Barclays and the Football Association (FA) have joined together with the aim of changing the landscape for girls’ football in schools. They won true parity three years in advance of their goal! This initiative, which started in 2019, has grown quickly to cover 90 per cent of all eligible schools in the country. The Barclays Girls’ Football in Schools network for example, has already grown by an incredible 500%. With your help over the last six years, it grew from 3,000 school to 20,202 schools!
With a vision to empower girls with the same opportunities that boys receive through PE and extracurricular clubs, this program has expanded since 2004. The latest statistics reveal that 68 per cent of participating schools now offer equal opportunities for girls in extracurricular activities. The initiative directly addresses the need for gender equality in sports, particularly in football, as the cultural landscape shifts following the success of England’s women’s football team.
Growth of the Barclays Girls’ Football in Schools Network
From the beginning, the Barclays Girls’ Football in Schools network has grown exponentially. It has increased by more than 5 times! What began as a simple art project has developed into a dynamic arts and culture program. It now fully engages more than 20,000 schools throughout the country. The impact of this swift growth move to highlight just how key girls’ participation in sports is becoming.
We’ve made it to the top—with much to celebrate! This milestone really illustrates what an incredible seven years of progress looks like,” said Tom Corbett, an underwriter with Barclays. We’re not done yet – there’s more work left to ensure that every girl, at every age, has the opportunity to experience the game we all love.
The initiative’s success is really clear from the effect it has had on girls in KS2 and KS3. Since the start of the 2020/21 season, there has been a notable 31 per cent increase in the number of girls with equal access to football in PE. As a result, currently 2.6 million girls in these key stages can compete on an equal playing field with their male peers.
Commitment to Future Enhancements
Stakeholders are not content to rest on these major accomplishments and know there is more to do. The goal is to elevate the percentage of schools providing equal opportunities for girls to 75 per cent by 2028. A specific emphasis is placed on the need to improve extracurricular offerings and to ensure that Key Stage 4 pupils receive equitable access to those provisions.
“No girl should ever face barriers to playing football in school,” emphasized Stacey Mullock, a key figure in the initiative. She also reiterated that although they’ve made progress, it doesn’t mean the conclusion of their work. There remains work to complete – especially in extra-curricular provision and at Key Stage 4 – to ensure every girl, at every level, has a level playing field when it comes to accessing the game.
That commitment to providing equal access is shown through initiatives like the Alessia Cup tournament. Launched last November, this event sought to create new, permanent change by lowering, removing or eliminating barriers to participation. More importantly, it reached over 180 girls with tangible confidence, resilience and leadership skills that go beyond just learning how to play football.
Cultural Shift and Increased Demand
The surge in demand for girls’ football can be largely attributed to England’s women’s football team retaining their Euros crown. Their success has inspired a generation of young girls to take up the sport. It’s done amazing things to advance culture, too—normalizing girls playing football just like boys since it first began!
“This was never about girls becoming the next Lionesses. It was about normalizing girls playing football, just like boys do,” Corbett remarked. “It’s about equality. It was a lofty goal we gave ourselves, but now we’ve met it three years early.”
Barclays Girls’ Football in Schools programme is another positive step towards advancing gender equality within sports and girl’s development. It’s a way for young girls to learn and play the sport of football. Alongside that, it creates lasting cultural impact for women in sports.
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