School sports activities and competitions in Rutland will continue without interruption following a successful switch of organiser from Rutland County Council to Uppingham Community College.
Rutland County Council announced in October that it was looking to transfer responsibility for organising school sport activities, including the local School Games Partnership, to another host organisation, together with any grant funding it receives for this work.
Following an expression of interest process, Sport England has now confirmed that Uppingham Community College (UCC) will serve as the new host school for the School Games Organiser role. This means the college will oversee events and competitions for the remainder of the academic year.
The change follows discussions between Rutland County Council, Active Together Leicestershire, and six school representatives aimed at ensuring continuity of school sports events and competitions for children, now and in the future.
As a result of this process, all planned events and competitions for the current term will proceed as scheduled. The current programme will be overseen by an independent Sports Lead, familiar to schools, children, and families, ensuring a smooth delivery of activities.
A comprehensive review of the School Sports Partnership and School Games Organiser structure will commence in March 2025 and will be led independently by Active Together Leicestershire. The review will involve all Rutland schools and other stakeholders, with the aim of co-designing an improved model for school sports.
Rutland County Council will transfer all existing grant funds for the programme to UCC, including money for specific programmes like girls’ football, ensuring the delivery of events and competitions.
“It was important that we took steps to make sure school sport is delivered in a sustainable way and by the most appropriate organisation. We’d like to thank schools for working with us to achieve this. As a Council, we want to support active and healthy lives for adults and children of all ages, right across the County. The decisions made ensures continuity for the current school year and a bright future for sports in Rutland schools.”
Councillor Christine Wise, Portfolio Holder for Transport, Environment and Communities at Rutland County Council
“We are very happy to be hosting the School Sports Partnership and School Games offer at UCC for the remainder of the academic year and we look forward to the wider discussion about the future of the programme in the spring.”
Ben Solly, Principal at Uppingham Community College
