Image depicts young school pupils enjoying a flag football session in the morning on March 6

The Programme includes sport sessions with University athletes as well as interactive sport-related workshops led by Oxford academics and departments. Image credit: Andy Bailey

Published

11 Mar 2025

More than 70 local school pupils will attend Oxford for sport and education as community initiative doubles in size

A programme that combines sport and education to inspire and create opportunities for young people in the city is doubling in size this year, with more than 70 pupils from six local secondary schools coming to the University to take part.

The Oxford Young Sport Leaders Programme began as a pilot with Greyfriars School in the autumn of 2023 and includes sport sessions with University athletes and interactive sport-related workshops led by Oxford academics and departments.

The success of the pilot led to an expansion of the Programme in 2024, when The Oxford Academy and Oxford Spires Academy joined Greyfriars School in a joint programme last summer. Twelve boys and girls in Year 8 from each school came together to spend one day a week at the University over four weeks. Each day included participation in a different sport, ranging from American football to athletics, rowing and basketball, lunch at an Oxford college, and educational workshops.

University students leading a flag football session on March 6

University students lead a flag football session.

Image: Andy Bailey

Feedback from schools, teachers and parents was highly positive, so in 2025 the scheme is expanding once again; growing from three schools to six.

The first four-week Programme launched on March 6, with The Oxford Academy, Oxford Spires Academy and Greyfriars School enjoying a flag football session in the morning, lunch at Christ Church and ‘Teamwork Makes the Dream Work’ with Dr Martha Newson in the afternoon.

The Swan School, Cherwell School and Cheney School are joining the Programme this year and will be taking part in June.

One highlight will be the athletics session including ‘Bannister Mile’, where the school pupils will race one another in relay to take on Sir Roger’s time at Iffley Road.

Extraordinary experience

Oliver Cook, Senior Programme Manager at the Oxford SDG Impact Lab, and former Olympian and Oxford student, coordinates the Programme. He said: ‘'I am incredibly proud to say that the Oxford Young Sport Leaders Programme is not only continuing but doubling in size this year to work with more than 70 school children from six state secondary schools across Oxford city.

One of the great strengths of the programme is seeing so many different parts of the University come together to put on an extraordinary experience for these groups of Oxford-based school children
Oliver Cook, Senior Programme Manager

‘One of the great strengths of the programme is seeing so many different parts of the University come together to put on an extraordinary experience for these groups of Oxford-based school children. We have three Colleges supporting, Christ Church, Trinity and St Hilda’s, and four University sports teams volunteering to make the Programme a success – the American football team, ‘the Lancers’, the Oxford Blues basketball team, the cross country and athletics clubs, and Oxford University Boat Club (OUBC).’

Nine student members of Vincent’s Club, whose membership consists predominantly of sporting Blues, will be providing the mentorship and delivery of the entire Programme.

Oxford academics and departments also involved include Dr Tom Crawford, Dr Arran Davis, Dr Martha Newson, and the Football on the Brain team based at the Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging at the John Radcliffe Hospital.

Image depicts school pupils enjoying 'Teamwork Makes the Dream Work’ with Dr Martha Newson (pictured) in the afternoon

The first four-week Programme launched on March 6, including a flag football session in the morning, lunch at Christ Church and ‘Teamwork Makes the Dream Work’ with Dr Martha Newson (pictured) in the afternoon. Image: Andy Bailey

This year, all aspects of the programme have been developed to achieve learning outcomes associated with an educational concept based on the interplay between three modes of learning: Hand, Head and Heart.

Oliver adds: ‘Alongside this four-week programme, last year we also ran an Oxford PowerHouse Games in partnership with the disability inclusion charity Power2Inspire that saw the same school pupils come back for a day of inclusive sports alongside the Special Educational Needs (SEN) school John Watson. Something we are planning on running again twice in 2025.

Image depicts school pupils on a tour of Christ Church collage

College tour.

Day one included lunch at Christ Church followed by a tour of the college. Image: Andy Bailey

‘Sport has given me so much. It was a big part of my time while I was studying at Oxford, and I was so fortunate to turn my sport into a career. I believe sport can be a great platform for bringing people together and I think this Programme is a brilliant example of the kind of thing the University of Oxford can do extraordinarily well with its brilliant resources and inspiring students.’

• The Oxford Young Sport Leaders Programme has directly led to a number of sport-related community projects: Falcon Boat Club now run rowing classes at Greyfriars School and Oxford Spires Academy; the Lancers won a grant from British Universities and Colleges Sport to run an after-school club at Greyfriars School; and BMW now fund RC Vision (that uses the fun of radio control cars to engage young people in STEM and were involved in the first pilot Programme) to run STEM-related educational sessions in Oxfordshire.

• The Oxford Young Sport Leaders Programme is generously funded and supported by Vincent's Club and the University’s ESRC Impact Acceleration Account award (Grant Ref: ES/X004511/1).