With the 2024 Schools’ Football Week campaign, in partnership with Pro:Direct Sport, all over for another year, The English Schools’ FA (ESFA) take a look back at the week that saw over 260,000 pupils from over 1200 schools take part in schools’ football activity from 5 – 11th February
ESFA Live Draws
To kick off the SFW celebrations, The ESFA streamed its quarter and semi-final draws of the 34 PlayStation Schools’ Cup and Arnold Clark Schools’ Cup competitions to an audience of over 6,000 viewers. The draws, featuring over 200 school teams from U12 – U18 were shown from 5pm on the ESFA’s YouTube channel, ESFA TV.
Schools’ Football Week Big Competition
The ESFA, along with Schools’ Football Week partners Pro:Direct Sport, ran the Schools’ Football Week Big Competition , challenging pupils to design their very own England shirts. The ESFA and Pro:Direct team have seen lots of exciting designs being submitted during Schools’ Football Week and it will be a big challenge to choose a winner. The competition remains open to entries so make sure to submit yours to memberservices@prodirectsport.com before 5pm on Friday 16th February.
The winners will be announced on or around 28th February so make sure to keep an eye out to see if your design has been shortlisted.
Schools’ Football Week on social media
The ESFA was once again overwhelmed to see the amount of Schools’ Football Week activity taking place in schools across the country. From classroom decorations, inter-house matches, keepy-uppy competitions and visits from professional footballers, it has been amazing to see over 260,000 pupils getting involved in Schools’ football week this year. Take a look at some of the best bits below:
Additional campaign highlights
As part of the Schools’ Football Week celebrations, England Lioness and current PlayStation Schools’ Cup Ambassador Chloe Kelly hosted a PE session at Irlam & Cadishead Academy in Manchester along with her fellow ambassador SV2. When interviewed during the visit, Chloe Kelly described how she played for both the girls’ & boys’ football teams at school. The English Schools’ FA has records of Chloe representing her school, Elthorne Park High School’s girls’ football teams at both U15 and U16 in 2012 and 2013, in the ESFA National Schools’ Cup competitions, with Kelly recorded as scoring several goals in National Cup fixtures.
The ESFA team visited Hawbush Primary School in Dudley to gain some insight into what they were up to for Schools’ Football Week 2024. Salford FC defender, Curtis Tilt, gave a great presentation to the pupils on his career and conducted a Q&A session with the children involved. The school had also been giving lessons on “giving racism the red card” and decorated their classrooms in the colours of professional football clubs in their area.
To round off Schools’ Football Week 2024 the England U15 Schoolgirls and England U18 Schoolboys travelled to St George’s Park for their preparatory training camps and were presented with their brand new Arnold Clark branded England shirts. For a full roundup of the training camps, click here.
The ESFA’s ambition is to continue to grow Schools’ Football Week year on year, but also use key data received from the 1,200+ schools that register their interest to find ways to create new and additional activity for those schools that are passionate about providing these opportunities to children, particularly within girls’ football.
The Association would like to thank all of the schools, teachers, Associations, Community Trusts and players that supported the 2024 campaign and look forward to seeing how Schools’ Football Week will continue to tell stories of schools’ football in 2024 and increase activity once again for February 2025.
Photo credit: 353 Photography
The National Governing Body for Schools’ Football in England.
