Basingstoke MP Maria Miller, who is also Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, has welcomed the Government announcement that primary schools in Basingstoke will get an additional £315,250 in funding from September 2013 to encourage and support schools PE and sport.

In March this year the Prime Minister announced new funding for primary school PE and sport worth £150 million as part of the legacy of the London Olympic and Paralympic Games. The money will be given directly to primary school headteachers so they can decide how best to use the funding to support the provision of sport for their pupils. The funding will be ring-fenced and can only be spent on PE and sport in schools.

 The Department for Education has also asked Ofsted to take PE and sport provision into account when inspecting schools. From September changes will ensure that Ofsted inspectors consider how well schools use their sport funding to improve their PE and sporting provisions, including increasing participation.

Maria said: “This extra money is fantastic news for primary school children in Basingstoke. It will make sport accessible and fun for all children across the area, and will encourage them to be active and enjoy sport. This may help to inspire the future Olympians and Paralympians, like Jess Ennis and Ellie Simmonds, or may simply encourage children to learn to love sport and exercise for a lifetime.”

Maria added: “This funding is a really important part of the Government’s work to ensure the sporting legacy of the 2012 Olympics and Paralympics, which is something I have been working hard to deliver in my role as Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport. The funding complements our £1 billion youth and community sport strategy that is increasing opportunities for secondary school children to play more sport. This investment will benefit a whole generation of children for many years to come.”