The 2025/26 Competition Calendar at a Glance

Three competitions sit at the heart of the inter-school year. Basketball runs as a multi-week league; table-tennis and badminton run as one- or two-day festivals because of venue and equipment constraints. The full calendar lives on the competition calendar page — what follows is the headline shape.

The Leeds North West Y5/6 Basketball League — Format, Venues, Dates

The basketball league is the partnership's longest-running team competition. Six-team pools play a group stage of five matches each, with the top two from each pool advancing to a finals day. Matches are 2 × 8-minute halves with running clock except final two minutes; FIBA-style step rules apply with mini-basketball relaxations for primary age (no shot clock, 5-on-5 with 2-minute substitution windows).

Hosted at Greenfield Sports Academy with finals day at the partnership's affiliated secondary site. Each team registers a squad of 8–10; mixed-gender teams are standard. Officiating is shared between secondary sports leaders (KS3) and partnership coaches — see the officiating section below.

Y3/4 Badminton Festival — Format and Skill Focus

The Y3/4 festival is intentionally non-tournament — it's a skill-development day with light competitive elements rather than a knockout. The format runs three carousels in the morning (forehand serve, overhead clear, racket-control footwork) and a singles round-robin in the afternoon using shortened nets and shuttle-cocks weighted for indoor halls.

Two pupils per school enter as singles competitors plus a wider squad of up to six who participate in the carousels. No school-vs-school score is published; each pupil receives a personal best-of-day card. The aim is exposure rather than ranking.

Y5/6 Table-Tennis Festival — Singles, Doubles and Inclusion Categories

Y5/6 table-tennis runs three brackets concurrently: singles round-robin, doubles knockout, and an inclusion category for pupils with SEND profiles or limited mobility (seated play, larger ball, slower-bounce table).

Each school enters up to four pupils across the brackets. The inclusion category uses a points-per-match format rather than knockout to ensure every entrant plays four matches. Officials are partnership coaches plus England Table Tennis volunteer umpires.

Officiating, Rule Variations and Equipment for Each Sport

Each sport carries primary-age adaptations to the standard NGB rule books. Schools receive the full local rule sheet with the entry confirmation pack — what follows is the headline read.

Officiating is shared between partnership coaches, Sports Leaders (KS3/4 pupils trained through the Sports Leaders programme) and parent volunteers who've completed a 90-minute officials' briefing. We always confirm the officials' deployment in the pre-event email.

How Schools Enter, Withdraw or Reschedule Fixtures

Entry follows the standard partnership route: an online form at least three weeks before the fixture. The form captures team numbers, inclusion-category entries, dietary or accessibility considerations and the lead teacher's contact.

Withdrawals impact pool balance, so we ask for at least 7 days' notice. Late withdrawals don't carry a financial penalty — but they may affect priority for the following season's leagues. Rescheduling is possible for unavoidable clashes (other partnership events, school trips); we generally absorb one per school per year.

Inclusion and Disability Categories Across Festivals

Inclusion categories run alongside the standard brackets at every festival listed here. The principle is parity — same venue, same day, same medals presentation. Adapted equipment is provided on request when entering. Pupils with SEND profiles are also welcome in the standard brackets if that's the right fit.

The partnership's broader inclusion calendar (Panathlon-style multi-sport days, Change for Life festivals, boccia and new-age kurling) is published separately on the Leeds inclusion calendar page.

FAQs from Teachers and Sports Leaders