When PE stops, so does progress.
Every school leader knows the stress of juggling PPA cover. It’s a critical part of the school week, a chance for teachers to plan, assess, and recharge. But when that time relies on a single HLTA or non-specialist teacher, there’s a problem: if they’re absent, the whole system stops.
PE is often the first subject to suffer. Lessons are cancelled, classes get merged, or staff are pulled from elsewhere and suddenly, the consistency, engagement, and progress you’ve built with pupils begins to unravel.
At FIFTH Movement, we see this story play out every week in schools across Greater Manchester and we’ve built our service around solving it for good.
Why relying on one HLTA for PE delivery doesn’t work
Many schools rely on a HLTA to deliver PE during PPA time. While they are incredibly dedicated, this model brings three major challenges:
No cover when they’re absent – If your HLTA is off sick or redeployed, PE simply stops. That means lost learning time and timetable disruption.
Limited subject expertise – PE is a specialist subject. Without deep curriculum knowledge, pupils often miss out on structured progression and skill development.
Inconsistent experience for pupils – Children thrive on routine. When cover changes week to week, behaviour, engagement, and confidence can dip.
The result? A PE offer that feels fragile, inconsistent, and hard to manage.
FIFTH Movement: Reliable, Specialist PE PPA Cover
We’ve redefined what PPA cover can look like. FIFTH Movement’s model gives schools a full PE department in one partnership, built around reliability, expertise and consistency.
Here’s how we do it:
1. Dedicated PE Specialists
All our staff are trained in line with the national curriculum, ensuring every lesson builds on clear learning objectives. Pupils get expert teaching in a wide range of sports and physical skills, not just “games in the hall.”
2. Cover You Can Count On
If a FIFTH Movement coach is off sick, our operations team arranges a like-for-like replacement from our roster of qualified PE specialists. That means your timetable doesn’t change, and children’s learning continues uninterrupted.
3. Structured Curriculum & Assessment
We deliver progressive schemes of work from iPEP (included in our service) for every year group, ensuring consistency and accountability. Teachers and SLT can track impact and pupil development over time.
4. Partnership, Not Just Cover
We work alongside your leadership team to embed PE as a core part of your school’s culture, not just a tick-box exercise. From staff mentoring to sports days, we help you build a sustainable PE provision that lasts.
The Impact in Schools
Schools that partner with FIFTH Movement tell us they experience:
Zero disruption to PPA timetables, even during staff absence
Higher engagement in PE across all year groups
Improved pupil behaviour and confidence during PE
Greater peace of mind for SLT knowing lessons are always covered
Build Consistency and Confidence in Your PE Provision
When you partner with FIFTH Movement, you’re not just booking a coach, you’re investing in a reliable, high-quality PE solution that keeps your PPA running smoothly, week after week.
Let’s make PE a subject that never stops.
Join the waitlist here to work with our team of specialists – 2f6pwc.share-eu1.hsforms.com/2dJucFf_wRxW18uvYpU31aw.
