Press release

English Schools’ Football Association announces Schools’ Football Week return for 2025 in partnership with Pokémon and the Pokémon Primary Schools’ Cup

  • Over a quarter of a million children benefitted from Schools’ Football Week activity in 2024
  • The Schools’ Football Week partnership with The Pokémon Company International will create an inclusive and elevated campaign for 2025
  • Schools across England will create activity that shares the many benefits of schools’ football both on the pitch and in the classroom

London, United Kingdom – 15th January 2025 - The English Schools’ Football Association is delighted to be working in partnership with The Pokémon Company International for this year’s Schools’ Football Week (SFW) campaign, taking place from 31 March – 6 April 2025. Pokémon is already a valued, long-term partner of the English Schools’ FA, providing the Pokémon Primary Schools’ Cup to tens of thousands of children each season. The addition of Schools’ Football Week to the partnership will allow Pokémon and the ESFA to bring the far-reaching benefits of schools’ football to even more pupils, within a fun and friendly environment – from the pitch and into the classroom.
 
Schools across England are being encouraged to register for the 2025 SFW campaign, allowing the ESFA and Pokémon to see the scale of Schools’ Football Week activity that will be planned to take place right across the country during March and April. The campaign, which saw over a quarter of a million children benefit from some form of schools’ football activity in 2024, will be elevated in 2025 thanks to the increasing partnership between both parties, meaning that all schools taking part will truly be a part of something special.
 
This year, the ESFA and Pokémon will be searching for 250 “Trailblazer” schools, who pledge to carry out stand-out activities for their pupils, be it in the classroom utilising some of the classroom resources created for SFW or on the pitch, applying the SFW principles of teamwork, friendship and fun. SFW Trailblazers will receive additional resources within school to use within plans – whether it’s kitting out some school leaders in SFW t-shirts for activities, using Pokéball footballs in games or hosting a special assembly to present pupils with their Trailblazer certificates.
 
ESFA CEO, Andrea Chilton said: “We’re really excited about Schools’ Football Week this year, particularly now that our great friends at Pokémon are enhancing the campaign to get more children interested in the range of activities that football can inspire. Whether this is playing the game, creating fun artwork or learning about the history and culture of countries who play football, Schools’ Football Week can have something for everyone! Now it’s down to teachers to harness our resources then to use their imagination to help us to celebrate education together through the medium of schools’ football”
 
Peter Murphy, Senior Director of Marketing at the Pokémon Company International said: “We’re delighted to be extending our partnership with the ESFA to now include Schools’ Football Week. It’s an incredible opportunity to help spark a love of learning through the resources and activities we’re providing, designed to foster teamwork and empower young people through play and education. Together, we’re aiming to build a foundation for growth both on and off the pitch.”
 
Schools are encouraged to visit PokemonESFA.com to register their activity by 3 March 2025 ready for Schools’ Football Week to begin on the 31 March 2025.
 

About Pokémon
The Pokémon Company International, a subsidiary of The Pokémon Company in Japan, manages the property outside of Asia and is responsible for brand management, licensing, marketing, the Pokémon Trading Card Game, the animated TV series, home entertainment and the official Pokémon website. Pokémon was launched in Japan in 1996 and today is one of the most popular children’s entertainment properties in the world. For more information, please visit www.pokemon.co.uk.

About the English Schools’ FA
Since its formation in 1904, the English Schools’ Football Association has become the National Governing Body for Schools’ Football in England and has also run International squads since 1907. The ESFA is proud of its values, based on that of an educational establishment. This allows the ESFA to celebrate players who have chosen to build a secure foundation for themselves with qualifications, wherever their football careers may take them. The Association provides over 1 million footballing opportunities for school pupils in England, each year.   
The Association generates footballing activity for around 700,000 children across the country each season, with over 100,000 pupils taking part in National Schools’ Cup competitions. Working with sponsors such as PlayStation, Arnold Clark, Pokémon, and Panini, the ESFA consistently works to create new and improved opportunities for schools’ football players in England, whilst working hard to create equal and inclusive access to the sport, in particular its provision of girls’ football.  
 
The ESFA prides itself on its educational ethos and it values the importance of football in the classroom as much as on the pitch with the Association creating plenty of opportunities to celebrate all the wide-reaching benefits of Schools’ Football. For more information about the ESFA and its many campaigns, including Schools’ Football Week, you can visit the ESFA website or follow @schoolsfoootball on Twitter and Instagram