Lincoln City are proud to announce a new ground-breaking partnership between the Football Club and Lincoln Minster School.
This new partnership sees a new cohort of Academy Scholars boarding at Lincoln Minster School whilst undertaking academic studies, in addition to their LFE course, giving them the best possible options for both their educational and sporting futures.
The students will utilise the expertise and fantastic facilities on offer at Lincoln Minster School in a top-class, high achieving educational environment alongside their sporting development in a collaboration in what is the first of its kind for the Imps and rare amongst clubs, even at a much higher level. Four Scholars will be taking A-Levels in English and Maths as well as one student completing his Irish Leaving Certificate, with the others taking an EPQ (Extended Project Qualification), which is the equivalent of half an A level, whilst staying on campus.
Simon Grocutt, Deputy Head in charge of Curriculum at Lincoln Minster said that the partnership is an important one for the school going forward.
“It’s a huge partnership for Lincoln Minster, it helps our community links and to be able to put this partnership together with Lincoln City is really exciting. A big part of it is really the fact we’re offering those students a real opportunity that they won’t get elsewhere.
“Lincoln City have recruited some of the students off the back of the A-Level offer that we’re able to provide, rather than just taking the traditional, triple BTEC that all of the students get offered at this level.”
Ian McGowan, Assistant Head for Co-Curricular and External Relations at Lincoln Minster is also excited to work with the new Scholars and to see them develop over the coming years as they live at the School and work with the Football Club.
“It’s exciting for the footballers to have a nice, stable base to be able to concentrate on studies as while pursuing a potential successful career. The 16-18 scholars will be predominantly based in one of our boarding houses and they will be studying an A-level or another qualification within the school alongside trying to become a professional footballer.”
There have already been notable sporting alumni from Lincoln Minster School, Bassingham based Indy Car racer Jack Harvey, Rugby Union stars, Jordan and Ryan Olowefela as well as world level swimmer Elizabeth Simmonds all completed their studies at the school.
Simon Grocott is now looking forward to potentially adding footballers to the list of sporting achievers as they help nurture them over the coming years.
“The sporting alumni that we’ve had in the past have had an adapted curriculum and thanks to that we’ve been really able to help those progress in their chosen sports. So, we’re definitely hoping the same can happen with Lincoln City and we’re wishing them all the best.”
Jez George, Head of Football at Lincoln City, said this could just be the tip of the iceberg of what promises to be a long and fruitful relationship.
“This is a fantastic opportunity for us to develop a partnership that can be hugely beneficial to both parties, with such a high achieving, top class educational establishment as Lincoln Minster School.” Jez said.
“Soon after I arrived at the Club, Liam (Scully, CEO) and Danny (Cowley, Manager) told me about the school and introduced me to their Headmaster, Mark Wallace. I could not have been more impressed and I knew immediately that we had to find a way to partner with them. Twelve months on, and many meetings later, we are so delighted to have developed this relationship to such an extent that we will now have our Scholars living on their site and being educated by their staff.”
Jez continued: “We are always searching for ways in which we can differentiate ourselves from our competitors and this is achieved by our partnership with Lincoln Minster School. This partnership now enables us to offer a unique and bespoke education provision for every Scholar, alongside their BTEC National Diploma, to ensure that boys with the appropriate academic profile and capabilities can take A levels.
“Moreover, our Scholars will benefit from the environment created for their students and allow Lincoln City’s Academy to become associated with a top-class establishment, with a fantastic national and international reputation, which is what we want to emulate.
“Without doubt, this partnership and the provision of A levels and boarding has been instrumental in being able to sign a number of our Scholars, and the way in which they have accommodated our need to deliver the Irish Leaving Certificate for one Scholar has been amazing.
“There are several other potential projects which we have discussed with Mark and Ian, which can be ground breaking for Lincoln City, and will further strengthen our partnership in the future.”