young girl and boy playing badminton

Further opportunities for inactive pupils

The objective of this programme, funded by the Department for Education (DfE), is to support schools to open their facilities outside the normal school day (after school clubs, evenings, weekends, and holidays) to allow young people more opportunities to be physically active. 

We hope that this investment will support young people recover and reconnect through activity, play, movement and sport. We will prioritise supporting secondary age young people, with a focus on those who live with inequalities - specifically pupils eligible for free school meals and pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) who have been most affected by COVID-19. The focus of this provision should be inactive young people, not those already engaged in regular physical activity in and/or outside of school.

Criteria

Schools can apply for the investment they require to support their project. Ideally this will be between £2,000 and £10,000 per school. All applications (including those above or below the recommended minimum and maximum amounts) will need to fully meet the project outcomes and are all subject to approval via an assessment panel. See the Guidance & FAQ document for details on what the funding can be used on.

Schools who receive funding will be required to demonstrate that they can meet the project objectives, have buy in from their Senior Leadership Team and provide the following information:

  • Approx. number of children given opportunities to take part
  • How funding has been utilised
  • Examples of what works / doesn’t work – barriers and challenges

Applications and further information

To apply for funding, schools must read the Guidance and Frequently Asked Questions document and complete an online application by 5pm on Monday 10 May 2021. You can view a PDF of the application questions before beginning your online application.

If you have any additional questions or queries about the programme, or if you wish to discuss your project prior to applying, please email email the active schools team.

Active Surrey hosted a webinar about the Opening Schools Facilities programme. Please see slides here.