22 April 2026
SFW26 Huge Success!
As Schools’ Football Week in association with Pokémon concludes for another year, we wanted to say a massive thank you to our partners for their continued support for the event this year, as we saw a huge increase in participation numbers.
We are thrilled to announce that 315,272 children from 4-18 years of age participated in Schools’ Football Week across England, with 1502 schools joining in the football fun.
Overall participation surged year on year, with player numbers up 60% and school involvement rising by 46%. Most notably, girls’ engagement saw a significant boost – since 2025, an additional 13,626 girls have taken part in Schools’ Football Week.
We saw lots of your activities underway across the week as far afield as Gateshead, Chorley and Runcorn with lots of creativity and different ways for students to participate in football activities.
The ESFA team visited Grove Primary School in Handsworth, Birmingham, where pupils from reception up to year 6 took part in various football activities. The reception children practised their balancing and learned to dribble the ball, weaving in and out of cones. We saw two potential England Lionesses of the future with great control of the ball, showing their determination to improve and score goals.
Year 5 girls practised skills and drills in the school’s sports arena, and Year 6 boys had an energetic match concluding with an intense penalty shootout, proving that even as a city centre school with limited outdoor space, the teachers were able to be creative with their resources to maximise the enjoyment the students got from playing football. Years 2 and 3 got creative with the Pokémon worksheets, creating their own Pokémon characters and trading cards, and as always, the Fun Packs were very popular and incentivised the children to create some real masterpieces.
Grove Primary School was one of our 100 Trailblazer Schools, selected for their enthusiasm and imaginative use of football within their lesson planning. What was clear to us was the joy and passion both staff and pupils had in enjoying football and including sport into their daily activities.
Head Teacher Ms Baker from Grove Primary School shared her thoughts on why other schools should apply to SFW2027.
You can see all the action from the day here:
We also visited Moreton School in Wolverhampton; their Trailblazer School application covered such a wide variety of football activities we had to see it in person! Their commitment to their wider community and sharing their sports facilities, resources and skill sets with other local schools was a standout reason for us to give them Trailblazer status
English Schools Football Association Pokemon Schools Football Week at Moreton School on Wednesday 25th March 2026 (c) Garry Griffiths | ThreeFiveThree Photography
Every week Moreton School invites their partner school, Penn Hall School to use their indoor sports arena and during Schools’ Football Week the sixth form Rising Star students led a pan-disability football tournament for the students with disabilities, physical difficulties and neurodiversity. It was competitive and filled with passion and laughter as mixed teams played, supported and coached by the Moreton staff and Rising Stars pupils.
English Schools Football Association Pokemon Schools Football Week at Moreton School on Wednesday 25th March 2026 (c) Garry Griffiths | ThreeFiveThree Photography
English Schools Football Association Pokemon Schools Football Week at Moreton School on Wednesday 25th March 2026 (c) Garry Griffiths | ThreeFiveThree Photography
Bushbury Hill Primary School pupils were invited to experience a coaching session outside on the schools multi use games area with the elite players from the school’s PSG Academy West Midlands and sixth form rising stars. They adapted their coaching sessions to be more primary-age appropriate focusing on technique and control of the ball, rounded off with a penalty shootout. The pupils then moved into the classrooms where they had a discussion on how the Pokémon characters have different abilities, and how pupils can use their strengths to work together as a team. They created their own Pokémon trading cards and shared their own key characteristics.
English Schools Football Association Pokemon Schools Football Week at Moreton School on Wednesday 25th March 2026 (c) Garry Griffiths | ThreeFiveThree Photography
English Schools Football Association Pokemon Schools Football Week at Moreton School on Wednesday 25th March 2026 (c) Garry Griffiths | ThreeFiveThree Photography
Future talent was on show when the PSG Academy West Midlands’ elite players had one-on-one coaching with their teacher to improve agility and shooting
English Schools Football Association Pokemon Schools Football Week at Moreton School on Wednesday 25th March 2026 (c) Garry Griffiths | ThreeFiveThree Photography
English Schools Football Association Pokemon Schools Football Week at Moreton School on Wednesday 25th March 2026 (c) Garry Griffiths | ThreeFiveThree Photography
English Schools Football Association Pokemon Schools Football Week at Moreton School on Wednesday 25th March 2026 (c) Garry Griffiths | ThreeFiveThree Photography
We later caught up with the Rising Stars pupils and asked them how Schools’ Football Week had benefited them and asked Head Teacher Mr Williams why other schools should get involved in 2027.
See the day in full here, with highlights and interviews with both staff and pupils:
We will soon be launching Schools Football Week 2027 soon! More information to follow.
