Awarded to the educational establishment in the UK that can demonstrate an outstanding commitment to developing the sporting skills of its students through the provision of first class facilities and coaching programmes.
2025 Winner: Heathfield Junior School, London
Five years on from being regarded as having the poorest PE provision in the borough, an incredible turnaround at Heathfield Junior School has seen it receive many accolades for its sporting excellence, particularly in Cricket. Its PE Lead James Watson has gone above and beyond for the school, which has received Youth Sport Trust Gold Quality Mark and School Games Gold Mark for last four years. Remarkable successes include winning the Richmond Borough competition and securing the runner-up position at the London Youth Games cricket competition. Notably, Heathfield was one of only four state schools featured in The Cricketer's Top 50 Prep and Junior Schools Guide for multiple consecutive years, a list typically dominated by private institutions.
Commended
Little Ealing Primary School, London
Little Ealing Primary School in London has established a robust sports program. A variety of activities include flag football, where they achieved national recognition by winning the NFL Flag National Championship at Loughborough University. This victory led to the school representing the UK at the 2023 Pro Bowl in Las Vegas. To further support student engagement in sports, Little Ealing collaborates with Little Runners to provide daily after-school clubs, offering activities such as sports, arts and crafts, and free-choice games. These initiatives underscore the school's dedication to promoting physical activity and teamwork among its pupils.
Sarah Bonnell School, London
Sarah Bonnell School collaborates with several external organisations to enhance its sports offerings. The London Sport Academy operates gymnastics classes at the school's facilities, providing students with opportunities to develop their gymnastics skills. The school's facilities, managed by Schools Plus, include indoor and outdoor sports amenities which support a wide range of activities. In 2024, the school received the Team for Life award at the Sport Gives Back Awards in London.
Jack Hunt School, Peterborough
Jack Hunt School's sports hall accommodates activities such as football, basketball, indoor cricket, and Tae Kwon Do, while the gymnasium is ideal for futsal, badminton, basketball, and table tennis. Outdoor amenities include tennis and netball courts, as well as a 3G all-weather pitch suitable for various sports. In the 2023/24 academic year, the school was awarded the prestigious Games Gold Mark Award, recognizing its dedication to developing competition across the school and community. Notable achievements include Year 10 winning the Rounders Tournament and the U13 Girls Football team securing second place in their league.
Wright Robinson College, Manchester
In June 2024, Wright Robinson College was one of only three schools in Greater Manchester to receive the Platinum School Games Mark, a testament to its dedication to promoting sports among students. The college's innovative "My Mind My Body" program, which integrates physical activity with mental well-being initiatives, garnered national recognition, earning a 'Highly Commended' status for Outstanding Contribution to the Community at the Youth Sport Trust Awards 2025.
Benyon Primary School, Essex
Benyon Primary School in Essex demonstrates a strong commitment to sports and physical well-being, fostering an environment where students actively participate in various athletic activities. The school organises regular training sessions for its sports teams, leading to notable successes in local competitions. This dedication to physical education was highlighted in a May 2024 Ofsted inspection, which commended the school's efforts in promoting students' physical and mental well-being.
Emneth Academy, Cambridgeshire
Emneth Academy in Cambridgeshire has demonstrated a strong commitment to enhancing its physical education (PE) and sports programs, leading to notable achievements. The school employs a Level 5 PE specialist and a Level 3 AfPE PE teaching assistant, ensuring high-quality instruction for its students. This dedication has resulted in significant progress in PE and sports at the academy.
St Mary the Virgin CE Primary School, Dorset
As part of the Pioneer Federation, St Mary the Virgin CE Primary School emphasises a holistic approach to education, incorporating sports and physical education to enhance student well-being and development. Through these initiatives, a culture of health, teamwork, and personal growth is fostered among its pupils. In 2024, it achieved the School Games Gold Mark Award, with 24 events entered across 11 different sports, 254 individual opportunities and 78% of children in KS2 participating in an inter-school event.
2024 Winner: The Warriner School
Based in Oxfordshire, The Warriner School PE Department prides itself on promoting a love of physical activity. The school is part of the highly successful North Oxon School Sports Partnership, which links over 1000 Year 1-6 students from eight primary schools. In 2022-2023, 14 festivals ranged from tag rugby, girls’ football, pickleball, sports hall athletics, quad kids athletics and multi-skills festivals in netball. All of these are inclusive of SEND and mixed teams throughout. The school is proud to have achieved the Silver School Games mark last year and aims for Gold this year.
Commended
Cheadle Hulme High School, Cheshire
New College Leicester
Great Waldingfield CEVC Primary School, Suffolk
2023 Winner: Treloar's School, Hampshire
Treloar’s goes to extraordinary lengths to ensure that the disabilities of its pupils do not prevent participation in a wide range of sports. By hosting an annual Disability Sports competition mainstream school students can see how adaptations can be made to enable all to achieve in activities that they share an equal love for.
Commended
Heathfield Junior School, Middlesex
New College Leicester
Thorpe Hall School, Essex
Westholme School, Lancashire
2022 Winner
Heathfield Junior School, Middlesex
Commended
Theale Green School, Berkshire
New College, Leicester
Crosslee Community Primary School, Manchester
2021 Winner
Heathfield Junior School, Middlesex
During lockdown, Heathfield has managed to completely overhaul its PE provision. Many after school clubs cater for all abilities and ages including: dance, athletics (delivered by GB athletes Jonathan Barbour and Josh Grace), football (delivered by Chelsea scout), tag rugby, netball, cricket, multi skills, dodgeball and wallball. Cricket provision has had dramatic impact on pupils mental health, behaviour, self esteem and self confidence. Monty Panesar (ex England and Northants) attended a special assembly at school along with Middlesex CCC.
