Essex to Turn Out in Thousands for ‘Biggest Ever Football Session’
Over 2,400 girls from 59 Essex schools will be taking part in a ‘Biggest Ever Football Session’ on Wednesday 9th March as part of The FA’s #LetGirlsPlay campaign.
The FA and Barclays are set to host the inaugural Biggest Ever Football Session across England on the day after International Women’s Day. The nationwide sessions will highlight the importance of unlocking equal opportunities for girls to participate in football in schools and raise awareness for the Barclays Girls Football School Partnerships programme.
From Cornwall to Newcastle, the event has seen a record 758 primary and secondary schools sign-up to deliver bespoke football sessions, with over 61,000 children set to take part in the day. With the support of The FA’s delivery partner, the Youth Sport Trust, schools have been provided with session ideas and resource cards from the England Football Physical Education Team.
These are to support teachers in the delivery of their sessions which will take place in PE lessons, before school, during lunchtime and after school. Currently, only 63% of schools offer girls’ football in PE lessons and only 40% of schools offer girls’ regular extracurricular football.
The FA’s ambition, as seen in the ‘Inspiring Positive Change’ Strategy, is to have 75% of schools providing equal access to football for girls in PE lessons and 90% of schools offering regular extracurricular football by 2024. The Essex County FA also have some ambitious 2024 ‘Moving Forward’ Strategy targets for female football.
#LetGirlsPlay launched last year, supporting The FA’s strategic ambition for equal access. The campaign’s website provides inspiring resources to help influence the start of change and allow more girls to feel the mental and physical benefits of exercise through playing football.
To find out more about the campaign, how to sign-up to the Biggest Ever Football Session and to see how you can help and make a difference to giving girls equal access to football in schools, go to the England Football website. To join the movement via social media, track Facebook, Instagram and Twitter using the #LetGirlsPlay hashtag.
#LetGirlsPlay Schools in Essex
School, Constituency, Number of Girls Involved
Aldborough Primary School, Ilford South, 60
Anglo European School, Brentwood and Ongar, 16
Ashingdon Primary Academy, Rayleigh and Wickford, 20
Bancrofts Preparatory School, Chingford and Woodford Green, 100
Brentwood School, Brentwood and Ongar, 50
Burnt Mill Academy, Harlow, 30
Caterham High School, Ilford North, 30
Chadwell Primary School, Ilford South, 60
Chingford Church of England Primary School, Chingford and Woodford Green, 150
Christchurch Primary School, Ilford South, 60
Crownfield Junior School, Romford, 20
Eastbury Community School, Barking, 12
Eastbury Primary School, Barking, 20
Edward Francis Primary School, Rayleigh and Wickford, 20
Elm Park Primary School, Hornchurch and Upminster, 180
Fairlop Primary School, Ilford North, 60
Forest Academy, Ilford North, 7
Gilbert Colvin Primary School, Ilford North, 60
Glebe Primary School, Rayleigh and Wickford, 20
Goodmayes Primary School, Ilford South, 60
Gordon Primary School, Ilford South, 60
Grove Primary School, Ilford South, 60
Grove Wood Primary School, Rayleigh and Wickford, 20
Hadleigh Infant and Nursery School, Castle Point, 20
Heathcote School & Science College, Chingford and Woodford Green, 60
Heycroft Primary School, Southend West, 50
Highlands Primary School, Ilford South, 14
Hockley Primary School, Rayleigh and Wickford, 20
Holly Trees Primary School, Brentwood and Ongar, 40
Jotmans Hall Primary School, Castle Point, 20
Kantor King Solomon High School, Ilford North, 28
Kents Hill Infant Academy, Castle Point, 20
Leigh Beck Infant School and Nursery Academy, Castle Point, 20
Lister Community School, West Ham, 50
Lubbins Park Primary Academy, Castle Point, 20
Maylandsea Primary School, Maldon, 100
Mossford Green Primary School, Ilford North, 14
Northwick Park Primary and Nursery Academy, Castle Point, 20
Oaks Park High School, Ilford North, 14
Passmores Academy, Harlow, 100
Plumberow Primary Academy, Rayleigh and Wickford, 20
Richmond Avenue Primary and Nursery School, Rochford and Southend East, 100
Riverside Primary School, Rayleigh and Wickford, 20
Sacred Heart of Mary Girls' School, Hornchurch and Upminster, 20
Salisbury Manor Primary School, Chingford and Woodford Green, 50
Seven Kings School, Ilford South, 14
St Antony's Catholic Primary School, Chingford and Woodford Green, 14
St Augustine's Catholic Primary School, Ilford North, 14
St Clare's Catholic Primary School, Clacton, 24
St Nicholas' Church of England Primary School, Rawreth, Rayleigh and Wickford, 20
Temple Sutton Primary School, Rochford and Southend East, 60
The Ursuline Academy Ilford, Ilford South, 10
Trinity Catholic High School, Chingford and Woodford Green, 28
Valentines High School, Ilford South, 7
Westerings Primary Academy, Rayleigh and Wickford, 20
William Read Primary School and Nursery, Castle Point, 20
Winter Gardens Academy, Castle Point, 180
Woodbridge High School, Ilford North, 7
Wyburns Primary School, Rayleigh and Wickford, 20
