Primary PE has never carried more responsibility. Coordinators are expected to design a high-quality curriculum, monitor teaching across the school, evidence impact, manage budgets, track PE & Sport Premium spend, improve staff confidence, deliver CPD, ensure inclusion for SEND, oversee resources, support behaviour, and (somehow) still teach.
But when you speak to PE Coordinators across the UK, one issue comes up again and again:
“I’m doing the work… but the wider school doesn’t always understand the vision.”
It’s a subtle pain point, but a huge one. Because without strategic alignment from senior leaders and governors, the PE Coordinator ends up:
- fighting for timetable space
- firefighting last-minute decisions
- explaining “why PE matters” over and over
- working in a silo
- and holding responsibility for areas they don’t fully control
And this lack of alignment is almost always unintentional – governors want to help, SLT want consistency, and coordinators want clarity. But schools rarely have a shared roadmap for PE improvement.
That’s the gap.
And it’s where the following resource becomes extremely valuable.
Why documentation isn’t the real issue – misalignment is
Yes, PE Coordinators struggle with documentation: curriculum plans, risk assessments, PE Premium reporting, assessment trackers, CPD logs, pupil-voice surveys…
But the underlying issue is that improvement is not always joined-up.
When governors, SLT and the PE lead aren’t working from the same framework, even small decisions – a budget change, a hall booking, a timetable tweak – can knock the whole subject off course.
This is why many coordinators say things like:
- “I know what needs to happen, but I need the school behind it.”
- “Our governors are supportive… but not always sure what they should be monitoring.”
- “I feel like I’m constantly justifying PE.”
These are strategic problems. And they require strategic tools.
A simple, actionable solution: the National Governance Association PE Roadmap
There are dozens of things schools can do to strengthen PE provision: better CPD cycles, clearer documentation, smarter curriculum mapping, improved assessment systems… (and Future Stars can support with any of these if it would help!!).
But if you want one immediate, simple, low-effort, high-impact step, here it is:
Download the National Governance Association’s roadmap for supporting sustainable improvements in PE.
This is a short, governor-friendly document that lays out:
- What governors should understand about PE
- What they should be monitoring
- What “sustainable improvement” actually looks like
- How the school can align its vision, priorities, and resources
And here’s why it matters for PE Coordinators:
It gets everyone on the same page.
No more guessing what governors want. No more ad-hoc questions. No more re-explaining the purpose of the PE & Sport Premium.
It gives your subject a legitimate strategic seat at the table.
This roadmap frames PE not as “just a subject,” but as part of whole-school improvement – curriculum, wellbeing, physical literacy, behaviour, attendance, inclusion, culture.
It reduces friction.
When governors have a clear guide, they support you more confidently and consistently. Decisions become smoother. Conversations become easier.
It protects long-term progress.
With staff turnover and budget pressure, sustainable improvements only stick if governors know what they’re looking for.
This resource makes that possible.
How to use it in your school (3-step quick start)
- Download the NGA PE Roadmap Keep it on hand for meetings, reviews, and PE Premium conversations.
- Share it with your SLT line manager A simple email works: “This document might help us strengthen how governors support PE this year.”
- Bring it into your next subject-leader conversation Use the sections on monitoring and improvement as a shared agenda.
Even if nothing else changes, this one action alone will give the PE subject more clarity, visibility, and credibility.
Want to go further? We can help.
This document is just one example of the tools available to reduce your workload and strengthen your subject. If you want:
- a clearer PE curriculum roadmap
- templates for assessment or PE Premium impact
- support explaining PE strategy to SLT
- help documenting your provision for Ofsted
- or simply a conversation about improving PE sustainably
…we’re here to support.
Contact us on info@futurestarscoaching.co.uk