PE and Sport Premium Checklist for School Leaders

A checklist for school leaders planning, spending and reporting on the PE and sport premium. It is written against the DfE's PE and sport premium guidance and helps you show how the funding is used and what difference it makes.

Which guidance it reflects

• Written against the DfE PE and sport premium guidance dated October 2024. DfE published the conditions of grant for 2026 to 2027 on 23 September 2026; check the checklist's allocation figures and dates against them.
• Allocation for 2026 to 2027, from pupils in years 1 to 6 in the January 2026 census: £6,240 plus £10 per pupil for schools with 17 or more pupils, £390 per pupil for schools with 16 or fewer (section 3.1).
• Not eligible (section 4.1): capital spending above the de minimis limit, coaches covering PPA, teaching the existing PE curriculum (top-up swimming and water safety aside), paying in advance for next year, staff PE kit, and salaries for roles such as running sessions or administering the grant.
• Spend it within the academic year; nothing carries forward past 31 July 2027 (sections 4.1 and 4.5).
• By 31 July 2027, complete DfE's digital expenditure reporting return (open from June 2027) and publish a report on the school website: amount received, full spending breakdown, impact on participation and attainment, how it will be sustained, and the percentage of year 6 pupils meeting the three swimming and water safety requirements. Each school in a trust publishes its own (sections 4.2 and 4.3).

Who it is for and when to use it

For primary headteachers, PE leads, business managers and governors. Use it in the autumn term to plan the year's spending, and again in the summer term before the 31 July return and report.

What's inside

• Working out your allocation from pupil numbers
• The conditions of grant, eligible spending and reporting requirements
• Reviewing your current PE and sport provision and planning improvements with measurable outcomes
• Involving staff, pupils, parents and governors in decisions
• Prioritising changes that will last
• Removing barriers to participation for pupils of all needs and abilities
• Tracking spending, avoiding ineligible costs and evaluating impact
• Meeting reporting duties, keeping governors informed and publishing your report online

Format: checklist with short explanations drawn from the official guidance, digital download.

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