Millwall Community Trust (MCT) and Bacon's College have joined forces to launch an exciting new Female Post-16 Football Academy. The newly formed Academy combines professional football coaching with traditional post-16 A Level and BTEC qualifications for young women who love playing the sport but also recognise the need for academic qualifications to support future progression and career goals.

Millwall Lioness, Sian Fitzpatrick, will be heading up the football coaching programme based at Bacon’s College in Southwark. Girls joining the Academy will benefit from professional football coaching, development of their leadership and team-work skills, and plenty of opportunity to compete in matches, whilst also studying for their choice of A-Level or vocational qualifications at Bacon’s College Sixth Form.

The programme is open to talented female footballers from all over London who would be going in to academic year 12 this September 2021, and is a must for any aspiring female footballer

Millwall Community Trust proudly welcomes the partnership and sees it as a major extension to its ongoing development of education and football related programmes, and pathways for female players into the adult Lionesses team.

Millwall Community Trust Football and Sports Development Manager Dean Palmer, said: “We are excited about the prospect of working with Bacon's College and developing a post-16 education and football academy within the College.”

Chris Pyke, Head of P.E. at Bacon's College, added: "From September 2021 we are extremely excited to partner with Millwall Community Trust to provide an all-female Sixth Form football programme that will combine high quality coaching with academic study at Bacon's Sixth Form College. We know that there is huge interest in football within our College community and are looking forward the prospect of welcoming fantastic female role models into the PE Department and wider life of the College"

Girls who are interested are invited to try outs on Friday 4th June at 3.30pm at Bacon’s College and should email Dean Palmer on [email protected] to register for the try-outs.

Successful students will be offered a place based on both playing ability and predicted GCSE grades. Bacon’s College Sixth Form is characterised by a strong ethos of caring and support and a focus on enabling students to realise their ambitions. Girls who are successful in securing a place on the Post-16 Football Academy will be able to choose from a wide range of A Level and BTEC/CTEC qualifications which include PE, Business, Biology, Chemistry and Physics. For more information please visit https://www.baconscollege.co.uk/sixth-form/