SCHOOL sports representatives in Dorset have reacted with delight after the government was forced into a U-turn over funding cuts.

Education secretary Michael Gove recently announced a £160million cut to the schools PE and sport budget, scrapping the 450 School Sport Partnerships across the country.

But fury amid headteachers and a letter urging for a rethink signed by world champion diver Tom Daley, 16, and several prominent British Olympic champions has now lead to the proposals being revised.

Ministers have now announced funding of £65million over three years, with a further £47million being made available to allow partnerships to continue up to the end of this academic year.

Finola Hurlstone, school sports co-ordinator for Poole’s Ashdown Technology College and Carter Community School, said the move was ‘a step in the right direction’.

She added: “I don’t think they will add any more to it. It will secure funding for all schools, but it won’t be in the same format.

“But it’s definitely a step in the right direction and if we can sustain it, then who knows what the next government will do.

“The fact that the money’s all ring-fenced is great. It can only be good news for schools.”

School Sports Partnerships were created 10 years ago to increase children’s sporting opportunities.

They run competitions in and between schools, organise sports festivals, set up links with local sports clubs and support teachers, particularly in first schools which do not have specialist PE staff.

Baroness Sue Campbell, chair of the Youth Sport Trust, said she feared progress made in the last decade would have been reversed.

Linda Dyer, Poole School Sports Partnership development manager, said the revised proposals|were ‘excellent’ news.

She said: “Hopefully it will help to ensure young people in our schools will continue to be given more opportunities to be physically active and to take part in sport that, without the School Sports Partnership structure, would not be available to them.”