School Games

The School Games is a new exciting four level – intra school, inter school, county festivals and national finals – competition for school children in England. It’s hoped the national finals will be a UK event. The Games are designed to build on the magic of 2012 to enable every school and child to participate in competitive sport including meaningful opportunities for disabled youngsters.

Nationally and locally the School Games is being delivered through partnerships. The national partnership is made up of:

• the Department for Culture, Media and Sport who have overall policy leadership supported by the Department for Education and the Department of Health
• Sport England who are the Lottery distributor and are supporting the engagement of sports governing bodies and county sports partnerships
• the British Paralympic Association bring the vision and inspiration of the Paralympics
• the Youth Sport Trust, the landscape lead organisation for school sport, have been commissioned by Sport England to provide development support to schools, sports and other local partners.

Over £128m of Lottery and Government funding is being invested to support the School Games. This includes: up to £35.5m Lottery funding from Sport England between 2010-15; £28.4m exchequer funding from the Department of Health and Sport England to fund 450 School Games Organisers and Change 4 Life Clubs; £65m exchequer funding from the Department for Education to release a PE teacher for one day a week in all secondary schools.

At a local level the School Games will be delivered by schools, clubs, county sports partnerships and other local partners. Local Organising Committees are being set up, chaired by Head Teachers, to oversee the county festivals. Whilst just one of the local partners, county sports partnerships have an important role to play in helping to stage the festivals.

The competition aims to further revive the culture of competitive sport in schools.  Every school in England, and subject to the agreement of the Devolved Administrations schools in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, will be given the opportunity to get involved, potentially giving every school child the chance to take part. 

For more information visit www.yourschoolgames.org