Join our Sports Academy for professional football, rugby, netball or basketball coaching alongside studying a full-time course.
It's not all play
The Academy will give you the opportunity to join the first high quality Academy in the region focussed on academic qualifications as well as elite sport. You will have a structured timetable dedicated to training, matches, well-being and health and academic studies.
You can enrol on a number of partner courses at varying levels. Courses will include: Sports Science, Sport, Business and Public Services (other subject areas may be available). Additional Qualifications may include FA Football Coaching and Sports Leaders Award. And you'll build your confidence, communication, team-working and leadership skills.
Training Programme
The Sports Academy training programme is very thorough but fun. There are two-hour coaching sessions everyday that include all technical aspects of the game and fitness. You'll be given an individual fitness programme that focuses on building your speed, agility and strength, in addition to advice on diet and nutrition, along with comprehensive sports injury back-up. Although not compulsory, we suggest that you take out your own private medical insurance policy.
Book onto a training session
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Register for a Football Open training session
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Register for a Rugby Open training session
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Progression
From our Sports Academy, you could continue to Higher Education or employment as well as guidance on further playing opportunities and sports scholarships. Burnley goalkeeper Nick Pope developed his skills at our Sports Academy.
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Football
The men's football squad is run in partnership with Bury Town FC, where you will be part of the Bury Town Under 18 squad. Many former students have gone on to play for Bury Town firsts. Students also get the opportunity to play for Team Bury who play in the Thurlow Nunn League, as well as the FA Vase and FA Cup. Team Bury is mostly made up of current Sports Academy students.
In addition to working with Bury Town and Team Bury, we also enter a team in the English Colleges FA Premier League. We've won the English Colleges FA national play-offs three times in the last ten years and have also won the English Colleges FA Knock-out Cup three times.
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Rugby
Our rugby squad competes in the British Colleges Sports East Region League and the British Colleges Sport Knock-out Cup. We also enter the prestigious NatWest Schools Cup. In addition to 15-a-side rugby, the team play in a number of 'Sevens' and 'Tens' tournaments throughout the year. Matches are mostly played on a Wednesday afternoons. The squad benefits from having specialist backs and forwards coaches.
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Netball
The women's netball team competes in the British Colleges Sport East Division 1 and we welcome anyone to try out for the team. You'll be joining a full training programme alongside your usual academic study, so you do not have to be studying a sports-related course to join.
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Basketball
The men's basketball team competes in the British Colleges Sport East Region League and is one of the leading college basketball teams in the region. Join us to learn and refine every aspect of your game in basketball.
What people say
“I went to West Suffolk College and played over 100 games for a number of College teams, so to do that for a goalkeeper at that age was the best thing that could have happened. I was really fortunate.”
Nick Pope, Burnley FC, former student