Sports Day Medals & Certificates for Schools

Medals for winners, medals for all, or both?

Schools take different approaches, and there's no single right answer. Some award gold, silver and bronze medals for the top three in each race. Others give every child a participation medal so nobody goes home empty-handed. Many do both: a participation medal for everyone, with gold, silver and bronze for each event's placings.

For reception and key stage 1, participation medals often work best. Younger children are thrilled to receive a medal for taking part, and it keeps the focus on fun. In key stage 2 and secondary, placings matter more to pupils and help reward pupils who have trained hard.

Working out how many sports day medals you need

For placings, count the number of events per year group and multiply by three for gold, silver and bronze. Remember that some events run as separate boys' and girls' races, which doubles the count. For participation medals, simply count every pupil taking part and add a few spares for visitors and new starters.

Here's a worked example for a primary school with seven year groups, each running six events with one combined race per event: 7 × 6 = 42 events, so 42 gold, 42 silver and 42 bronze medals – 126 in total. If the school also gives every one of its 210 pupils a participation medal, the total rises to 336 plus spares.

Choosing the right medals for school sports day

• Generic medals with a centre disc are versatile and can carry a running or multisport centre.
• Gold, silver and bronze finishes make placings clear, even for the youngest pupils.
• Ribbon colours can match school colours, or use different colours for each house.
• Smaller, lighter medals are comfortable for younger children to wear all afternoon.
• A custom medal with the school badge is available on request for schools that want something unique each year.

Pairing medals with certificates

Certificates are a brilliant partner to medals because they can recognise things a medal can't, such as best effort, great sportsmanship, encouraging teammates or a personal best. Most schools design and print certificates in-house using the pupil's name and event.

A simple approach is a medal for placings and a certificate for every child, or a participation medal for everyone with certificates for special mentions. Either way, children get something to wear and something to keep.

House trophies and overall awards

If your school runs a house system, a house cup is the natural headline award. A traditional cup on a base, engraved with the house name and year, can be presented at the end of the day and displayed in reception until next year. Cups on our site range from £2.25 to £31.50, with a typical cup around £12.50.

You might also add a small number of individual trophies, such as Sports Day Champion for each key stage or a Sportsmanship Award chosen by staff. Achievement trophies on our site range from £2.50 to £31.50.

Handing out medals on the day

A little organisation goes a long way on a busy sports field. Sort medals into trays or bags by year group and finish before the day starts, and give each event marshal or teacher the medals for their events. That way placings can be awarded straight after each race while the excitement is fresh.

Older pupils make excellent helpers. Year 6 or sixth-form sports leaders can present medals to younger children, which gives them responsibility and makes the moment special for the little ones. Keep participation medals for the end of the day, when every child can receive theirs together in a final celebration.

Budget and ordering timeline

Medals on our site range from £1.25 to £9.75, with a typical design around £2 before bulk discount. Because sports day orders usually run into the hundreds, schools benefit from our progressive discounts at roughly 25, 50 and 100+ items. If your PTA funds awards, a whole-school order is often one of the most visible things they can pay for.

Summer term is a busy time for school, club and tournament awards. Larger bulk orders typically take 10–14 working days, so aim to confirm your order at least three to four weeks before sports day. Message us on WhatsApp with your pupil numbers, events and date for a free quote, and we can invoice the school directly once you approve it.