Schools’ Competition Pathway
Table Tennis England organises schools competitions under the title ‘English Schools Table Tennis’.
The competition pathway for schools in England is organised by Table Tennis England as part of its wider competition structure.
Under the title English Schools Table Tennis, there are two National Schools Competitions - one for teams and the other for individuals.
Fifty-one Schools County Associations affiliated to Table Tennis England hold qualifying events in their counties across England. The winners then represent their schools counties in the Butterfly National Schools Competitions.
These competitions build upon the outstanding work of the English Schools Table Tennis Association which for 50 years organised the above events until it merged with Table Tennis England in 2017 and then dissolved itself in 2018.
For the 2025/26 Butterfly National Schools Team Championships, the Semi-Finals have been removed with the winner of each of the seven Area Finals progressing straight to the National Finals to play a progressive knockout with each team getting a finishing position between 1st-8th. The eighth place in the National Final will be awarded to the highest ranked runner-up team from the Area Finals.
Butterfly National Schools Championships
Team Championships
Pathway: Borough Finals > County Finals > Area Finals > National Finals
Entry fees are £37 per team
London & Essex
The 33 London Boroughs including the City of London and Essex (London Central, London, East, London North, London South, London West, Essex)
South East
Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, East Sussex, Hampshire & IoW, Kent, Oxfordshire, Surrey, West Sussex
South West
Avon, Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Gloucestershire, Somerset, Wiltshire
East
Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Hertfordshire, Leicestershire, Norfolk, Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire, Suffolk
West
Birmingham, Black Country, Derbyshire, Herefordshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire Warwickshire, Worcestershire
North East
Northumberland, Cleveland, Durham, Humber, Lincolnshire, North Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, Tyne & Wear, West Yorkshire
North West
Cheshire, Cumbria, Greater Manchester, Lancashire, Merseyside.
Area Finals
London:
TBC
Tournament Organiser: Rahul Naresh
The 33 London Boroughs including the City of London and Essex (London Central, London, East, London North, London South, London West, Essex)
South East:
Saturday 6th (u11 & u13) & Sunday 7th (u16 & u19) February 2027
Venue: Sir Robert Woodard Academy, Upper Boundstone Ln, Sompting, Lancing, BN15 9QZ
Tournament Organiser: Matt Porter
Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, East Sussex, Hampshire & IoW, Kent, Oxfordshire, Surrey, West Sussex
South West:
Sunday 7th February 2027
Eggbuckland Community College, Westcott Cl, Egg Buckland, Plymouth, PL6 5YB
Tournament Organiser: Graham Pearson.
Avon, Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Gloucestershire, Somerset, Wiltshire
East:
Saturday 6th (u11 & u13) & Sunday 7th (u16 & u19) February 2027
Highfield Table Tennis Club, 148 Highfield Road, Wellingborough, NN8 1PL
Tournament Organiser: Paul Nichols
Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Hertfordshire, Leicestershire, Norfolk, Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire, Suffolk
West:
Saturday 6th (u11 & u13) & Sunday 7th (u16 & u19) February 2027
Wood Green Academy, Wood Green Rd, Wednesbury, WS10 9QU
Tournament Organiser/s: Helen Lower
Birmingham, Black Country, Derbyshire, Herefordshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire Warwickshire, Worcestershire
North East:
Saturday 6th (u11 & u13) & Sunday 7th (u16 & u19) February 2027
Bradford Grammar School, Keighley Rd, Bradford, BD9 4JP
Tournament Organiser/s: Andrew Crabtree
Northumberland, Cleveland, Durham, Humber, Lincolnshire, North Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, Tyne & Wear, West Yorkshire
North West:
Saturday 6th (u11 & u13) & Sunday 7th (u16 & u19) February 2027 (All events may take place on Saturday 6th February 2027 depending on entry numbers)
Halton Table Tennis Club, Stadium Fitness, Lower House Lane, Widnes, Cheshire, WA8 7DZ
Tournament Organiser/s: Karen Tonge OBE
Cheshire, Cumbria, Greater Manchester, Lancashire, Merseyside.
Only winners progress to the National Finals with the exception of the highest ranked runner-up team from the Area Final also progressing.
Winners at Area Finals play at the Butterfly National Finals at WV Active Aldersley, Wolverhampton WV6 9NW on Sunday 25th April 2027
Individual Championships
Pathway: Borough Finals > County Finals > National Finals
Entry fees are £32.50 per entry
Under 19/16/13/11 age groups for boys/girls
National Finals: WV Active Aldersley, Wolverhampton WV6 9NW on Saturday 24th April 2027
Competition calendar
Details of the 2026/27 schedule will be published in due course, email us for further information.
Schools County Secretary
Each Schools County has a Secretary who is the first point of contact for your local competitions.
Selection criteria
Follow the link below to download a copy of the selection policy referring to schools international teams. NB: polices are kept under review and may be amended.
Representative teams are selected to play in:
- The International School Sport Federation (ISF) - World Schools’ Gymnasiade (Under 18 or Under 15 - decided by ISF)
- Senior Schools International Championships (under 18, under 16 and under 14 age groups)
- Primary Schools International Championships (under 11 age group)
Latest schools news
Express an interest in selection for European School Games 2026
The TTE Schools Committee intends to send a delegation to Croatia, to the European School Games as part of the International School Sports Federation (ISF) Under-18 Competition.
Help shape the future of table tennis in schools
For more than 50 years, table tennis in schools has been providing young people with opportunities to compete, develop their skills and create memories that last a lifetime in lessons, clubs and as they represent their school in competitions.
Senior Schools International 2026
England won five gold medals and 25 medals in total at the Senior Schools International in Cardiff.
School Competition Resources
To access the scorecards for your competition please click the link provided - School Competition Resources. When on the page the team scorecards are up the sectioned labelled ‘National Schools' Competition Resources’
