Football and its ability to positively influence individuals and groups stretches far beyond the perimeters of the pitches played on by professionals during a brief window at weekends.

Premier League Primary Stars is our flagship programme delivered to primary schools across Oxfordshire, and has been at the heart of our delivery since the initiative was launched in 2017.

It inspires and educates pupils across all areas of learning by using the power of football to support the development of numeracy and literacy skills with an emphasis on positive values and behaviours.

Here, we deep-dive into our Premier League Primary Stars programme delivery and detail the positive impact it has on pupils we work with in Oxfordshire.

Impact

Since its launch in 2017, Premier League Primary Stars has engaged over 18,000 schools in England and Wales and registered 53,000 teachers.

Fundamentally, the programme encourages children aged 5-11 to stay active while developing essential life skills and values through structured weekly sessions.

A recent survey found:

• 90 per cent of teacher believe Premier League Primary Stars has helped pupils with at least one key life skill
• Over 85 per cent agree Premier League Primary Stars has increased pupils’ enjoyment of sports and physical activity
• 80 per cent of teacher reported a positive impact on their school community

The programme not only positively impacts pupils, but teachers too. At Oxford United in the Community, we’ve integrated CPD into sessions to boost the confidence and skills primary school teachers have in delivering quality PE sessions all year round.

Off-field development

Premier League Primary Stars is broken down into four key areas, which can be tailored to fit any school’s needs.

They are:

PSHE workshops: Interactive, sports-themed, classes to help children develop key life skills such as resilience, self-esteem, values, inclusion, diversity and teamwork.

Premier League Reading Stars: Football themes and stories encourage reading and understanding.

Numeracy support: Pupils solve questions using football league tables, statistics, and pitch dimensions, covering all areas of mathematics.

Assemblies: Focus on the four key values – Be Connected, Be Inspired, Be Ambitious, Be Fair.

Quality coaching and support

All Premier League Primary Stars sessions are delivered by Oxford United in the Community’s team of community coaches.

All our coaches have completed or are working towards a Level 3 certificate in Physical Education and School Sport, meaning they can plan, prepare and deliver high-quality and fun sessions which align with the national curriculum.

Lifetime experiences

Occasionally, our team will go the extra mile to recognise the outstanding achievements and progress of Premier League Primary Stars participants.

Take young Oxford United fan Arthur, for example.

In April, he had the opportunity to present the club’s Player of the Month award to Wembley hero Josh Murphy as a result of his commitment and personal development during our Premier League Primary Stars sessions.

Arthur presented Josh with his award pitch side before the U’s beat Fleetwood Town 4-0 at a packed Kassam Stadium.

Rob Porter, our lead community coach, said: “Arthur’s story underlines to us how football and the power of the Oxford United badge can inspire people to become the best version of themselves and accomplish new achievements.”

You can read the full story by clicking here.

Get in touch!

If you represent a school and would like to learn how you can integrate Premier League Primary Stars into your delivery, drop our team a message today!