Responding to the announcement, Youth Sport Trust Chief Executive Ali Oliver MBE said:

“The confirmation of the Primary PE and Sport Premium today is such welcome news. The importance of daily physical activity, weekly physical education and regular opportunities for all children to enjoy sport has never been more important to young people’s wellbeing, education and development. This investment and the opportunities it will support should be recognised as an important contributor to our national recovery. Not only will it help accelerate young people’s physical recovery but it should also bring fun, enjoyment and reconnection, as well as supporting their re-engagement in the classroom.

“Next week schools across the country will be holding sports days as part of National School Sport Week and celebrating the important and powerful role of school sport and PE in improving lives. There is huge demand from schools, parents, carers and young people for more opportunities to be active and get outdoors, as well as a growing consensus on the need for PE and sport to be positioned at the core of the curriculum. This funding should help many primary schools to improve provision of PE and sport and develop teachers’ confidence to deliver it.”