Education and Training Awards 2026 | 11 Working across three English counties, Lincolnshire-based Elite Sport Academy is a professional coaching company supporting partner primary schools through its delivery of curricular and extracurricular sports clubs. It also regularly runs accessible sports clubs for the local community, from holiday clubs to elite-level football coaching. Each of these sporting provisions is delivered by Andrew and this team, all of whom hold professional status with the Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport & Activity (CIMPSA). This leads to high-quality sessions in their own right, but it also sees the team work closely with the teaching staff at primary schools to ensure children receive continuous professional development when it comes to their education in sport. Because Andrew believes the role of his team is to deliver high-level teaching/coaching and sports opportunities to the next generation, he has partnered with local councils and Active Lincolnshire in recent years, allowing him to reach as many young people as possible. This has resulted in safe environments for children during school holidays through the holiday activities and food (HAF) programme, as well as summer swim sessions to help children learn to swim. The latter is vital, given Lincolnshire’s many lakes and rivers. One of the provisions that Elite Sport Academy is the most proud of is its private football academy, which is led by a team of coaches with a background in elite football. Designed to bridge the gap between grassroots football and professional academies, participants can enjoy sessions delivered by UEFA-qualified coaches, as well as regular showcase fixtures, and even a European tour programme. Sport is something that can bring children together, as well as keeping them active and healthy. This makes it a fundamental part of primary education, both during school hours and outside of them. Recognising the importance of these opportunities for every child, Elite Sport Academy Limited sees Andrew Tidswell and his team of professional coaches give youngsters the best possible chance in sport. We caught up with Andrew following his second consecutive win in our Education and Training Awards. Best Primary Sports Educators 2026 – England Another immense source of pride for Andrew is the relationship he has built with the team behind the M2 (Where Movement and Mindfulness Meet) programme. Andrew explained: “Research shows that, from KS2, young girls tend to start to drop out of physical activity for a variety of reasons. Partnering with M2, we are trying to change those statistics. Having already enrolled in many programmes in Lincolnshire and Cambridgeshire, the feedback we have received has been overwhelming.” Every day, as Elite Sport Academy looks to change the way young people look at and access sport, it is guided by the same values of unity, progression, and humility, three guiding principles that have served it well for almost 15 years. Although these values remain unchanged, one thing that certainly has not is the team, which has grown massively to encompass a variety of knowledge and experience across a whole host of sports and education settings. “We have many coaches working with us now who had been coached by us in their primary and youth years”, Andrew told us. “We are also inundated with requests for work experience, which again are all former children who have been coached by the team.” This means a great deal to Andrew, and speaks volumes of the impact that the company and its team have in the lives of the young people they serve. These individuals have made Elite Sport Academy a trusted name across Lincolinshire and the surrounding counties, one that is passionate about making a difference to its local community. Since Lincolnshire is the UK’s second largest county by area, it is no surprise that there are many isolated parts, making it difficult for children to access sports clubs. Unfortunately, the county is also above average for obesity in young people, making the company’s work both inside and outside of schools critical. On the back of this, the future remains bright for Andrew and the team, with plans in place to explore more avenues with partners to bolster their impact and reach more young people throughout the region. Specialist sessions and mentoring programmes are also close to being finalised, allowing every child who participates in a club run by Elite Sport Academy to not only enjoy sport, but also to build the confidence and skills that will serve them well as they progress through school and beyond. More on all of the programmes, camps, and other sessions offered at Elite Sport Academy Limited can be found below. Contact: Andrew Tidswell Company: Elite Sport Academy Limited Web Address: https://elitesportsacademy.co.uk/
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