FA Equal Access Award celebrates commitment to girls football

East Point Academy is proud to announce they have been recognised for their commitment to girls football with an Equal Access Award by the FA. This award has identified the academy for providing equal access among boys and girls, both in the curriculum and opportunities in extra-curricular football clubs, which is a great achievement for the academy. 

All girls at East Point Academy participate in football during PE lessons – with 80 girls who play competitively as an active part of the football extra-curricular activities and take part in competitions with local schools. East Point Academy is able to provide 12 girls' teams that play other schools regularly, including futsal teams and year group teams that take part in Inspiration Trust fixtures throughout the year in each year group. The academy takes pride in being able to offer this opportunity to all pupils. 

Harriette Milburn, Head of Core PE at East Point Academy said: 

“It is extremely gratifying to receive this award and be recognised for providing these opportunities. We are really proud of this achievement and all the hard work that our team and the pupils have put in to receiving it.“ 

The recent success of the England women’s team has no doubt inspired pupils to engage more with the sport. East Point Academy has historically had a large number of girls interested in playing, and the academy has support from local clubs and the community to make this happen. Responding to pupil feedback and ensuring experiences that pupils want are part of the offer at the academy, has been fundamental for the teams, and the equality between boys and girls entry into fixtures has been recognised as part of this award.

Alongside the Gold School Games Mark, in recent years the academy has been shortlisted for the Suffolk Active Secondary School of the Year award, once again demonstrating the range of sporting experiences students have access to.