There have been a number of definitions of a school and club link in recent years by various agencies. Three have been selected to help to give a broader understanding as to the character and nature of a high quality school and club .

A school has links with a club when pupils are actively guided towards club activities, either in a quality assurance setting at the club itself, or on school premises. Activities on the school premises would include regular coaching sessions and out-of-hours clubs organised by the clubs coaches, but would not include one-off taster sessions.The document High Quality PE and Sport for Young People states that a school club link is effective when young people are enabled to make the most of their experiences in both settings, feel comfortable in a club and, as a result, are more likely to continue participating once they leave school and enable young people to try out new sports.

The subsequent guidance document entitled School Club Links a guide to recognising and achieving effective links between schools and sports clubs by the Dept of Culture Media and Sport and Dept for Education and Skills, in association with Sport School.