Andy Clark
Schools Partnerships Officer
Research & Insight
Opening School Facilities
Opening Schools Facilities (OSF) is a Department for Education (DfE) school funding programme to meet the goals of the Government’s School Sport and Activity Action Plan (SSAAP). The aim is to help schools to open their existing sport facilities, including school swimming pools, for a broader range of young people and to support the wider community by collaborating with sporting organisations, who can help deliver activities in these settings.
The investment will be in place until March 2025 and will ensure local solutions are sought collaboratively that identify long-term changes in behaviour, leading to more people being active in areas that need it the most. Led by the national network of Active Partnerships (Active Lancashire) and supported by ukactive, StreetGames and the Youth Sport Trust, all nine regions of England will benefit from this programme.
Programme Objectives
- To support schools to open their facilities outside of the normal school day (evenings, weekends, and holidays) to allow children & young people and the wider community to access more opportunities to be physically active.
- To open school swimming pools focusing on swimming and water safety lessons both during and outside the school day for pupils at their school and for pupils at other local schools.
- Participants are provided with a range of stimulating and enjoyable opportunities to take part in physical activity and sport, in addition to that experienced within PE lessons and extra-curricular activities. This means NEW and additional extra-curricular activities are eligible.
- Participants are signposted to take part in the same or similar activities in their local community, following the end of their participation in the programme.
Watch these webinars
If you want to learn more about how to develop your offer and utilise your school facilities to their potential, then watch the webinars listed below:
Key Features
Support schools to help open their facilities to the local community.
To provide support and investment to schools to help deliver after school provision to help young people reconnect, recover and return to play
77
Schools received direct support and investment from Active Lancashire in Phase 2
626
Total number of children engaged in OSF funded HAF clubs
£285,720
to support schools across Lancashire in phase 2
