01 / SPORT AT SCHOOL
Bring sport into the school day.
Sport at School brings qualified coaches and different sports into the school day. Together with schools and local partners, we create opportunities for every child to enjoy movement and discover activities they love.
The Competence Centre for Physical Activity
Sport at School began in 2021 as a pilot programme led by the Estonian Olympic Committee (EOC). From 2021 to 2026, programme activities were led by the EOC. The programme expanded gradually in cooperation with county sports associations, local authorities and schools. In the 2024/2025 school year, 44 schools across Estonia took part.
Since 2026, the Competence Centre for Physical Activity has coordinated the programme’s continued delivery.
A good start to an active life
Age-appropriate activities and the joy of trying things together.
Movement within the school day
Each session lasts 45 minutes, led by a qualified coach.
More opportunities to explore
Different experiences help children discover their interests.
SEPTEMBER TO MAY
An active school day starts with us.
School, coach, sports club or municipality – your contribution can bring the joy of movement to more children.
Find your role in the programme
FIND YOUR STARTING POINT
Where would you like to begin?
Choose a topic. Open the options, then explore what matters to you.
A good start is an enjoyable experience.
Trying activities, supportive feedback and the child’s own interests help shape the next step. Explore the bigger picture or try the interests tool.
A shared plan makes starting easier.
Schedules, facilities and coaching need shared agreements. Explore each partner’s role or start with schools and local opportunities.
Turn possibilities into a considered next step.
Explore the published funding plan and try an expansion scenario for your area. Then see which agreements support participation.
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First an experience.
Then a path of their own.
Trying different sports helps children discover the activities they enjoy. Schools, coaches and families support their next steps together.
How do the pieces fit together?
Six pieces, one picture. Watch them settle into place. Open a piece to explore how interests, relationships and experiences of progress support development.
What do the studies support, and what remains to be measured?
2024Mapping school sports conditionsSpordikoolituse ja -Teabe SAExplore findings
2025Sport Koolis and Sport Kooli studyAntropoloogia KeskusExplore findings
2021/2022Estonian pupil growth study · COSITAI · latest published Estonian resultsExplore findingsStudy findings and implications
Mapping school sports conditions
Initiated by SA Liikumisharrastuse kompetentsikeskus; conducted by Spordikoolituse ja -Teabe SA.
The online survey received responses from 416 of 475 schools (88%). Data were collected from April to June 2024.
Working with coaches
311 schools worked with sports-club coaches in PE. p. 28
Equipment needs
349 schools identified missing sports equipment. p. 52
Shortage of instructors
189 schools identified instructor shortages as a barrier to running extracurricular sports groups. p. 44
Implications for Sport at School planning
Practical implication: match activities to coaches’ availability, facilities and equipment. Agree equipment sharing or borrowing and a time that fits the child’s school day.
The mapping describes responding schools’ conditions and assessments, not the causal impact of Sport at School. National proportions do not describe every school.
Open the 2024 report (PDF, Estonian) · methods pp. 7–10What do participants value?
In the 2025 qualitative study, participants described the value of discovering new activities, wellbeing and social interaction. The study covered both Sport Koolis and Tallinn’s Sport Kooli programme.
The study included 28 in-depth interviews with 35 participants, alongside observations and focus groups. Former participants could not be recruited and sport-oriented families may be overrepresented. The study describes participants’ experiences; it does not establish the programme’s causal or long-term effects.
Antropoloogia Keskus · 2025 · PDF · methods pp. 5–6, summary p. 29Estonian pupil growth study
The National Institute for Health Development’s pupil growth study is part of WHO Europe’s COSI surveillance. TAI’s latest published Estonian results cover the 2021/2022 school year: 17,969 pupils from grades 1, 4 and 7 at 203 schools took part.
Relevance to everyday movement
Sport at School can contribute to a supportive school environment through enjoyable, accessible movement and opportunities to try different activities. This is a practical connection to programme planning, not a programme effect measured by COSI.
COSI describes population-level growth indicators and trends. Its results are not an individual assessment of a child or an evaluation of Sport at School. The linked publication is the official results fact sheet.
TAI · COSI 2021/2022 · results fact sheet (PDF, Estonian)03 / SPORT AT SCHOOL
Find a school.
Explore its connections.
Find a school and explore local connections. Search by name or choose a county.
EOC pilot programme data for the 2024/25 school year. Ask the school about current participation.
All counties
Loading schools…
Map numbers show schools per county. Select a number to see the list.
Markers represent county centres. Select a county to explore schools from the pilot programme and learn about partner roles.
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One child’s journey.
Six partners working together.
Choose a partner. Explore their role, practical tasks and the next step together.
Following the pilot led by the Estonian Olympic Committee, the Competence Centre for Physical Activity coordinates the programme’s continued delivery. Schools, county sports unions, municipalities and sports clubs agree local arrangements, responsibilities and participation. Parents and carers support children’s participation and work with partners to find suitable ways to continue.
