Football for Positive Change

It’s brilliant to be able to play football in school time and the coaches are all trying to teach us more stuff than just football - to do with our education. The guys are really good and are all positive with us and try and help us in any way they can.

Glasgow Life Sport have led an innovative approach with local partners FARE, Lochend Community High School and Easterhouse Football Academy to use football as a key driver for positive change in young people.

This initiative engages S1 pupils in the wider life of Lochend Community High School with the aim to raise attainment at school whilst also increasing participation with football. The programme has evidenced the impact being made is purposeful and positive:

  • Participants recorded 13% more merits than other S1 pupils, with 6 participants in the top 10% of S1 pupils for total merits awarded.
  • Of the 186 referrals generated for serious incidents involving the S1 cohort, only 15% were attached to participants, with one participant in particular responsible for 10% of this total.
  • Of the 28 referrals generated regarding others (the 5%), only 7 of these have come in 2023, which suggests an overall improvement in behaviour.

“The programme has brought a freshness to the S1 curriculum and included a class that offers something relatable to the community for the young people involved. The group cover an SCQF level 4 qualification while gaining the softer skills such as communication, confidence and resilience through the driver of football. This is the offer of how we engage and through this model it has proved to be successful albeit with challenges, but that is exactly why the programme exists. We aim to improve them within our programme but with further impacts from them in the wider life of school which can be seen in the attached photo with one of our group most recently winning an award in science. This young group of people have a range of backgrounds but we aim to use football to bring them together and be the best part of their day”

Kevin Martin, DYW coordinator