In 2011, 1,600 elite school-aged athletes participated in the event across twelve sports: athletics, badminton, cycling, fencing, gymnastics, hockey, judo, rugby sevens, swimming, table tennis, volleyball, and wheelchair basketball.
The UK School Games was an annual event for the most talented school-age[clarification needed] athletes, whereas the new School Games is a year-round, inclusive sports competition that’s designed to get young people of all ages[clarification needed] and abilities enjoying the benefits of competitive sport.
There is a new pyramid structure in place and school-aged pupils will compete at four levels: The number of sports involved in the games will also increase to around 30.
The 2012 School Games started in September 2011 and culminated in the national event being held in May 2012 in London.
The four-day national event took place across a range of sporting venues around London, with the final day of action set in the Olympic Park in Stratford using some key Olympic 2012 venues, including the main stadium.