Whether your school hasn’t completed a School Games Mark application before or is keen to move to a higher award, our support will be essential. The support you can access comes in various forms:
School Games Mark Development Tool
Since it was launched in 2012, we’ve awarded well over 400 School Games Mark Awards BUT every single one has been seen as more than just an award – it’s a framework for developing a school’s practice in sport, physical activity, PE and inclusion. The criteria for the 2025/26 School Games Mark can be downloaded here. The development tool we produce has evolved into a live audit which helps you map where you are currently and what it would take to develop your practice further. This approach has helped our partnership move to a position in 2025 where over 97% of the awards made were at Gold level or higher. The 2025/26 tool is available here for schools to download:
School Games Mark Webinar & Surgery
We have recorded a School Games Mark webinar to watch at your convenience which can be viewed here. The webinar covers all aspects of the School Games Mark from why you should apply to how to do so, using the development tool and what evidence you’d need. This can be followed up with a surgery for schools interested in applying who have specific questions about how the criteria relates to their own circumstance/practice. The surgery takes place in May 2026 and schools will be able to sign up through the events calendar.
Platinum School Games Mark support
Schools seeking to achieve their first Platinum Award (these are schools who were granted Gold Awards in 2021/22, 2021/23, 2023/24 & 2024/25) are required to demonstrate in more detail the impact and difference they are making. We offer an additional opportunity to meet to look at the application process and the range of possible case studies required and offer support and guidance around this. This opportunity is also open to those looking to reapply for the Platinum Award they were given in 2023/24.
School Games Mark Completion Meetings
Despite the amount of support available it’s often still valuable to work alongside other schools when completing your School Games Mark application. The arising conversations regularly result in schools realising that their application may be missing certain aspects that they hadn’t considered, bringing them a high level of award as a consequence. Completing the application together allows us to check evidence and streamline the awards process too. We offer three dates for all schools to complete their School Games Mark – all in July with two of these face to face (recommended where Subject Leaders are completing their first application or are aiming to move up an award level) and the third online. Again, schools will be able to sign up through the events calendar.
