School Games Mark 2025/26: application window extended

25th August 2026

An update from School Games:

We wanted to let you know first that we will be extending the opportunity for schools to submit their applications. We are aware that it was a busy end to the school year, especially given the unprecedented weather and the associated impact and that the announcements from DfE regarding the PE and Sport Premium funding made things even more tricky in engaging your schools. These unusual circumstances have led us to this short extension.

We are also aware that some schools who have previously engaged haven’t yet submitted their application; we hope this additional opportunity will give them the chance to complete their application without the need for the usual last-minute chasing and requests that SGOs receive. These requests tend to stem from:

  • schools whose applications are locked as in progress at the end of the window
  • schools who previously applied in 2024/25 and had yet to reapply
  • schools who should have reapplied for Platinum as their one-year grace has passed

These schools are the ones we will email to encourage them to apply.

The application window will now remain open from today until Friday 18 September 2026, with this extension aligning with the verification window.

We appreciate that this is different from our usual approach, but we hope it will help ensure your local schools which intended to apply for 2025/26 have the opportunity to do so. It will also help us manage the influx of queries we get after the window closes and again at the start of the new window.

We are making the SGO network aware of this first, ahead of communicating the extension directly to the three groups of schools above. Please encourage any schools in your area that have not yet submitted their application or renewed their Platinum application to take advantage of the additional time.

School Games Mark will be back with the new criteria for 2026/27 during our celebration week, beginning 21 September, via our social channels – please use this as an opportunity to celebrate their successes, as well as plan ahead for the new window in 2027.

Thank you, as always, for your support with the School Games Mark.

To access the School Games website – click HERE

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