Schools invited to take part in Albion football programme

Brighton and Hove Albion is looking for local schools to take part in a programme that uses football to inspire young people to learn, be active and develop important life skills.
Moulsecoomb Primary School Celebration Day  Images taken during the Albion in the Community event on 22MAY2017 SUS-180406-154542001Moulsecoomb Primary School Celebration Day  Images taken during the Albion in the Community event on 22MAY2017 SUS-180406-154542001
Moulsecoomb Primary School Celebration Day Images taken during the Albion in the Community event on 22MAY2017 SUS-180406-154542001

With Premier League status secured for next season, Albion is planning to expand its Premier League Primary Stars programme from 16 local primary schools to 24.

The scheme is run by the club’s official charity, Albion in the Community (AITC), which provides selected schools with around ten weeks of support and activity to inspire pupils in everything from English and maths to teamwork and sport.

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Paul Williams, schools manager at AITC, said: “The response and feedback from schools involved so far has been incredibly positive and we can see the impact the project is having on pupils’ health and wellbeing as well as their confidence, behaviour and attainment.”

AITC’s sports mentors work with different schools each term, spending one day a week in each school and working with whole classes, small groups and individuals to deliver PE alongside football-themed literacy, personal, social and health education (PSHE) and numeracy lessons.

The charity now wants to hear from local schools interested in signing-up for the next academic year.

Any Sussex-based primary school can express an interest in taking part, with AITC particularly interested in working with those schools and young people most in need.

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The planned expansion follows positive feedback from schools which benefited from the scheme.

“We have loved being involved in the Premier League Primary Stars project this year,” said Jane Fendley, head teacher at St Mark’s CE Primary School in Brighton.

“The children were always incredibly excited about AITC coming in to work with them each week.

“The curriculum lessons, whether it was PE, literacy or PSHE, were all engaging and delivered with great enthusiasm and took into account the children’s differing needs.”

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Ms Fendley encouraged other Sussex schools to get involved and confirmed St Mark’s would be applying for next year’s programme before the 15 June deadline.

AITC will select schools based on need and their completed applications.

Schools can watch a video produced by the Premier League to show how one local pupil has benefited from the project this year. The film can be viewed online at www.plprimarystars.com/educatables/brighton-cadogan.

To find out more, and to download an information pack and application form, visit www.albioninthecommunity.org.uk or email [email protected].