- Youth Sport Trust marks a record year for School Games Mark Awards, with participation reaching its highest level to date.
- A total of 10,226 schools across England have received a School Games Mark, recognising their efforts to create meaningful opportunities for every child to participate in physical activity.
- More than 3,000 schools secured Platinum status, the programme’s highest award, acknowledging their continued investment in improving PE and sporting opportunities.
- The North East and North West recorded the highest levels of participation, with more than half of schools in each region achieving a School Games Mark.
LOUGHBOROUGH, UK. November 2nd, 2026 – A record number of schools across England are being recognised for their commitment to physical education, school sport and physical activity, with 10,226 institutions receiving a School Games Mark this year. The achievement represents the highest level of engagement recorded by the programme and highlights the work taking place in schools to ensure children and young people have access to opportunities that support active and healthy lifestyles.
Coordinated by the Youth Sport Trust through its network of School Games Organisers, the School Games is a nationwide initiative that encourages schools to make sport and physical activity an integral part of education. Through participation, competition and physical development, the programme aims to help young people build skills, gain confidence and work towards achieving their individual potential.
The School Games Mark provides recognition to eligible schools that demonstrate their commitment to these objectives. Applications are evaluated against several areas of provision, including physical activity, inclusion, youth voice, physical literacy and access to sporting competitions. Schools must also complete an Inclusive Health Check, which enables them to assess how effectively their activities cater for pupils with different needs and backgrounds, helping ensure that participation is accessible to everyone.
During the 2025/26 academic year, more than 3,000 schools reached Platinum status, the highest recognition available through the scheme. This award is reserved for schools that have maintained Gold status for five consecutive years, demonstrating a long-term commitment to strengthening and improving their physical education and sporting opportunities.
Regional figures show particularly strong engagement across the North East and North West, where more than 50% of schools achieved a School Games Mark this year. Both regions recorded the highest overall levels of participation. The North East also led the country in Platinum-level achievement, securing the greatest proportion of Platinum awards relative to the number of schools in the region.
Ali Oliver MBE, Chief Executive of the Youth Sport Trust, said: “Reaching more than 10,000 schools with the School Games Mark is an outstanding achievement and represents our strongest level of engagement so far. The recent report from the Children’s Commissioner highlighted significant differences in children’s experiences depending on where they live. Against this backdrop, it is encouraging to recognise the dedication of school staff and our nationwide network of School Games Organisers, who are helping more young people, especially those experiencing the greatest inequalities, access opportunities to enjoy sport, become active and develop physically, socially and emotionally.
“Schools cannot be expected to overcome all the challenges affecting young people on their own. However, we have clear evidence of the positive contribution that play, sport and physical activity can make. These experiences allow children to develop self-confidence, establish friendships and feel connected to their schools and local communities. Positive experiences during childhood also play an important role in encouraging lifelong activity, supporting achievement in education and helping young people develop skills that can contribute to their future careers. Many people look back on their involvement in positive activities, including sport, as an important influence on their professional journeys.
“The School Games Mark gives schools a valuable way to review and measure the quality of their sporting and physical activity opportunities. It also helps them identify where improvements can be made to ensure their provision is inclusive, purposeful and shaped around the needs and voices of young people.
“I would like to offer my congratulations and sincere thanks to every school that has achieved an award at any level. Their achievements demonstrate a commitment to making inclusive, engaging enrichment activities an important part of everyday school life and recognising the value of developing the whole child. This is also an opportunity to acknowledge the outstanding work of the School Games Organiser network, which provides ongoing support to schools, alongside the Active Partnership network that helps connect local communities through sport. We are equally grateful to the National Governing Bodies of Sport for their continued contribution to the programme. Reaching the 10,000-school milestone has been made possible through the collective efforts of everyone involved.”
The School Games programme receives funding from Sport England and is delivered through a nationwide network of more than 450 School Games Organisers. Working alongside schools, Active Partnerships and National Governing Bodies of Sport, these organisers help deliver opportunities for children and young people to participate in physical activity and school sport within their local communities.
