The School Games, which is funded by Sport England and delivered by the Youth Sport Trust, is a government led programme designed to deliver competitive school sport to all young people.
A network of School Games Organisers (SGOs) and Local Organising Committees (LOCs) have worked alongside the Youth Sport Trust in delivering three distinct levels of competition since the Games’ inception in 2010 – ranging from intra – inter school activity, in addition to the National Finals, which is supported by National Governing Bodies.
This network currently services in excess of 21,000 registered schools who compete across School Games’ competitions.
Locally, Erasmus Darwin Academy acts as the ‘host school’ in the Lichfield and Burntwood district for the School Games Organiser to work from. A normal year sees a calendar of 40-45 events across 15-18 different sports take place within the district aimed at engaging primary, secondary and SEN schools across the year, in competition and participation based activity, run in collaboration with the local authority and with the support of a network of sports clubs.
We take the opportunity to share our facilities with other schools across the district by hosting a series of the school games events. Last year, ahead of lockdown, these included:
| Primary | Secondary | SEN |
| Gymnastics | Handball | Boccia |
| Sportshall Athletics | Futsal | |
| Netball | Badminton | |
| Football |
In a normal year the school would also support school games events through the summer term, usually activities and competition based around, rugby, tennis, rounders, and inclusive festivals that include sitting volleyball, fencing, archery, boccia and kurling.
In addition to acting as hosts the school is proud that our students often take the opportunity to support events, confidently representing the academy by acting as activity leaders and referees to younger children taking part in the activities. In past years students from this group of young leaders have been offered the opportunity through School Games to undertake recognised leadership and umpiring awards.
More details of the School Games programme can be found in the link below: