The PE and sport premium is designed to help schools improve the quality of the PE and sport activities they offer their pupils. On this page you’ll see a glimpse of what PE and sports is like at GST; how we’ve spent funding and its impact and our priorities for the academic year.

Please click on the link below to see how we have spent the funding and what impact it has had:

2025/2026: Click here to download (text copy available at the bottom of this page)

2024/2025: Click here to download

A glimpse at PE and sports at GST:

LATEST NEWS: We’re pleased to share that Garstang St Thomas School has achieved the Gold School Games Mark award for commitment, engagement in the School Games.

• EYFS Balance Bike training to develop early cycling skills and confidence.
• Subject Leader support and induction for new members of staff and teachers who have moved year groups.
• Garstang Cricket Club coaching and mentoring to support new Key Stage 2 teachers in delivering cricket.
• Fylde Rugby Club CPD for Year 5 and 6 teachers to increase confidence in teaching rugby.

• Teachers report increased confidence when delivering PE.
• New staff have been supported effectively, ensuring consistency across the school.
• Pupils benefit from higher-quality teaching across a wider range of sports.

• High levels of participation across all year groups.
• Increased opportunities for pupils who may not traditionally engage in competitive sport.
• A diverse programme has ensured activities appeal to a wide range of interests.
• Pupils have developed teamwork, resilience, communication and leadership skills through regular participation.

• Renewal of the PE Passport platform to support planning, assessment and progression.
• Replacement of worn and damaged PE equipment including:

• Teachers have access to high-quality resources.
• Lessons are delivered safely and effectively.
• Pupils experience a wider variety of sports and activities.
• Improved assessment through continued use of PE Passport.

• Inter-school competitions.
• Festivals.
• Inclusive sporting opportunities.
• Teacher support and networking.
• Professional development opportunities.

• Increased opportunities for pupils to represent the school.
• Stronger links with local schools and sports organisations.
• Enhanced quality of PE provision through shared expertise.

• Increased participation across a range of abilities.
• Inclusive opportunities for SEND pupils.
• Greater confidence through participation in festivals and competitions.
• Opportunities for pupils to develop teamwork and sportsmanship.

• Increased opportunities for competitive sport.
• Pupils developed resilience, determination and teamwork.
• Children represented the school with pride and demonstrated excellent sporting values.
• Wider range of sports enabled more pupils to experience competition.

• Swimming competence, water confidence, water safety knowledge and development of essential life-saving skills.

• Pupils have continued to develop confidence in the water.
• Children have improved swimming technique and stamina.
• Pupils have gained a greater understanding of personal safety in and around water.

• Improved teacher confidence through targeted CPD.
• A wide range of extracurricular sporting opportunities.
• Increased participation in competitive and inclusive sport.
• Improved quality of PE resources and equipment.
• Strong partnerships with Garstang Schools Sports Partnership.
• Enhanced swimming and water safety provision.
• Increased enjoyment, confidence and engagement in physical activity across the school.

Further information about the PE and sport premium

How to use the PE and sport premium

Schools must use the funding to make additional and sustainable improvements to the quality of the PE, sport and physical activity they provide.

This means that you must use the PE and sport premium to:

• build capacity and capability within the school to ensure that improvements made now are sustainable and will benefit pupils joining the school in future years
• develop or add to the PE, sport and physical activity that your school provides

Sustainable improvement

Making sustainable improvements should be considered as a priority. This is often achieved through developing and investing in the knowledge and skills of the teaching staff and other school staff who may have involvement in supporting a lasting change to the school’s approach to physical activity, curriculum PE or provision of school sport.

Key indicators

You should use the PE and sport premium to secure improvements in the following 5 key indicators:

1. Increased confidence, knowledge and skills of all staff in teaching PE and sport
2. Engagement of all pupils in regular physical activity
3. The profile of PE and sport is raised across the school as a tool for whole school improvement
4. Broader experience of a range of sports and physical activities offered to all pupils
5. Increased participation in competitive sport

Examples of how these may be achieved include:

• providing staff with professional development, mentoring, appropriate training and resources to help them teach PE and sport more effectively to all pupils and embed physical activity across your school
• embedding physical activity into the school day through encouraging active travel to and from school, active break times and holding active lessons and teaching
• providing targeted activities or support to involve and encourage the least active children
• raising attainment in primary school swimming to meet requirements of the national curriculum before the end of key stage 2 – every child should leave primary school able to swim

Active mile

Active miles can be an effective way to make regular physical activity part of the school day. If schools choose to take part in an active mile, you should use existing playgrounds, fields, halls and sports facilities.

It is not appropriate to use PE and sport premium funding to fund the cost of a specially constructed course.

Raising attainment in primary school swimming

Swimming and water safety are national curriculum requirements and essential life skills. The national curriculum requirement is that by the end of key stage 2, pupils should be taught to:

• swim competently, confidently and proficiently over a distance of at least 25 metres
• use a range of strokes effectively, for example, front crawl, backstroke and breaststroke
• perform a safe self-rescue in different water-based situations

You can use the PE and sport premium to fund the professional development and training that is available to schools to train staff to support high-quality swimming and water safety lessons for their pupils.

You can also use the PE and sport premium to provide additional top-up swimming lessons to pupils who have not been able to meet the national curriculum requirements for swimming and water safety – after the delivery of core swimming and water safety lessons.

Reporting Primary PE and Sport Premium Grant Expenditure for Academic Year 2025 to 2026

School: Garstang St Thomas’ Church of England Primary School
Submission date: 14 July 2026
Submission status: Submitted
UKPRN: 10080237

Funding Grant

Total PE and Sport Premium for 2025 to 2026: £17,850

The school confirmed that the total amount of PE and Sport Premium Grant for the academic year 2025 to 2026 was correct.

Unspent PE and Sport Premium remaining at the end of the academic year: None.

Grant Spending

Continuing Professional Development (CPD): £1,710

CPD to upskill staff to deliver swimming lessons: £0

Extra-curricular opportunities: £10,112.26

Equipment and resources: £1,050

Membership and subscription fees: £1,300

Activities organised by the School Games Organiser (SGO) network: £180

Entering external school sports competitions: £1,920.30

External coaching staff: £0

The school targeted spending to provide or improve opportunities in PE, sport and physical activity for:

• Pupils with SEND
• Pupils with long-term medical conditions
• Girls
• Disadvantaged pupils

PE and School Sport Partnerships Network

The school identified the following areas of targeted support from the new PE and School Sport Partnerships Network as being of most benefit for 2026 to 2027:

• CPD for swimming and water safety
• Membership and subscription fees

The school consented to the information entered in the digital return being shared with the National Delivery Partner.

Swimming and Water Safety

The school has Year 6 pupils.

Pupils who can swim competently, confidently and proficiently over a distance of at least 25 metres: 87%

Pupils who can use a range of strokes effectively, for example front crawl, backstroke and breaststroke: 81%

Pupils who can perform safe self-rescue in different water-based situations: 87%

Amount spent on internal top-up swimming lessons or broadening aquatic opportunities: £800

The school reported that this spending had a positive impact on swimming and water safety attainment.

Declarations

The school confirmed that:

• The return was submitted by a person authorised to do so on behalf of the school.
• The information contained in the PE and Sport Premium assurance return is accurate and has been signed off by the Headteacher.
• The information has been authorised by the Chair of the Board of Governors or Trustees.
• The reported spending detailed within the submission will be published on the school’s website.