School Games
Young Athletes are ready to battle it out in the largest School Games event in the Country!!
After the success of last year’s pilot event, the Greater Manchester School Games will be even bigger this year having been split into two multi sport events – the Winter and Summer Games.
On Tuesday 27th March an estimated two thousand athletes will participate in the Winter games. This festival of sport will showcase twenty competitions utilising some of Manchester’s world class sporting facilities. The sports involved are: Athletics, Boccia, Gymnastics, Hockey, New Age Kurling, Rowing, Rugby Union, Swimming, Table Tennis, Volleyball and Water Polo. Teams from Primary, Secondary and Special Schools across the County will win the right to compete in the Winter Games having qualified through their local leagues and tournaments.
In true Olympic and Paralympic style, the event will reflect the traditions of the Cultural Olympiad and begin with an Opening Ceremony at the Regional Athletics Centre. This will involve a wide variety of dance, music and artistic performances including the winners of a school band competition and chart toppers Rizzle Kicks officially opening the Games alongside Key 103 who will once again be supporting the School Games. They are setting up a School Games Radio, a dedicated web-radio through which schools, teachers and parents can listen to commentary and reports throughout the day in addition to running a young reporters competition which will enable 10 young, budding sport journalists to be trained by Key103 in the build-up to the event. They will then be deployed across all sites on the day to provide a unique insight into the event from the eyes of young people and report on the School Games radio.
The Greater Manchester School Games aims to further revive the culture of competitive sport in schools and is a key part of the Government’s plans for a lasting sporting legacy from hosting the London 2012 Games. This exciting new concept will harness the power of the Olympics and Paralympics and is designed to motivate and enthuse more young people than ever before to participate in high quality, meaningful competition within and across schools, supporting them in achieving their own personal best in sport and in life.
The event is being managed by the Greater Manchester Sports Partnership (on behalf of the Local Organising Committee) however the bulk of the workforce will be made up of young leaders and volunteers. Over 200 ‘School Games Crew’ members have been recruited and will be deployed in a variety of roles such as officials, site managers and sports reporters.
Julie Hazeldine, Chair of the local organising committee and head teacher of Flixton Girls School and specialist Sports College comments:
“We have schools from across all 10 boroughs of Greater Manchester coming together to make the Greater Manchester School Games the largest in the country. With the Olympics just around the corner there is a real excitement around sport and maybe for some of the young athletes taking part this will inspire them on their own Olympic journey.”
Councillor Mike Amesbury, Manchester City Council Executive Member for Culture and Leisure said:
“In Manchester we are very proud of our reputation for hosting major sports events, and the School Games a great example of how we are able to co-operate with partners across Greater Manchester to give our schoolchildren a day to remember. I am sure that the Games will give all participants some extra inspiration to become involved in sport and physical activity on a regular basis, and there is no better time to do this with the upcoming Olympic and Paralympic Games just around the corner.”
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School Games Kitemark Information
The School Games kitemark launches in January 2012 to reward schools for their commitment to the development of competition across their school and into the community via club links.
Schools in England will be able to assess themselves across Bronze, Silver and Gold levels of the kitemark from January, with the first schools being awarded their kitemark in July 2012.
To gain any level of the kitemark, all schools are required to meet the following pre-requisites:
- Registered online for School Games
- Registered on Get Set Network
- Registered for Lloyds TSB National School Sport Week
- Have a dedicated notice board promoting School Games activity
- Can evidence adoption of, commitment to and promotion of School Games values
- Have a system in place to capture information on participation in School Games activity
- Can provide clear evidence of offering opportunities for the less active young people to take part in regular sporting activity
- Can provide evidence of all their pupils taking part in at least two hours physical education during curriculum time each week
- Can provide evidence of having run a Level 1 School Games Day (including a strong cultural element) and of being committed to do this every year
- Can provide evidence that meaningful opportunities are provided for disabled students to take part in competitions
At Bronze, Silver and Gold Levels, schools will assess themselves on a number of elements including:
- The provision of approved NGB School Games Level one and Level two competitions for both boys and girls in any one academic year
- Their engagement of students in leading, managing and officiating in the School Games activity
- Their offer of participation and competition opportunities for pupils to take part in extra-curricular sporting activity at least every month.
Schools will be able to complete an on line application form via the new School Games website being launched in January. Registered schools will be sent an email to activate their account before then.
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SCHOOL GAMES
In the run up to the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, your school has the chance to boost your existing work in school sport to create a year-round calendar of competition for all your students.
The School Games, starting in September 2011, is a celebration of competitive sport that will involve all young people in years 3 to 13, of all abilities and backgrounds. The School Games is made up of four levels of competition:
Level 1: Intra-school competition, culminating in a School Games day
Level 2: Regular inter-school competition between schools at a local level
Level 3: Annual county/area culmination of inter-school competitions – School Games Festivals
Level 4: National multi-sport event
Find out more by downloading the School Games Prospectus from https://www.yourschoolgames.com
