St Edward’s School (‘Teddies’) in Woodstock Road has launched a partnership with London-based club Chelsea FC which they hope will bring world-famous sporting excellence into the community.
The warden (headteacher) of the co-educational boarding and day school said that they were “very excited”.
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Alastair Chirnside, 49, said: “It's going to be transformational for football here and we hope it's going to be transformational for young people in Oxford as well.”
This partnership follows an increase in interest in football at the school and will also see a rapid expansion in its girls’ and boys’ football programmes.
As part of the agreement with Teddies, full time Chelsea FC coaches will join the Oxford school, with strength and conditioning and video analysis sessions available to footballers.
Pupils from St Edward’s training with Chelsea FC women's goalkeepers Livia Peng and Hannah Hampton at the club’s Cobham Training Centre (Image: St Edward's School)
Some of the 800 boys and girls will have the opportunity to visit Stamford Bridge, Chelsea’s Cobham training ground, and to play matches at Kingsmeadow, home of Chelsea FC Women and their U21 Academy.
Already they have met men’s captain Reece James and women’s goalkeepers Livia Peng and Hannah Hampton.
Mr Chirnside called that an “amazing experience” for his pupils and said that they expect a full-time Chelsea FC coach to be working with them in Oxford from the next academic year.
As well as providing support for footballers, club representatives will offer careers guidance in sports management, sports physio, sponsorship, talent management and more.
Pupils from St Edward’s training with Chelsea FC at the club’s Cobham Training Centre (Image: St Edward's School)
“Not everybody can be a professional footballer,” explained the warden, “but plenty of people work in sports marketing or physiotherapy or talent management, those kinds of professions that run alongside professional sport at the highest level”.
In addition to its support for Teddies, Chelsea plans to offer talks and events for other local schools and members of the public, as well as hosting holiday camps and talent centres at St Edward’s for the community.
Indeed, Mr Chirnside was keen to emphasise how beneficial it could be to non-Teddies footballers calling it an “opportunity” for all local children.
Pupils from St Edward’s training with Chelsea FC men's captain Reece James at the club’s Cobham Training Centre (Image: St Edward's School)
He added that one of the areas he was particularly excited about was its potential impact on female footballers considering Chelsea’s “market-leading” women’s programme.
In return for its expertise, the Premier League club will now have a base to nurture talent outside London.
“Specifically, we are providing for Chelsea,” said Mr Chirnside, “a base here in Oxford for them to work with more young people”.
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Mr Chirnside said: “A good number of our pupils come from London, so there's a natural connection there.
“Chelsea geographically and in terms of its profile as an international brand for an international school is the right partner for us.”
The partnership is open-ended, without an end date, though is expected to be long-term.
“We think it's a very exciting new model for independent schools to follow,” said Mr Chirnside, “and for a football club to endorse”.