The Football Association supported by Barclays and the Youth Sport Trust have recruited a network of education-based partnerships with schools throughout England. Known as FA Girls’ Football School Partnerships - supported by Barclays, they are strategic partnerships with families of schools that are committed to the growth and development of girls’ football.
Through this infrastructure, we aim to develop innovative ways to deliver football for girls, improving participation from their very first experience; creating an active and confident generation of inspired female footballers, coaches, officials, leaders, activists and marketeers.
Our collective vision is to provide every girl with equal access to football in school by 2024, by giving girls the same opportunities as boys to:
During the 2019/20 academic year 100 FA Girls’ Football School Partnerships – supported by Barclays were operating; increasing to 150 in 2020/21, with a vision to create a network of 300 by 2024.
For each partnership the number of schools varies from 30-300 schools. In the 2019/20 academic year this totalled just over 6500 engaged across the programmes.
A champion school that leads on all girls’ football in the local area, co-ordinating across a family of primary, secondary and special schools. They are part of a pre-existing network of schools with a history of collaborating and working together.
Each of the FA Girls’ Football School Partnership – supported by Barclays has a dedicated education expert for this programme, known as a Partnership Strategic Lead. Strategic Leads are employed by the host school, so fully embedded in to every day school life. The investment from Barclays pays for their release, so they have dedicated time to focus on girls’ football. The Strategic Lead will explain the benefits of providing football for girls to Headteachers and Heads of PE, such as the positive impact it can have on their confidence and well-being. They will provide support and advice on what football programmes will best suit girls in particular schools.
Schools have to apply direct to the Youth Sport Trust (FA school delivery partner), during an annual application window period (usually April/May). Applications are then accessed by a selection panel of representatives from the Youth Sport Trust and Football Association, against a set of criteria sent to interested schools prior to application.
Each Partnership has an assigned Lead Inclusion School who have a role to ensure girls with SEN/D are able to access opportunities and fall in love with football, they will offer:
As we look to build the network there will be opportunities each academic year for new Partnerships to come on board. If you would like to express an interest in becoming a FA Girls’ Football School Partnership – supported by Barclays please contact us.