Is Sports Day still a beloved tradition?

Sports Day is a key date in the Davies Sports calendar, as we support primary schools in preparing for their summer event. But does it still have its place in our hearts or is it a dwindling tradition? We spoke to Dr Vicky Randall, a teacher educator, researcher and consultant specialising in Primary Physical Education for her take.

Sports Day. Is it still a beloved tradition?

For many primary schools across the UK, the summer term has become synonymous with sports day. Its origins can be traced back to the late 19th century, alongside the development of the physical education curriculum. Influenced by Victorian values, and with an emphasis on physical fitness and character development, sports day was initially a platform for amateur athletics, fostering competition and camaraderie. 

Over the years, this most cherished of schooling traditions has divided opinion with sports day being criticised for being ‘too competitive’, ‘overly pressurised’ and an excuse for ‘a day off from learning’.

While I empathise with the critics' concern over the value and purpose of sports day, I do believe there is much to be gained from whole school sporting events that champions physical activity and promotes a sense of togetherness.  

But we need to get it right.

In 2024, does sports day hold the same meaning and value as our Victorian predecessors intended?

In a recent poll on social media, I asked primary teachers if their school would be offering a traditional sports day this summer.  The outcome?  Sports day is still very much a popular annual event, with 83% answering ‘yes’.

While the world in which we live may be different to when sports day originated over 100 years ago, the importance of promoting physical activity is more important than ever. Sport England’s recent Active Lives survey reported that 30.2% of children are currently active for less than 30 minutes a day, and only 47% are meeting the Chief Medical Officer’s guidelines of 60+ minutes of activity a day.

Sports day on its own cannot transform the activity levels of children, but it can create an environment that promotes a positive association with physical activity and feelings of connectedness and belonging.

We are all likely to recall at least one sports day memory. What significance does this memory hold for you now, and has it informed your current view about what sports day is and should be?

Amy’s memory of sports day last year is captured not only in her words, but the picture she drew remembering her day. She understands sports day is about moving and being ‘healthy’ - but it’s not just about that. She recalls a community of people, smiling faces, the sun shining (despite the British weather being less than predictable!), lots of different activities and being part of a team - shown by the different coloured t-shirts of her school house system.

One of the first tasks I had as a new PE subject leader was to reimagine what sports day could be. Below are five different ways that shaped how this change took place.

1. If we value it, one day a year is not nearly enough. Sports day shouldn't be a tokenistic celebration of whole school physical activity.  Is it possible to commit to a week-long sporting event in the summer, or identify other times in the year where more house-based and year group activities can take place.

2. Celebrate many activities (not just athletics). If ‘sports day’ is to be a celebration of sport, then it should include more than just athletic activities. Children enjoy many activities across the year and throughout the PE curriculum. Including these activities in your sports day will give children familiar challenges to look forward to and build towards. 

3. Make it a cross-curricular experience. Sports day creates many opportunities to connect to other curriculum areas. Planning a term where learning is strengthened by, and for, sports day can make the event itself more meaningful. For example:

• Pupils making healthy energy bars that can be eaten on the day.
• Designing banners/posters they can use to cheer on their friends and teammates.
• Assign the class as sports day reporters, where pupils take photos, conduct interviews and write up a report for their class.

4. Champion inclusion: Sports Day should be for all children. A simple change to the activities on offer can have a big impact on participation. Below are some alternative inclusive activities to try out:

              New Age Bowls

              Goalball

              New Age Kurling

              Sitting Volleyball

5. A pupil-led project. Planning sports day can be a lot of work. Start early on in the year and build excitement and momentum by working with the children. Establish a pupil-led steering group, asking the children what they want their sports day experience to be about. Consider how pupils can be part of leading, planning, participating and reviewing its success.

Changing your school sports day doesn’t have to be drastic, and tradition doesn’t have to stand in the way. Asking what is important for children and the wider school community is an important first step.

Perhaps you will even establish new traditions that will last for generations to come?