London’s 2012 legacy investment has failed some primary school teachers

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Despite a direct investment of more than £2.2bn into primary PE since 2012 – making it the highest-funded subject at primary age – most PE lessons in the primary sector are outsourced to sports coaches and instructors who often possess “limited qualifications a minimal knowledge of the pupil recipients”, according to a high-profile cross-party group of MPs and experts called in to investigate the funding. open image in gallery Renewed investment in PE would be crucial to the London 2012 legacy Our research highlights 61 different permutations of who has been teaching PE to children in English primary schools, ranging from accredited sports coaches to parent helpers and teaching assistants. open image in gallery The post-2012 era triggered a flurry of political interest and financial investment into primary school PE With investment accrued from three government departments – the Department for Education, the Department of Health, and the Department of Digital Culture, Media and Sport – the Premium was meant to have a major impact on young people’s education, health and sport participation. We are now two decades on from the DfE’s revised professional standards detailed in Qualifying to Teach and two decades on from outsourced PE “specialists” routinely entering primary schools.