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l) The School Games

Reading School Games (@Reading_SG) / Twitter

Representing the school is the best thing ever, especially when we get to play other schools. My favourite time was when I played for the school golf team in a competition, and we won the whole thing!

Year 4 child

We are proud to have achieved the Platinum School Games Mark Award 2022/23. The School Games Mark is a Government-led award scheme launched in 2012, facilitated by the Youth Sport Trust to reward and recognise school’s engagement (provision and uptake) in the School Games against a national benchmark and to celebrate keeping young people active.

Since 2012, Shinfield St. Mary’s have achieved the Bronze, Silver and Gold awards. In order to achieve the Platinum award, a school has to achieve the Gold award for four consecutive years. This then allows a school to enter the assessment process for the Platinum award which in itself, lasts for two years - this is the second time we have achieved the Platinum award criteria and case study approval.

This is a school award that has been achieved by our teaching staff's dedication to providing high quality P.E. lessons, sporting encouragement and opportunities for all.

 

BERKSHIRE School Games − Get Berkshire Active

The Berkshire School Games hold a number of events where they aim to:

  • Drive local development to TACKLE INEQUALITES by
    • championing new events & formats
    • providing POSITIVE EXPERIENCES for all young people by ensuring our events are MEMORABLE MOMENTS
    • creating events specifically aimed at key groups and setting ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA to enable schools to identify these pupils
    • providing additional activities and experiences on our event days that profile opportunities to be ACTIVE for 60 MINUTES everyday
  • Provide HIGH QUALITY Competition for Pathway competitions.

The School Games involves funded School Games Organisers (SGOs) at a local level working alongside schools to create an annual calendar of competition - the Wokingham SGO is Gwenda Lappin.

What is the School Games?

The School Games consists of three unique types of competition:

  • Intra-School Competition
  • Local Inter-School Competition
  • School Games County Provision/Offer

The Berkshire School Games believe that PE & Sport not only has a role to play in developing a lifelong love of being physically active but also supports the development of the whole child.

To help them shape their events, they are using the 5 ME in PE principles and assigned each event to one of these 5 principles. The descriptors for each of the principles emphasises the philosophy of each event and the eligibility criteria informs who the event is aimed at (and in some cases those who it is not).

When we commit to sending a team to one of the Berkshire School Games events, we carefully consider how we can engage different pupils for those events that are not 'open to all'. With this in mind, we prioritise pupils:

  • who do not engage well in P.E. & after school clubs
  • who lack motivation & confidence
  • with poor physical fitness
  • who are non team-games players
  • identified with low self esteem
  • SEND pupils


The School Games aims to provide every child with a positive experience in an environment where the young person's motivation, competence and confidence are at the centre of the event.

My confidence has really grown playing sport for the school and without the opportunity I would never have tried myself out against children from other schools.

Year 6 child