GIRLS football has been added to the Schools’ PE curriculum and the co-curricular timetable, as interest in the sport continues to soar and competitive fixtures prove successful.
The move to ensure all girls have the opportunity to play football at Dame Allan’s Schools comes as two talented players in Year 11 – who are both affiliated to regional talent clubs and play at an elite level – have been selected to play on ISFA (Independent Schools Football Association) teams.
Lillie, 15, who was also recently selected onto the FA’s England Women u16 squad and plays for Sunderland RTC u16s, successfully secured a place onto the ISFA’s u18 team, having played for the u16 team last season.
Ellie, who is on Durham RTC’s u16 squad and has additional one-on-one football coaching each week, will play on the ISFA’s u16 team for the first time this season. Both girls attend ISFA training camps, with one taking place at St George’s Park this month, and another at Nottingham University in February.
“I think ISFA is an amazing opportunity and I’m very proud that we have both made squads for the upcoming season,” said Ellie, who, with Lillie, also plays for the Northumberland u16 county squad.
Alun Barlow, Director of Sport, said a growing number of pupils are playing at club and county level, with interest in the sport at an all-time high. Dee, in Year 8, was recently selected onto the Newcastle City Junior u13 team.
Girls in Years 9 – 11 now play as part of the PE curriculum, while two female football clubs have been added to the co-curricular programme for Years 7 – 13, with teams competing in Newcastle City League matches. At the time of writing, the u16s were at the top of their league.
Mr Barlow said: “Introducing football into the PE curriculum for those in the Girls’ School and launching a number of co-curricular clubs means girls here have every opportunity to play the game and get involved in competitive fixtures.
“The Lionesses’ 2022 Euros victory in the summer, coupled with the talent shown by pupils like Ellie and Lillie, have really inspired others to want to play.”
Football has seen considerable growth in participation over recent years and numbers are expected to keep rising. In 2020, 3.4 million women and girls played football in England. By 2026, the world governing body FIFA aims to have 60 million females playing.
Ellie, from Ponteland, said: “Women’s football is growing rapidly and getting more girls into football would be amazing for the long-term sustainability of the game. I would love to think that I could inspire younger girls here to get involved because there is massive potential for the sport at school.”
Lillie, from Wylam, has played football since she was six years old and now trains four evenings a week at Sunderland and has a match most weekends. She said: “I absolutely love football and the school has always been supportive of my commitment to the sport. I think it’s great that all girls at school now have the opportunity to enjoy football too, be it competing in matches or simply training together for fun.”