Why our school convinced the critics and led the way on esports education

Huw Powell

When we announced the launch of our school’s state-of-the-art Esports Suite – one of the first of its kind in Wales – it’s fair to say there were a few raised eyebrows.

While many people shared our excitement at this incredible facility and the investment in our pupils’ futures, some were less convinced that esports had any place in education.

Some of the misconceptions we heard included concerns that we would be allowing children to waste time playing video games instead of learning, and assertions that young people should be spending less time on screens, not more.

We knew that such an innovative development in a school setting would take a bit of getting used to, but the fact is we’ve chosen to invest in an Esports Suite to enhance our curriculum offer. This is not a leisure facility, but an important learning resource. At its heart, our decision reflects our belief that schools must prepare young people for the world they will enter, not the one we remember.

For those who might not have heard of esports, it is organised, competitive gaming played at both professional and amateur levels and watched by millions of people worldwide. It is a rapidly growing industry with projected revenues of £3.5 billion globally, and £184 million in the UK.

We recognised the popularity and importance of esports, and decided it should be part of the wide curriculum we offer to pupils at Mary Immaculate High School. We are proud to be one of the first schools in Wales – and indeed the UK – to have a purpose-built facility dedicated to this fast-growing and exciting subject. The suite contains 25 gaming PCs, on which pupils will be able to access games
such as Overwatch 2, League of Legends, Minecraft and Fortnite, as well as two Formula 1 Simulators.

Crucially, esports is not just about playing, it is about the ecosystem around it. Esports is already opening doors to a wide range of career pathways, from data analysis and game development to marketing and events management. For example, the military is actively recruiting gamers to operate drones, the events industry needs people to organise large-scale esports tournaments, and the technology sector requires IT professionals to build and maintain the infrastructure needed for these events to take place.

As educators, we have to move away from thinking within the boundaries of traditional subject areas to thinking about what careers are going to be available in the future, and what contemporary qualifications are available that will give pupils the transferable skills they need for those careers.

Esports can help pupils develop skills including teamwork, data analysis, communication, strategic thinking and digital literacy, among others.

That’s why our pupils will have the opportunity to study the subject as part of the Key Stage 4 curriculum, with a BTEC in Esports being offered from Year 9. To be eligible to take the course, pupils must have an attendance rate of at least 90 per cent. This has already led to a boost in attendance among our current Year 8 cohort.

Central to the development of our Esports Suite was our commitment to making it a genuinely pupil-led initiative. From the earliest stages, pupils have been actively involved in shaping the project, giving them a sense of ownership. This has included voting on the school’s esports team name – The Icons – and its logo, but more importantly it has encouraged pupils to see themselves as partners in their learning.

The introduction of our Esports Suite is not about encouraging more screen time or turning our school into a games room. It is about recognising where the world is heading and ensuring our pupils are equipped with the skills, knowledge and confidence they need to thrive within it. By embracing emerging industries, listening to our pupils, and rethinking what a modern curriculum can look like, we are preparing young people not just to pass exams, but to succeed in the future they will inherit.

Huw Powell is the Headteacher of Mary Immaculate High School in Cardiff