Commended
LVS Ascot, Berkshire
Stockbridge Junior School, South Yorkshire
Norbridge Academy, Nottinghamshire
2020 Winner
Upton Junior School, Kent
The only junior school in Kent to be rated ‘outstanding’, PE and Sport has traditionally been an area of strength at Upton, confirmed recently by the Youth Sports Trust. During the ongoing lockdown, sports coaches Callum Noble and Jordan Maclaurin ensure no-one misses out by regularly providing structured activities via online streaming for boys and girls. These include fitness videos, sports challenges and lockdown sports clubs for the children as well as participation in the virtual Viking Games with Upton’s partner Viking Academy Trust schools, Ramsgate Arts Primary and Chilton Primary.
Commended
Woodland Preparatory School at Great Warley, Essex
Burscough Bridge St John’s C of E Primary School, Lancashire
Reed’s School, Surrey
2019 Winner
Fairholme Primary School
Due to a dedicated PE coordinator, sports provision at Fairholme has been transformed. After school clubs now include martial arts, indoor and outdoor athletics, football, tag rugby, netball, cricket, basketball, multi skills and gymnastics. Teams have won nine London wide trophies in one academic year. Recognised by the Chance to Shine Cricket Initiative as the Primary School of the Year, the sport has had a dramatic impact on its pupils mental health.
Commended
Surbiton High School, Surrey
The Sporting Choice for All programme at Surbiton High aims to inspire and empower pupils of all abilities while encouraging them to hone their expertise and skills. The school runs 80 different clubs that offer weekly activities outside the curriculum, reaching some 3,500 pupils from pre-prep to Sixth Form. In May this year, over 60 girls took part in its first ever ‘Celebration of Gymnastics’, where crowd-pleasing routines were performed to a packed audience.
Redmaids’ High School, Bristol
Redmaids’ High School athletes enjoy great success across county, regional and national competitions due to an extensive programme which makes sport accessible to everyone. Shortlisted for the Sports Award in the 2019 Times Education Supplement’s Independent School Awards, the school recently acquired the former AXA sports ground near Cribbs Causeway and has advanced plans in place to significantly redevelop the 16-acre site ready for use in late 2020.
William Brookes School, Shropshire
William Brookes School became of only 20 secondary maintained comprehensive schools to have been presented with the School Games Platinum Award. Operating a large selection of sports clubs as well as having state of the art sporting facilities open to the public ensures there is something for everyone and demonstrates a commitment to being at the heart of Much Wenlock community. Last year, 15 students qualified for the British National Biathlon Championships.
Lindley Junior School, West Yorkshire
At Lindley Junior School, every pupil experiences many benefits as a direct result of their participation in some form of PE. A high quality curriculum provides the opportunity to take part in both non-competitive and competitive sports, and teachers are given the opportunity to develop their own CPD knowledge of PE. Sports premium funding has been used to work with specialist teachers and coaches to develop the skills of its own teaching staff.
2018 Winner
Radley College, Abingdon
A new Strength and Conditioning Centre forms the latest addition to Radley College’s state of the art sports facilities and sits alongside the athletics track and Rowing Centre, as required to support the college’s curriculum. The new stand-alone building is split into two distinct wings, an athletics warm-up space and indoor rowing training room. Replacing two temporary sheds, the new training room provides space for 24 rowing machines for effective indoor training.
Commended
Windsor High School and Sixth Form, West Midlands
Epsom College, Surrey
King Alfred’s Academy, Oxon
James Allen's Preparatory School
2017 Winner
Plymouth College
Success over the last five years now sees Plymouth College attract over eighty world-class athletes from thirty six countries. Success has continued after the Rio Olympics with twelve medals at the English Schools’ Relay Championships. Investment in staff has seen the school develop its own strength and conditioning and sports science teams.
Commended
Hall Cliffe Primary School
Plymouth College
The Nicholas Hamond Academy
Beech House School
Kingsway Primary
School St James CE Primary
2016 Winner
Ellesmere College, Shropshire
The PE department at Ellesmere has seen unprecedented growth in raising participation through six sporting academies. An inclusive PE curriculum provides wider opportunity for all students, not just the best performers. The growing reputation for sport has helped Ellesmere gain World Academy of Sport status (one of only nine schools in the world) for its commitment to young athletes.
Commended
Beech House School, Manchester
Wolverhampton Grammar School
The Kingsway Academy, Wirral
Matravers, Wiltshire
2015 Winner
Shrewsbury High School, Shropshire
This year has been one of success for Shrewsbury High School, after winning the prestigious Independent School Awards 2014. The awards recognise outstanding excellence and it was the school’s quality of sport that drew particular praise. For the last six months the sporting work across the school has been scrutinised by the judging panel. The judges commented that it was ‘good to see sport given such a place in the school’s life’.
Commended
Blackburn The Redeemer Church of England Primary School, Blackburn
Hamilton’s Holy Cross High School, Hamilton
Sedgefield School Sports Partnership