Introducing the Devon School Games and Ability Games

The School Games and Ability Games are a unique opportunity to motivate and inspire millions of young people across the country to take part in more competitive school sport. Our vision is that by 2020 the School Games will be continuing to make a clear and meaningful difference to the lives of even more children and young people.

Did You Know…?

  • The Department of Health has announced £5 million of funding for a new obesity policy research unit
  • 1 in 3 children are either overweight or obese by the time they leave primary school
  • More children in the UK than ever before are being diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes, some as young as seven years old
  • The School Games events consist of four unique types of competition: intra-school competitions, local inter-school competitions, county finals, and the School Games National Finals
  • There are currently 17,571 School Games registered schools (2019 figures)

Take a look at the School Games Mission.

What Makes an Event a School or Ability Games Event?

  • School Games branding is present throughout the duration of the event
  • Participation figures are maximised through the use of round robin or league formats
  • The competitions at the event follow the National Governing Body formats and are age group appropriate
  • There is a strong emphasis on inclusion at the event to ensure all young people are given the opportunity to take part
  • Young people are offered additional opportunities to take part by leading, managing, or officiating
  • There is signposting to community opportunities
  • Participants are encouraged to follow the six School Games Values – determination, honesty, passion, respect, self belief, and teamwork

The Devon School Games and Ability Games would not be possible without the funding and support of Sport England, as well as other partners. Nationally and locally the School Games is being delivered through partnerships, such as Active Devon, while the national partnership is made up of:

  • Youth Sport Trust (YST)
  • Sport England
  • Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS)
  • Change4Life (C4L)
  • Department for Education (DfE)
  • British Paralympic Association (BPA)
  • British Olympic Association (BOA)

Schools taking part in The School Games are eligible for incentives and rewards. Registered schools who blog on the School Games website will be considered for a range of prizes and fantastic promotion opportunities.

They can apply for the School Games Mark – the award scheme rewards schools registered for the School Games for their commitment to the development of competition across their school and into their community.

They can publicise sporting events at your school – registered schools can customise their very own school profile page and share this with students, parents, and others in the local community as well as putting into place Change4Life clubs to fulfil government plans for getting young people active for at least 60 minutes every day and help tackle childhood obesity.

School Games – keeping competitive sport at the heart of schools and providing more young people with the opportunity to compete and achieve their personal best.