The FA are celebrating reaching a key participation target – three years ahead of schedule – and two England legends are delighted.
Kelly Smith and Ian Wright, both Barclays Football Ambassadors, have been backing the campaign for 90 per cent of schools to offer girls equal access to football through PE lessons at Key Stages 2 and 3.
The FA are reporting that 2.6 million girls now have equal access to football in school – a 31% increase since the 2020/21 season.
In that same timeframe, the number of schools offering equal access through the curriculum across Key Stages 1-4 has risen from 63% to 79%. The Barclays Girls’ Football in Schools network, which began six years ago with just 3,000 participating schools, now reaches 90% of eligible schools nationwide with 20,202 signed up – an increase of more than 500%.
“Today is a proper moment to celebrate,” said Wright in a media statement. “After the Euros I said, ‘If girls can’t play then what’s this all been for?’
“This was never about girls becoming the next Lionesses, it was about normalizing girls playing football, just like boys do. It’s about equality. We set ourselves a big challenge, but we’ve reached it three years ahead of schedule. It’s down to The FA, to Barclays, all the brilliant schools and of course the girls, who only ever just wanted to play football.”
Kelly Smith: Everyone can access the power of football
“When I started supporting Barclays Girls’ Football in Schools, it came out of frustrations I had growing up,” added Smith. “There was no girls’ team for me to join, so I had to play for two boys’ teams. I was kicked off both of those for being a girl and I had nowhere to go. It’s really important to be the change you want to see and because of the efforts of so many people and the funding from Barclays and The FA, 2.6 million girls now have access to football in PE at school. Team sports build confidence and life skills, so it’s brilliant that everyone can now access the power of football if they want to.”
Stacey Mullock, Head of Development at The FA, said in a media statement: “No girl should ever face barriers to playing football in school. That belief drove us to set ambitious targets and push for a cultural shift where girls have the same access and opportunities as boys. The progress that has been made wouldn’t have been possible without the support of Barclays and the Youth Sport Trust, as well as the tireless dedication of teachers across the country.
“But progress doesn’t mean the job is finished. There is still more to do – particularly in extra-curricular provision and at Key Stage 4 – to ensure every girl, at every stage, has equal access to the game.”
