The landscape of girls’ football in England is shifting again, this time at its foundation.
The Football Association has confirmed that its Barclays Girls’ Football School Partnership now reaches over 90% of schools. As a result, 2.6 million girls have access to football through PE lessons.
Published in the FA’s latest annual report, the update marks a major step in its long-term plan to embed the women’s game into everyday school life.
What is the Barclays Girls’ Football School Partnership?
In simple terms, the programme ensures that girls play football as part of PE, not just as an optional extra.
Schools are supported through teacher training, structured session plans, and links to local clubs and competitions. Together, these create a clearer pathway from school football into the grassroots game.
Ultimately, the aim is straightforward: remove barriers and make football a normal, expected part of school life for girls across England.
A target hit, and extended
Originally, the programme set out to deliver equal access to football for girls in schools across England.
That target has now effectively been met.
More importantly, it has been extended through to 2028. As a result, what began as an initiative is becoming long-term infrastructure.
In other words, this is no longer a campaign, it is part of the system.
What the numbers actually mean
On paper, the figures are clear:
- Over 90% of schools reached
- 2.6 million girls with access
- Football embedded in PE, not just extracurricular activity
However, the real impact runs deeper.
For the first time, girls no longer need to opt into football. Instead, they encounter it as a standard part of school life, much like boys have for decades.
Because of that shift, one of the game’s biggest historical barriers, access, begins to disappear.
Building from the base of the game
The FA’s wider strategy, Reaching Higher (2024–2028), focuses on growing the game from the ground up.
Specifically, it aims to increase participation, improve facilities, and strengthen the pathway into elite football.
Within that plan, the schools partnership plays a central role.
While attendances, sponsorship, and broadcast deals continue to rise at the top level, long-term growth still depends on what happens beneath it. This is where that foundation is being built.
The bigger picture
Women’s football in England is entering a new phase.
At the top, the game continues to grow commercially and culturally. Meanwhile, beneath the surface, its structure is strengthening at scale.
The Barclays schools partnership sits at the centre of that shift.
It may not be headline-grabbing, but it is foundational. In the long run, that is what changes everything.
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