School Sport Partnerships

School sport partnerships were first launched in September 2000 with an initial 600 School Sport Coordinators (SSCos) and 3,000 Primary Link Teachers (PLTs) being funded through Sport England's Lottery Fund. These were targeted at areas of greatest deprivation. Through the PESSCL strategy, the government has ensured that SSCos and PLTs are now an integral part of every LEA and school's PE and school sport strategy.

There are over 400 school sport partnerships with 3,200 SSCos in secondary schools and 18,000 primary or special school link teachers. School sport partnerships are families of schools that come together to enhance sports opportunities for all.

Sports colleges will generally be at the hub of the partnership and be given funding to employ a full time Partnership Development Manager (PDM), who is responsible for the strategic development of the partnership and liaison with other agencies.

Around each sports college there will be 4 secondary schools in the first instance, rising to 8 after two to three years. Each of these secondary schools will have a School Sport Co-ordinator (SSCo), an existing teacher that is released from the teaching timetable for 2 days per week, who is responsible for the coordination and development of school sport in their own school and family of primary / special schools.

Each secondary school (and the sports college) will be linked to, on average, 5 primary or special schools.

Each of these will have a Primary Link Teacher (PLT), an existing teacher that is released from teaching for 12 days per year, who is responsible for the development and delivery of high quality PE and sport in their own school.

Each partnership receives a grant each year to employ a PDM and to enable the schools to release these teachers to undertake the SSCo and PLT roles.