Statement on future of PE and School Sport Partnerships Network

• UPDATE July 27, 2026

The PE & School Sport Partnership tender application process and supporting documentation were released on Friday, July 17, by the Department for Education. The Active Partnership National Organisation (APNO) is part of a consortium that will be applying to manage and develop the network.  This direction has been agreed by the APNO Board, which includes representation from the Active Partnerships network.

• UPDATE July 15, 2026

Sport England has confirmed that the School Games Organisers’ roles will continue until the end of the academic year 2026/27 (July 31, 2027).

In a letter from Lisa Dodd-Mayne, Executive Director for Partnerships and Place, she confirmed the Department for Education will soon launch a ‘competitive tendering process’ to secure a national delivery partner to deliver the PE and School Sport Partnerships Network.

She added: “As part of this, the national delivery partner will be expected to complete a review of current provisions. School Games Organisers will have the opportunity to contribute to this, to
determine the most appropriate, effective way to deliver the new partnerships model.”

• UPDATE July 10, 2026

The DfE has confirmed that, to support the transition to the new PE and School Sport Partnerships Network, the PE and Sport Premium transition funding for the 2026/27 academic year will increase from £100 million to £150 million.

Eligible schools will receive a one-off payment in Autumn 2026, with a median average allocation of approximately £8,000 per school. The funding is to be spent during the 2026/27 academic year.

The DfE has stated that this additional investment is intended to support schools during the transition from the current Primary PE and Sport Premium model to the new PE and School Sport Partnerships Network.

The new Network is expected to begin working with schools from January 2027, with delivery commencing from April 2027.

Schools that have received the Primary PE and Sport Premium during this academic year (25/26) now need to complete the reporting process.

A report needs to be added to your school website by July 31. You can find more information here.

An online report also needs to be completed by September 30, with information on how to do this here.

Top tip: You can download a copy of your online report and use it as your website report.

• Previous article – June 4, 2026

On May 21, the Department for Education announced an investment of more than £1 billion in PE and school sport over the next three years.

This investment is intended to support the development of the new PE and School Sport Partnerships Network, improvements to school sports facilities, and support for schools during the transition to the new model £1bn boost to PE and school sport to end fitness postcode lottery – GOV.UK.

As part of the announcement, the Government indicated that the new PE and School Sport Partnerships Network will replace the current Primary PE and Sport Premium funding model.

To support schools during the transition year, the Government has announced a £100 million PE Premium payment for primary schools, which is expected to be paid directly to schools in the autumn term.

We recognise that this Government announcement creates uncertainty for schools and organisations that have been planning activity and investment for the Autumn term based on previous funding arrangements.

We also appreciate the challenges this may create for existing delivery plans and partnerships.

On behalf of the Active Partnerships network, the Active Partnerships National Organisation is in discussions regarding the future model and is working alongside partners, including the Youth Sport Trust and the Association for Physical Education, to better understand the implications of the announcement and the opportunities presented by the future investment.

At this stage, a number of important details relating to future funding arrangements, including implementation and delivery expectations and transition planning are still to be confirmed by the Department for Education.

We will continue to share updates and information as further details become available.