St Bede’s and Manchester City Form Educational Partnership
Eighteen talented players in the Under 14 squad at Manchester City are now full-time students at the College. The programme began in September with plans already underway for the next cohort. While at St Bede’s the boys integrate with other students, but just as importantly the programme allows them to spend more time with their families in the evenings. Mark Allen, Head of City’s Academy, says: “It’s a pre-scholarship football and education programme, and we worked in partnership with St Bede’s to give the boys a timetable that gave them appropriate education for their age with access to the right number of GCSEs.
“Manchester City, St Bede’s and most importantly the parents like the better quality of life that this is providing for the children,” said Dr Dando, Director of Studies. “Now they don’t have to do a full day at school followed by travelling in the evening before training, then getting home late. This is a much more integrated system which has benefits for everyone involved.”
Mr Kearney, Headmaster added “Rather than just producing someone who is technically very good on the pitch, it is also about producing somebody who has a hinterland and interests and hobbies which help them in their football and life generally.
The boys themselves are also much more content, they are fitter, less prone to injury and concentration levels have increased in a Sporting and Educational context. Clive Smith one of the players commented that “joining the St Bede’s project has been great, the training is a really high standard and I have the whole evening to complete my homework, previously I was too tired and did not put much effort into my schoolwork.
Please read an article by James Ducker in The Times and visit the Manchester City website for more information.
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