Category: National Schools’ Football Week

featured, National Schools' Football Week

Schools’ Football Week kicks off with a trip to Veritas Primary Academy!

The English Schools' FA

Schools’ Football Week 2021 is well underway with over 100,000 children from across England getting involved! We travelled to Veritas Academy in Stafford this morning to cover some of their amazing Schools’ Football Week activities.  

Veritas primary Academy kicked off their Schools Football Week in style this morning with a whole school penalty shootout tournament. Two coaches from Stoke City Football Club led the sessions where the children from various age groups took turns to take a penalty kick! The schools’ sports council, a collective of students from across the age groups, voted on who took the best penalty and these pupils were entered into a competition to win some amazing prizes! The school had also encouraged the children to wear their favourite football kit to school and it was great to see the colourful shirts as they waited to take their penalties. 

It was amazing to see the pupil’s outside, having fun and enjoying playing football with their friends, following the key message of the schools football week initiative. The staff also got involved with some impressive efforts considering their choice of footwear! We also got to see the enthusiasm of the Kitchen staff at the school, dressed up as referee’s and  made some football themed cakes for the pupil’s to enjoy.

Veritas Primary Academy headteacher Mrs Didier when asked about the schools participation in Schools Football Week said: “Our pupils are very active and particularly love football. All children have had a challenging year and missed social interaction and playing with their peers; so, we thought what better way to get them out sharing, taking turns, being good sportsmen and being active than to join in with Schools Football Week. Football is great way for our children to be healthy in body and mind”.

A big thank you to our official partners Mark Harrod Limited for supplying Veritas with some new football goals for the tournament. Andy Kempshall from Mark Harrod Limited said: “It is great to have been able to help a local school take part in Schools’ Football Week by providing them a discounted set of goalposts for their activities. Mark Harrod Limited endeavour to provide top class equipment to schools in partnership with the ESFA. Schools’ Football Week is a fantastic opportunity for schools to showcase the equipment and their pupils love for the game“. They are offering 20% off all their products exclusively for Schools’ Football Week so make sure you get involved!    

Schools’ Football Week is an ESFA initiative designed not only to highlight the huge scale of Schools’ Football in England, but also as an opportunity for schools, teams and clubs from across the country to showcase the talent of their pupils, dedication of their teachers and coaches and the benefits that playing schools’ football brings to their school or association. With the anticipated lifting of restrictions on school and youth sport, the ESFA is looking forward to the 21/22 season and is keen, in the meantime, to draw attention to the wonderful world of Schools’ Football that, despite challenges, has been ever present throughout the last 12 months.

For more information on Schools’ Football Week please click here. We want to share as much school’s football week activity as we can so make sure you tag us on social media (@schoolsfootball) and use the #Schoolsfootballweek.

National Schools' Football Week

Schools’ Football Week 2021 – Backed by Sport Minister, participation numbers sky rocket

The English Schools' FA

Schools’ Football Week 2021 will create fun, football-based activities for over 105,000 school children in England from 24 – 30 May

In the four years since The English Schools’ Football Association (ESFA) first launched Schools’ Football Week, the Association has seen a year on year increase in uptake in schools’ football activity linked to the event. Participation registration for 2021 has not disappointed, in fact, it has more than tripled participation of the February 2020 event.

With a significant lack of football, activity and even classroom time for children across 2020 and early 2021, Schools’ Football Week is scheduled for May 2021 with a view to celebrating school pupils being back in their learning environments, back with their friends and able to benefit from the many up-sides of playing schools’ football together.

Schools, ESFA member Associations and Premier League and EFL community trusts from across England have been invited to register their activity as part of Schools’ Football Week and to let the ESFA know how many teams and children will have access to resources as part of the initiative. Responses to the registration show that incredibly, over 650 schools, 8,000 teams and 105,000 school pupils will benefit from activity during Schools’ Football Week 2021.

With just days to go before SFW begins, the participation for this year’s event has already tripled last year’s figures (February 2020), with 5,000 more teams and over 82,000 more pupils involved with activity as a direct result of the campaign. The key message for 2021 is for pupils to “˜Get outside, have fun and enjoy being with friends’, but the campaign is also comprised of online competitions via the PlayStation F.C. Schools’ Cup, classroom resources and teaching materials from Panini and Premier League Primary Stars, football careers sessions from UCFB (University Campus of Football Business) and specially designed classroom presentations raising awareness of testicular cancer from the ESFA’s newest partner, The Oddballs Foundation. Many schools will be hosting football tournaments within the school day and PE lessons, as well as focussing on the many benefits of football off of the pitch as well as on. The ESFA will announce further information on activity during Schools’ Football Week.

Sports Minister Nigel Huddleston said: “This past year has been particularly tough on young people, being away from their friends, playing school sports and learning together. We have prioritised children’s education, physical and mental wellbeing throughout and I would continue to urge everyone to get out there and get involved in Schools’ Football Week 2021.”

ESFA Chairman, Phil Harding said: “Schools’ Football Week will highlight all that is unique and special about schools’ football. As a whole, it promotes values such as self-discipline, team-building and resilience. It contributes to the skills needed for responsible citizenship and it teaches young people how to appreciate the joys of winning and accept with grace the disappointment of losing. Schools’ Football is inclusive and transformative. It breaks down barriers, creates friendships and teaches life lessons. Schools’ Football Week is a fantastic way of sharing these values and benefits to an even wider and engaged audience. Truly educational.”

The ESFA is delighted to see activity returning for schools and for pupils and is proud to share an initiative that is providing the opportunity for school children to learn more, understand and play more football. With the 2021/22 schools’ football season on the horizon and a good chance of some return to “˜normality’, Schools’ Football Week feels like a true celebration of what has been, what is reforming and what is to come.