Brackley Town Football Club is at the heart of our town engaging families and the wider community providing exceptional sporting opportunities for young people. We have come together in partnership with VLUK to provide our Football and Education Programme for post-16 students.

At Brackley Town Football Club the mission of our Football and Education Programme is to provide a great environment for young people to develop and grow by combining football development and academic study. The programme is delivered by qualified and experienced coaches and teachers and provides a stepping stone to pursue a career in football or the wider sporting world including coaching, performance analysis, teaching and sports development. Students on the programme spend all of their time at the football club with the week split between football development on the pitch and in the gym and study in one of our classrooms.

Brackley Town FC is the leading non-league club in Northamptonshire, FA Trophy winners at Wembley in 2018, reaching the second round of the FA Cup again this season and competing in the National League (tier 5 of English football). St James Park provides a National League environment for football with first rate facilities including floodlit pitch and AGP shared by the men’s and women’s first teams with our Education Programme students and extensive off-field spaces including The Venue, boardroom and classroom spaces.

The programme of training with UEFA qualified coaches, development and fixtures is enhanced through video analysis of performance with students working to progress on their personalised development plan and a wider programme of enrichment activity including input from first team personnel including men’s and women’s managers, physios and coaches, trips to experience St George’s Park, home of the national team, and the UCFB at Wembley/The Etihad.

FOOTBALL DEVELOPMENT:
Male and female students train every day with our UEFA qualified coaches and have the opportunity to represent the club at U18 level competing in league and cup fixtures at an appropriate level. Each student has a personalised football development plan to direct your training programme to build on strengths and improve your all-round game.

Facilities
The football programme is based at Brackley Town FC’s St James Park stadium with state of the art facilities including:
• 3G Pitch – we train a minimum of three times a week
• First team floodlit grass pitch
• Gym
• Classroom for performance analysis and classroom-based taught sessions
• The Venue, Anne Leighton Suite and boardroom for refreshments and use for special events.

Our staff
Our staff team has an abundance of teaching and coaching experience, and is passionate about working with students and helping young people reach their fullest potential.

All of our football coaches are fully qualified to at least FA Level 2 and our Head of Football Coaching, Andy Thompson, is a qualified UEFA coach. He works with our other football coaches to create and implement our training and development programme.

Added extras and student benefits
As well as our comprehensive education and training programme, we have a number of other incentives that our students enjoy. These include the opportunity to gain work and coaching experience with the club’s junior teams and in local primary schools, and volunteering opportunities with our charity, Brackley Town Saints Community Project, and the wider club such as working with our media team. There is also the opportunity for students to gain their Coaching and First Aid badges – we are one of the few education and football providers who can offer this!

Every student also receives a free match-day pass to every Brackley Town men’s and women’s first team home games.

Enrichment
Throughout the year students experience a range of trips, events and interactive presentations that supplement the course and help students build their knowledge and understanding of the game and the wider football industry.

Progression
This programme prepares students to continue study into Higher Education at University. Others will seek employment and further training where they can specialise in the career path of their choice.

There are an abundance of exit routes available to students once they have completed their studies, with possible careers including:

PE Teacher
Sports Nutritionalist
Sports Performance Analyst
Sports Therapist
Sports Psychologist
Personal Trainer
Sports / Football Coach
Sports Massage Therapist
Leisure Manager
Sports Journalism
Special Forces – Army, RAF, Marines
Sports Scholarships in the USA
and much more!

ACADEMIC PROGRAMME:
You attend lessons at the club through teaching staff from our partner VLUK receiving pastoral care, guidance and support from an experienced team. Your timetable combines study with your football programme. The BTEC Sport course is equivalent to three A Levels earning UCAS points for university entry or access into employment or an apprenticeship.

The curriculum

A BTEC National Extended Diploma is made up of a series of units.

Mandatory units – all units must be taken:
• Careers in the Sport and Active Leisure Industry
• Health, Wellbeing and Sport
• Developing Coaching Skills
• Applied Coaching Skills
• Research Project in Sport
• Sport Development
• Self-employment in Sport and Physical Activity

Optional units:
• Sports Psychology
• Nutrition for Physical Performance
• Anatomy and Physiology in Sport
• Sporting Injuries
• Functional Sports Massage
• Fitness Testing
• Fitness Training
• Technical and Tactical Skills in Sport
• Rules, Regulations and Officiating in Sport
• Practical Sports Application
• Influence of Technology in Sport and Physical Activity
• Organising Events in Sport and Physical Activities
• Ethical and Current Issues in Sport
• Marketing Communications
• Corporate Social Responsibility In Sport
• Sport and Leisure Facility Operations
• Sports Tourism
• School Sport Delivery

Age
School Leavers 16+
Course Type
Full time

Course duration
Two years
Start date
September 2026
Fees
Free (16-18 year olds)
Entry requirements
Entry requirements are four GCSEs at 4 or above. However we have discretion to accept students onto the programme so come and talk to us about your next steps. We provide re-sit opportunities for maths and English where you have yet to attain level 4 (this is mandatory for all post-16 students in all settings nationally).

Course progression
Access to higher education HNC Level 4 & HND Level 5
Access to further/higher education, Apprenticeships or full time employment
Access to higher education. Progression into semi and professional sport

Essential Skills
While completing this qualification learners develop the knowledge, understanding and essential skills employers look for in employees. These range from familiar ‘key skills’ such as team working, independent learning and problem solving, to more tricky-to-measure skills such as:
• an appreciation for appropriate behaviour and dress
• appropriate interpersonal skills
• communicating with professional colleagues/peers and/or hierarchical seniors
• supporting other aspiring employees
• personal manners and deportment
• understanding work practices and how different roles and departments function within an organisation.

Next steps:
To apply for a place or to express your interest and find out more contact
andythompson@brackleytownfc.co.uk