Work Programme: Norfolk School Games

The Programme

The Norfolk School Games is part of a national initiative designed to inspire children and young people to embrace physical activity for life. Funded by Sport England, the programme is delivered in partnership with Active Norfolk and a network of School Games Organisers, with guidance from the Youth Sport Trust. It is open to all education settings across Norfolk and continually evolves to reflect local needs, ensuring accessibility and inclusivity for students from Years 3 to 13.

The programme aims to improve the physical, social, and emotional well-being of young people by providing positive experiences of daily activity and competition. It focuses on developing physical literacy, confidence, and competence through engaging events, competitions, and leadership pathways. Additionally, the Norfolk School Games supports schools in addressing local challenges, ensuring that students who will benefit most from participation have meaningful opportunities to engage.

To achieve these goals, the Norfolk School Games collaborates with schools, parents, and community organisations to co-create equal activity opportunities both locally and countywide. Schools can participate by working with their local School Games Organiser, who helps tailor events to meet the needs of students. Recent initiatives have included Sports Leaders Training, Girls Football Festivals, Panathlon competitions, Transition Team Building events and Year’s 10 Careers in Sport event all designed to foster engagement and personal development.

2024-2025 Data Insights for Norfolk School Games

funding received centrally

young people engaged in the events

35,223 events hosted in Norfolk

297 £40,000 of Young People that engaged in School Games events were SEND pupils
5877 (16.7%) of Young People that engaged in the School Games events were from EDC Groups 4194 (11.9%)

Impact Summary

The Norfolk School Games has made a significant impact on young people’s engagement with physical activity, fostering inclusivity and personal development. Since its inception, the programme has evolved to address local needs, ensuring that students who might not typically engage in sports have meaningful opportunities to participate. Key milestones include the expansion of leadership pathways, such as the Girls Active Leadership Training Day, which empowers young female students to take ownership of their physical well-being.

The programme has benefitted from additional funding from the UEA Sportspark who have provided venue hire sponsorship across the 2024/2025 year. This has included 25 events over the 2024/25 Academic Year and has allowed over 2000 Young People have attended School Games events at the venue. This additional support has been vital and a partnership that we are continuing moving forwards.

Looking ahead, the programme aims to further embed physical activity into school culture, advocating for the importance of daily movement and expanding opportunities for students to develop confidence and competence through sport.

Alongside this there is a goal to develop opportunities to tackle inequalities including: access for girls in sport and the provision of activities for pupils with SEND in mainstream settings.  

Rebecca Elliott is one of our Strategic Leads for the Norfolk School Games. Click here to get in touch. Get in touch Rob Whalen is one of our Strategic Leads for the Norfolk School Games. Click here to get in touch. Get in touch Got a question? For more information on the Norfolk School Games, click here to get in touch. The Norfolk School Games Return to impact report Related pages