School Games Mark success as more schools prioritise sport and wellbeing

School Games Mark engagement nears pre-pandemic peak as schools help drive recovery in children’s activity.

Leading children’s charity, Youth Sport Trust, has welcomed a significant increase in School Games Mark engagement, with applications reaching their highest level since 2018 and marking a renewed momentum in schools’ commitment to sport, wellbeing and physical activity. This growth follows the disruption of the pandemic and reflects a sector re-energised around getting children active. The rise mirrors findings from Sport England’s Active Lives Children and Young People Survey, which has tracked children’s activity since 2017–18 and now shows activity levels at their highest ever recorded.

This progress comes at a critical time. With growing concerns over children’s inactivity, rising obesity rates, and increasing mental health pressures, schools’ commitment to prioritising movement and wellbeing has never been more important. In the 2024/25 academic year, 9,539 schools applied for a School Games Mark Award, including 540 first-time applicants: an overall increase of 6% on the previous year and the second-highest number since the programme began. These results mean 2.8 million young people are now attending schools recognised for providing high-quality sport and physical activity opportunities.

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