Pupil premium is additional money delegated to the academy and is matched to the number of children who are eligible for free school meals and children who are from service families. At Hillocks Primary Academy we use our funding for a range of purposes suited to the individual needs of our children.
Quality first teaching and intervention
The EEF recommends a tiered approach to closing the gap. Tier 1 is high quality teaching for all, tier 2 is targeted support using teaching assistants (TAs), high quality one to one and small group interventions and planning for children with special educational needs (SEN) with tier 3 offering support in pastoral aspects, attendance and social and emotional learning.
Tier 1
Tier 2
Tier 3
All young people should have the opportunity to live healthy and active lives. A positive experience of sport and physical activity at a young age can build a lifetime habit of participation and is central to meeting the government’s ambitions for a world-class education system.
The PE and sport premium can help primary schools to achieve this aim, providing primary schools with £320m of government funding to make additional and sustainable improvements to the quality of the PE, physical activity and sport offered through their core budgets. It is allocated directly to schools so they have the flexibility to use it in the way that works best for their children.
Total amount of PE and premium funding received (2025-26): £18,350
Breakdown of spend:
CPD: £8,500
Extra-curricular opportunities: £3,484
Internal top-swimming lessons or broadening aquatic opportunities for pupils: £6,376
Impact on pupils participation and attainment in PE and sport:
1. Strengthen teacher expertise through high quality professional development.
Children receive high-quality PE lessons that develop their skills, knowledge and understanding through effective teaching and clear progression. They demonstrate improved physical competence, confidence and enjoyment across a broad range of physical activities, including dance, gymnastics, games and sport. Throughout the year, children build and apply skills progressively as they move through the school, supported by a consistent and well-sequenced PE curriculum. Children report enjoying PE lessons, they are engaged and motivated because teaching is purposeful, inclusive and responsive to their needs.
Children making stronger progress in PE as teachers use improved subject knowledge and pedagogical approaches to challenge and support all learners effectively. They are developing greater resilience, teamwork, communication and leadership skills through well-planned learning experiences.
2. Increase physical activity and positive social behaviours through project play.
Through the implementation of project play (IMPs), children are more physically active during breaktimes and lunchtimes, increasing their participation in moderate to vigorous physical activity and supporting healthier, more active lifestyles. Regular engagement in a wide range of purposeful play opportunities is helping more children develop core physical skills, whilst also building their confidence to participate in a variety of playground activities.
Project play has created an inclusive and engaging play environment where all children feel valued, supported and able to take part. Through collaborative, imaginative and active play, children are developing important social and emotional skills such as communication, cooperation, negotiation, teamwork and problem solving. They are becoming increasingly resilient and independent when managing challenges, resolving disagreements and making positive choices during unstructured times.
As a result, behaviour at breaktimes and lunchtimes has and will continue to improve, with children demonstrating greater self-regulation, respect for others and understanding of positive play behaviours, contributing to a more positive school culture and improved pupil wellbeing.
3. Provide tailored physical activity interventions for pupils with SEMH/sensory needs
Children with social, emotional and sensory needs have accessed tailored physical activity opportunities that enable them to participate successfully in a safe, supportive and low-arousal environment. Through personalised sessions, they have developed greater confidence, engagement and enjoyment in physical activity, allowing them to experience success and build positive attitudes towards movement and exercise.
They have improved their physical development through activities that have enhanced their motor skills, coordination, balance and overall physical competence, while also developing strategies to support emotional regulation and self-management. As their confidence has grown, they have become increasingly willing to take part in a wider range of physical activities and challenges.
Through carefully planned opportunities for interaction, the children have strengthened their communication, cooperation and relationship-building skills. They have developed greater resilience, self-esteem and independence, enabling them to manage change, overcome barriers and engage more positively with their peers and the wider school community.
Overall, the children receiving nurture provision have experienced improved emotional wellbeing and increased readiness for learning as the physical activity has supported their ability to regulate their emotions, reduce anxiety and maintain school.
4. Provide top up swimming lessons for year 6 pupils
Children who have not yet met the key stage 2 swimming requirements receive additional support to develop the knowledge, skills and confidence needed to be safe and competent in the water. Through targeted swimming sessions, they make accelerated progress in key areas of swimming and water safety, ensuring they are better equipped to meet the national curriculum expectations by the end of primary school.
Children improve their ability to swim confidently and competently over a distance of at least 25 metres, while developing greater proficiency in a range of swimming strokes. As their skills progress, they become increasingly confident in the water and are able to apply effective swimming techniques with greater control, stamina and independence.
Children develop a strong understanding of water safety and learn how to perform safe self-rescue strategies, equipping them with essential life-saving skills that support their safety both in and around water. Through regular practice and appropriate support, they overcome barriers to participation, build resilience and develop positive attitudes towards swimming and physical activity.
As a result, more children leave primary school able to swim confidently, use a range of strokes effectively and demonstrate age-appropriate water safety knowledge and self-rescue skills. This improves their physical competence, personal confidence and long-term ability to participate safely in swimming and other water-based activities throughout their lives.
5. Deliver a wide and inclusive range of extra curricular enrichment clubs
Children have had access to a wide range of high-quality extra-curricular sports and physical activities that enabled them to discover new interests, develop existing talents and enjoy being active beyond the PE curriculum. Through participation in a diverse programme of clubs (fencing, cricket, football, multi-sports), including both team and individual sports, children engaged regularly in physical activity and developed positive habits that supported healthy, active lifestyles.
Children across all year groups, including those with SEND and those eligible for pupil premium, participated fully in extra-curricular opportunities and experienced a strong sense of inclusion, belonging and achievement. Increased access to a variety of activities ensured that all children were able to find opportunities that matched their interests, strengths and needs, encouraging ongoing participation in sport and physical activity.
Strengthen teacher expertise through high quality professional development.
Teachers will retain and apply the subject knowledge, teaching strategies and assessment approaches gained through CPD, leading to sustained improvements in PE teaching across the school. Planning resources, schemes of learning and progression documents will be embedded within the curriculum and used consistently by all staff, including new teachers joining the school.
Experienced staff will mentor less experienced colleagues, reducing reliance on external providers and building long-term internal expertise. The school will maintain links with external specialists and local partnerships to provide ongoing opportunities for professional learning and curriculum development.
In line with the national curriculum requirements for swimming and water safety, the data for the current cohort of year 6 pupils is shown below:
Total amount of PE and premium funding received (2024-25): £18,470
Breakdown of spend:
Total spend on external activities: £3,000
Total spend on CPD: £8,775
Total spend on internal activities: £6,695
Impact on pupils participation and attainment in PE and sport:
Impact on teaching and the wider school:
The use of specialist coaching and improved resources has helped to build capacity within the school and ensure that improvements to PE, sport and physical activity provision will continue to benefit pupils in future years.
In line with the national curriculum requirements for swimming and water safety, the data for the current cohort of year 6 pupils is shown below:
Extra swimming lessons have increased confidence, especially for children with limited experience or anxiety about water. Swimming sessions have improved heart health and muscle strength for two year 6 pupils with muscle conditions. Top-up swimming lessons will continue next year for current year 5 pupils who cannot yet swim 25 metres confidently.