If your school uses PE coaches, 2027 brings two big changes. The PE and Sport Premium ends after this year, and from 1 September 2027 external sports coaches supporting PE lessons will need to work under the supervision of a qualified teacher. For PE leads, headteachers and school business managers in Brentwood and across Essex, this term is the time to plan for both. Here’s what has changed, what it means in practice, and a checklist you can use this week.
What has changed: the facts in one place
The final PE and Sport Premium payment has landed
The Department for Education’s conditions of grant for 2026 to 2027 (updated 29 October 2026) set out the final year of the Premium:
Schools with 17 or more pupils receive £6,240 plus £10 per pupil.
Maintained schools were paid on 30 October 2026 and academies on 9 November 2026.
Funding must be spent by 31 July 2027. Nothing can be carried forward.
The Premium still cannot fund PPA cover, or coaches to teach the existing PE curriculum.
Your report must be published on your website, and the digital return completed, by 31 July 2027.
The new PE and School Sport Partnerships Network starts in April 2027
In its update to schools, the DfE confirmed it has raised transition funding for 2026/27 from £100 million to £150 million. It says a National Delivery Partner will be appointed in November, will engage with schools during the spring term, and will start delivering support from April 2027.
The network will have three pathways:
Universal Offer: CPD, guidance, resources and signposting for all eligible schools.
Targeted Intervention: extra support directed to the schools or pupil groups with the greatest need.
School-Requested Intervention: support schools ask for, considered against eligibility criteria and available capacity.
The DfE also describes a digital platform that will signpost schools to high-quality local school sport providers. Crucially, funding will no longer go straight into your school budget in the way the Premium has.
The Youth Sport Trust has also confirmed that Sport England is funding the School Games Organisers Network to the end of the 2026/27 academic year, so local competitions continue through this transition year.
Coaches in PE lessons: the September 2027 rule
This is the change many schools have not yet clocked. In its response to the Culture, Media and Sport Committee’s Game On report, the Government says the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026 and related regulations will mean that from 1 September 2027, external sports coaches used by primary and secondary schools to support PE lessons must work under the supervision of a teacher with QTS.
The Government is clear that supervision does not necessarily mean a qualified teacher must be in the hall for every lesson. It does mean “robust, formalised arrangements” so a QTS teacher is overseeing the quality of teaching and learning.
The same response says the Government has accepted the Curriculum and Assessment Review’s recommendations on PE, and is strengthening the curriculum so schools recognise the need to protect two hours of PE a week. It also points to the new Enrichment Framework, which Ofsted will consider as part of personal development.
What it means for a Brentwood or Essex primary school
Put together, the direction is clear. Coaches are still welcome in PE, but as specialists who raise quality alongside teachers, not as a replacement for them. In practice:
Your PPA model needs a paper trail. If coaches deliver PE during PPA, you’ll need to show who plans, who quality-assures, how pupils are assessed and which QTS teacher oversees it. Schools that already have progression maps, lesson plans and termly assessment in place will find this much easier.
This year’s Premium should buy things that last. Staff CPD, resources and systems keep working after July 2027. One-off spending that disappears with the grant won’t help you in September.
Clubs and competitions need a funding plan. From April 2027, support comes through the network rather than direct funding. Parent-funded clubs and a clear plan for competitions protect your offer.
Evidence matters more. Between the curriculum changes, the Enrichment Framework and the new supervision rule, leaders will want PE evidence they can show governors and inspectors.
For smaller village schools around Doddinghurst, Mountnessing and Ingatestone, where one teacher often leads PE alongside a full timetable, getting these systems in place early saves a lot of stress next summer.
A checklist for PE leads this term
Work through these before spring term:
Check your allocation and spending plan. Confirm your final Premium amount and map every pound to something that is still there in September 2027.
List every adult who teaches or supports PE. Note their qualifications, who plans their lessons and who oversees them.
Draft your supervision arrangements now. Agree with your coaching provider how planning, observation, assessment and feedback to a QTS teacher will work.
Audit your curriculum. Do you have progression maps, long- and medium-term plans and assessment from Reception to Year 6?
Ask staff where they feel least confident. Use the answers to target CPD while the Premium can still pay for it.
Protect two hours of PE. Check your timetable gives every class the time the Government expects.
Plan your clubs and competitions beyond July 2027. Decide which run on parent funding and which need a different route.
Keep an eye out for the National Delivery Partner. When it is announced, register interest early so your needs are heard in the spring.
Book your report deadline. Put 31 July 2027 in the diary for both the website report and the digital return.
PE coaches in Essex primary schools: how Compass supports you
Compass Sports is a family-run team from Brentwood, working with primary schools including Long Ridings, Doddinghurst Junior and Mountnessing. Everything we do is designed to keep working when the Premium stops.
PE partnership: we run your before and after-school clubs (parent-funded) and a daily lunchtime session, and add CPD, competition coaches, a PE Health Check, PE lead check-ins and a Colour Run at no extra cost.
PPA cover: curriculum-led PE from £19.60 an hour, paid from your core budget. Every unit comes with progression maps, lesson plans and termly assessment, the kind of documentation that supports formal supervision arrangements.
Staff CPD: practical sessions in your own hall, shaped by a staff questionnaire, so your teachers keep the skills after the funding ends.
Before and after-school clubs: football, dodgeball, basketball, gymnastics and more, booked by parents and run by a coach your pupils know.
Competitions: a coach for every fixture and festival, so teachers aren’t pulled out of class.
Frequently asked questions
Can sports coaches still teach PE in primary schools from September 2027?
Yes. The Government’s response to the Game On report says coaches can bring real benefits. From 1 September 2027, coaches supporting PE lessons must work under the supervision of a teacher with QTS, through formal arrangements. A teacher doesn’t necessarily need to be in the room for every lesson.
Can we use the PE and Sport Premium to pay for PPA cover?
No. The 2026 to 2027 conditions of grant rule out employing coaches or specialist teachers to cover PPA, or to teach the existing PE curriculum. PPA cover comes from your core budget.
When does the PE and Sport Premium end?
2026/27 is the final year. The last payment arrived this autumn and must be spent by 31 July 2027. The new PE and School Sport Partnerships Network starts delivering support from April 2027.
What will the new School Sport Partnerships Network offer my school?
The DfE describes a universal offer of CPD, guidance and resources for all eligible schools, targeted support for those with the greatest need, and support that schools can request based on local need.
What should we spend our final PE Premium on?
Things that last beyond July 2027: staff CPD, curriculum planning and assessment systems, and setting up sustainable clubs and competition routes.
Book a free PE review conversation
If you’d like a second pair of eyes on your PE plan for 2027, email info@compasssports.co.uk to book a call with Claire, our Schools Manager. We’ll talk through your Premium spending, your PPA and coaching arrangements, and what will keep your PE strong after the funding changes.