Shiplake College

Going Premier: Leighton Park School Partners with Brentford FC CST

Published by Leighton Park School on Monday 25th of May 2026

Leighton Park is delighted to announce an exciting new partnership with Brentford FC CST. Commencing from September 2026, the relationship will take the progression and development of the school’s keen footballers to a whole new level - as girls and boys aged 11-18 benefit from the extensive professional expertise of the premiership club.


Assistant Head, Co-Curricular & Partnerships: Tash Coccia, commented: “Sport is
one of the cornerstones of our co-curricular programme at Leighton Park and
from the outset we have been determined to align ourselves with a values-driven
premiership club that shares our vision and ethos. Brentford was the natural
partner for us. Their strong community focus, inclusive approach to sport and
clear commitment to both participation and performance closely reflect our own
values in sport at LP. What ultimately made this partnership stand out for us was
Brentford’s recognition that sport should be accessible and meaningful for every
student, while also providing opportunities for excellence and high achievement
in football. I look forward to the positive impact this sports partnership will have
across our school community."


Callum Beasley, Head of Football, who has been instrumental in negotiating the
partnership enthused: “This programme will benefit our boys and girls equally
with a 50:50 split on the provision, supporting the growth we’ve seen over the last
few years in our girls’ football. Brentford are in the top 10 of the premier league at
the moment but they are very humble as a football club and our students who
follow football will know what an exciting phase the club is in. This relationship
will be supporting all our players and now we can push our performance teams
even higher. We are very excited to be working with Brentford.”


As well as shared values and philosophy, geography also explains the strength of
this partnership. Brentford is the closest premier league football club to the
school, enabling a really close relationship with meaningful opportunities and
support for Leighton Park’s students. The partnership will include bespoke training sessions for Leighton Park’s boys’ and girls’ teams through the co-curricular programme with top Brentford coaching staff. The partnership also
brings development squad training in the evenings, as part of a high-level
performance programme - with invitations issued to other local schools.
Brentford will provide expert input into the sport curriculum, training for
Leighton Park’s sports staff, including the school’s two UEFA B football coaches,
with Brentford FC CST staff also attending school events. Students will benefit
from opportunities to see the inner workings of a Premier League football club,
with regular visits to the ground to meet professionals and attend Brentford
matches.


Jack Cavilla, Head of Marketing and Communications at Brentford FC
Community Sports Trust commented, “We are delighted to be partnering with
Leighton Park School. The Trust has been expanding its delivery outreach into
Berkshire and surrounding areas, and this presents us with a great opportunity to
provide high quality coaching to the students at Leighton Park School. With
Brentford being the closest Premier League club to Leighton Park, we look
forward to building a meaningful partnership which will hopefully see continued
success for the school, Community Sports Trust and the Football Club.”


Leighton Park’s sport provision includes football, hockey and netball as the
school’s three core sports, with 30 sports on offer. Students can select a different
sport each term and try options like including basketball, yoga, Brazilian jiu-jjtsu,
rugby, swimming, cricket, tennis and more! Other exciting sports partnerships
include the Reading Rockets for Basketball, the Camberley Judo Centre for Judo
and Jiu-Jitsu and Go Perform, a state-of-the-art performance centre in Reading,
as part of the school’s Advanced Performance Programme. Two afternoons per
week are dedicated to games with younger years also timetabled for regular PE
and Dance classes ensuring that every student finds a fitness regime they are
keen to continue into adulthood

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