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Discover interests.
Support development.
Understanding a child’s interests and physical fitness helps support their development. Explore the tools and discuss what to try next together.
Select a number to read the guidance. Below the path, try the sliders for yourself. Go at your own pace.
The interests journey supports a conversation with the child. Use fictional values in the measurement introduction. Choices are cleared when you close or switch journeys. SportKompas and FitBack open as separate services.
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Impact needs measurement.
Growth needs a plan.
Explore programme funding and research findings. Use the calculator to estimate how many groups and coaching hours your area needs.
Sport and physical activity
2027 · PLANNED EXPANSION
More movement.
For more children.
Choose a figure to explore what the support enables.
More opportunities during the school day.
The Ministry of Culture has announced an additional two million euros for Sport at School in 2027. This is additional funding, not the programme’s total budget.
Bringing the joy of movement to more children.
The added support is intended to expand the programme from 120 to 620 classes. This is planned growth; participation by individual schools must be agreed with partners.
Qualified coaches support children’s development.
According to the announcement, nearly 90% of the added funding will go towards qualified coaches, connecting increased support directly with children’s instruction.
Which outcomes should we track next?
- Participation: how many children do sessions reach, and how consistently do they attend?
- Continuation: how many try club sessions and continue after 6 and 12 months?
- Experience and development: enjoyment, measured fitness and barriers to participation.
These indicators support planning for programme evaluation. Explore the existing study’s findings and limitations in ‘Why it matters’.
What if we reached every child?
Enter the number of pupils in grades 1–3 in your area, then choose group size and session frequency. The initial value of 300 is an example; replace it with your local figure.
Calculation and data limits
Pupils reached = pupils × coverage, rounded up. Groups = pupils reached ÷ group size, rounded up. Coaching hours = groups × weekly sessions × weeks × 45/60. The calculation estimates coaching workload. Assessing health effects and total costs requires additional data.
The calculation uses the data you enter and is not connected to a pupil register. For a more accurate estimate, use grade 1–3 pupil numbers for the relevant school year.
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The next step happens together.
For schools, participation starts with agreeing local arrangements. Families can ask their school which opportunities are available.
The joy of movement, in real life
Discover how schools have made room for movement. Every school has its own opportunities and its own story.
Room for movement in the school day
Elva’s school experience: playful activity breaks, different coaches and opportunities to find an activity to continue.
Experience · 2020–2023
First experiences, new possibilities
Stories from Audru and Pärnu-Jaagupi show how schools and local partners introduce children to new sports.
07.10.2022
How does movement fit into the school day?
A school example of using the long break and involving local coaches. Confirm current arrangements with the school.
School arrangements · checked 04.10.2026
Stories reflect experiences at the time. They do not confirm a school’s current participation or timetable.
Before the first session
How can a child take part?
Start with your school: ask whether it participates, which classes can take part and who to contact. The map shows pilot schools from the 2024/25 school year.
Does my child need previous sports experience?
The programme aims to give children opportunities to try different sports. Tell the instructor about your child’s experience and discuss a suitable way to start.
What should my child bring?
Ask the school or coach about clothing, footwear and equipment for the activity. Check what is provided before buying anything.
What if my child is hesitant to join in?
Listen to what makes starting difficult. Discuss with the instructor whether watching first, trying with a familiar companion or taking part briefly would help. Agree the next step with the child.
Can activities be adapted to my child’s needs?
Before starting, discuss participation needs with the school and instructor. Check access to spaces, support and possible activity adaptations.
When are sessions held, and is there a fee?
Local partners agree the timetable and participation arrangements. Ask your school about session times, travel home and any costs. Arrangements in earlier school stories may not apply to your school.
For schools and partners
- Map pupil numbers, suitable times, activity spaces and equipment needs.
- Discuss available coaches and clubs with the county sports union.
- Agree funding, responsibilities and feedback collection with the municipality and the Competence Centre for Physical Activity.
Earlier resources and school events 90
Explore earlier programme resources and school experiences. Stories reflect the time of publication; ask the school about current participation. Original titles remain in Estonian.
KOOLIDE LIIKUMISVÄLJAKUTSE “VUNKI JUURDE”
Kutsume kõiki kooliperesid liituma 06.03-22.05.2023 toimuva väljakutsega „Vunki juurde!“. Väljakutses osalemiseks tuleb teha videojäädvustus teie koolipere liikumispausist või mistahes muust liikumise
Open original page ↗Poolsada kooli andis liikumisega koolipäevale vunki juurde
Liikumisaasta koolide väljakutsest „Vunki juurde!“ võttis osa 59 kooli üle Eesti. Kolme kuu jooksul said koolipered jäädvustada liikumispause ja muid aktiivseid tegevusi, mis pakkusid liikumisrõõmu, n
Open original page ↗Tallinna Kunstigümnaasium
Open original page ↗Nissi Põhikool
Open original page ↗Last updated 19 October 2026 · Sport at School · programme information