Future Stars

Pathways into the best high schools offering courses in Football Education.

Our programme supports boy and girls aged between 11 and 16 who have demonstrated exceptional abilities. It aims to bridge the gap between categorised academies and the grassroots system in the UK.

Jody Banim expressed, "This is an exciting new venture for the Foundation that we’ve developed and refined over the past year. It is a welcome addition to our existing player pathway, which seeks to engage, retain, and develop players of all abilities in Foundation football programmes.

Our players will showcase their skills against high level academies outside their regular leagues, including prestigious clubs like Manchester Utd, Manchester City, Everton, Liverpool, Wigan and Wrexham.

Players from the system could have the opportunity to trial at Category 1 academies, and many will advance in sport to an academy college, demonstrating the clear pathway from our programme through to future opportunities.

Our players train with professional coaches four times a week and receive additional strength and conditioning sessions from specialists. Coaches at each age group follow a set curriculum designed to equip players with the best possible skills and experiences for a career in football, while also providing transferable skills for life outside the sport.

Hybrid Academy lead Luke McCabe stated, "Within the Hybrid Academy, we constantly strive to develop our players both as individuals and as footballers. We work closely with pro academy staff to ensure our standards align with the 16-19 and first-team programmes thereafter. Many players fall within the 10% who just missed out on being categorised academy players. The Hybrid model fills the gap within the UK system, providing these players with a second chance or the necessary step up to reach elite professional environments.

Our aim is to create an incredible environment for talented local children to fulfil their maximum potential while creating lasting memories.

How it works

To engage all interested parents, we host open days where they can learn about our football program and school offerings. During these events, parents and students can register for trials. Each year, we select up to 22 boys and 22 girls per year group based on their performance in these trials.
Successful candidates are then introduced to the school, and they may need to pass an entry exam as part of the application process to secure access to our programs.

Starting from the April of Year 6, training sessions will be held for the selected group. Once enrollment is completed, the first groups will commence in September 2025.

These students will have daily football-related contact time integrated into their school schedules. Core subjects will remain unchanged, while non-core subjects may be replaced with football training sessions. The program will be supported by two full-time coaches and a specialised goalkeeping coach.

Our teams participate in normal school match fixtures, including the County Cup, National Cup, and Elite Schools Cup.

Team selection for each match involves careful consideration to ensure fair play and development. Each matchday squad is designed so that all selected players participate in at least 75% of the game. Additionally, we rotate players based on their annual match play percentage to provide equal opportunities and experience for all team members.

Discipline and Standards:

To maintain discipline and high standards, we have implemented a graded card system:

Grade 1 (First Detention): Results in the removal of one football-related session, with the student being placed into the subject that was replaced by football.
Grade 2 (Second Detention): Leads to removal from all match fixtures for the remainder of the term.
Grade 3 (Third Detention): Results in complete removal from the Football Program, child can remain at the school.