We work with young people from all backgrounds and circumstances, including low-income families, areas of deprivation, learners with additional needs, low prior attainment, EAL/ESOL learners, looked-after children, academy-release players and those who may not have found their place in traditional education.
For many, football becomes the way back in.
It creates the connection point. The structure around it creates the impact: education, pastoral support, safeguarding, mentoring, small-group delivery, flexible qualifications and clear progression planning.
NGP does not lower standards to widen access. We build the support around each learner so they can meet those standards, re-engage with education, develop confidence and move forward.
89%
from areas of local economic deprivation
25.5%
receiving bursary support
37% / 41%
low prior attainment in English / Maths
10.2%
identified learning difficulty
NGP uses football to help young people re-engage with education.
Many learners arrive with mixed previous experiences of school, low confidence, low prior attainment or uncertainty about what education can offer them. The game creates the initial connection, but the structure around the programme is what helps them stay, complete and progress.
Our model combines education, football, pastoral support, clear expectations and progression planning. Cohorts are managed around the needs of the learners and the setting, with delivery shaped to provide the right balance of support, challenge and accountability.
The outcome is not just participation. It is learners staying engaged, completing their programmes, achieving qualifications and building the confidence to move forward.
Football opens the door. Education gives the pathway substance.
92.2% → 96.4%
three-year retention growth
100%
retention for enrolled learners
100%
achievement for learners completing GLH
Positive destinations are not defined by one route. NGP supports learners to leave with direction, whether that is higher education, employment, scholarships, football, coaching or the wider sport industry.
Football may be the starting point, but the programme is designed to develop more than players. We embed life skills, personal development, progression planning and support around each learner, helping them build confidence, direction and a realistic plan for the future.
Some continue into professional, semi-professional or non-league football. Some access US scholarships or higher education. Some move directly into employment in sport. Others discover a new pathway they had not previously considered.
The aim is not to force one version of success. It is to help each young person leave with options, direction and a stronger sense of what comes next.
Football gives young people a place to test themselves. It challenges their technique, decision-making, discipline, communication, confidence and ability to respond under pressure. That makes it a powerful environment for real development.
Our approach is holistic. We support the technical and tactical parts of the game, but we also focus on the social, psychological and personal qualities that shape long-term progress. Character matters. Personality matters. How a young person carries themselves, responds to setbacks, works with others and takes responsibility all become part of the development process.
For high-performance players, this means building the habits, standards and mindset needed to keep progressing.
For others, it may mean finding confidence, building identity, learning routine, developing resilience or discovering leadership for the first time.
NGP does not see football development and personal development as separate. The game is the platform. The person is the priority.
Technical
player development
Tactical
game understanding
Social
confidence and communication
Psychological
resilience and identity
NGP gives young people access to football experiences beyond their usual environment.
For some, that means travelling overseas to train, compete, tour and experience the game in a different country. For others, it means coming into the UK to test themselves, study, play, develop and experience one of the most competitive football cultures in the world.
These opportunities are not just trips. They are pathway experiences.
Through international links, scholarship routes, partner programmes, tours, showcases and football education opportunities, NGP helps players and students see what exists beyond their local area. In some cases, these become once-in-a-lifetime moments that change ambition, confidence and direction.
Our network continues to grow across Europe, North America and beyond, connecting players, coaches, schools, colleges and partners through shared football experiences.
NGP is not only a local football education organisation. It is a global pathway organisation, using the game to open doors, build connections and create opportunities that reach further.
Europe
international partner network
Sports Education & Training
global collaboration
ANB Futbol
Canada partnership
Across NGP, progression has taken many forms: scholarships, university, coaching, employment, football, personal training, sport science, teaching, media and international work. But the outcome is never just a destination. It is the shift in confidence, identity and belief that happens along the way.
We have seen young people turn difficult starting points into powerful next steps. A female player securing a 100% athletic scholarship. A former learner building a pathway through BA, BSc and MSc study before coaching overseas. A player released from a professional academy, learning through English as an additional language, who became the first in his family to access higher education.
These stories matter. But we are careful with them.
NGP is not the kind of organisation that uses young people's names and destinations as trophies. Their achievements belong to them. They are the ones with the drive, character, discipline and determination to move forward.
We gave them a platform. We gave them structure, support and opportunity. They did the work.
And we are proud to have been part of the journey.
100%
US athletic scholarship
BA / BSc / MSc
sport and performance coaching pathway
First in family / EAL
access to higher education
Life Changing
learner journeys beyond the programme
