlock.

About 'we can move' and Active Gloucestershire

We can move is a social movement to get everybody in Gloucestershire active. This movement is coordinated by Active Gloucestershire and together we are the Gloucestershire team behind: The Daily Mile, School Games, Open School Facilities, Active Lives Survey, Beat the Street Gloucester and more.

We can move also offers a range of resources to support communities and families in staying active throughout the summer.

The Children and Young People team

Here to support you and your school community with starting and keeping physical activity going.