Introducing Made for This Game: Breaking Barriers

In a bid to tackle deep-rooted societal barriers to girls participating in football, alongside Barclays we are embarking on a new campaign, Made for This Game: Breaking Barriers, to deliver educational resources to primary and secondary schools nationwide.

Despite a significant increase in the number of schools offering equal access to football in PE lessons, with 79% at Key Stages 1-4, reaching 90% at Key Stages 2 & 3, barriers still remain when it comes to getting girls playing. 

Girls’ football participation has more than doubled in recent years, rising from 1.2 million in the 2020-21 season to 2.6m in 2024-25. However, new insight shows that gender stereotyping, misogyny, and a lack of body confidence are the most significant factors still holding girls back.

71% of primary school teachers say girls are most held back by feeling excluded by boys, while 63% of secondary school teachers cite body image and self-consciousness as the biggest factors stopping teenage girls from taking part.

To help tackle these barriers, supported by Barclays through the Barclays Girls’ Football in Schools partnership, we have developed new Made for This Game: Breaking Barriers educational resources for both primary and secondary school pupils and teachers.

Featuring CBBC and BBC Strictly Come Dancing star Molly Rainford, the topical lesson packs are intended for all pupils – ensuring both girls and boys engage with these important conversations early in life. Developed as part of our flagship participation initiative Made for this Game, the resources are split into two age categories:

● Primary resources (Ages 5-11): Focused on misogyny, inclusion and challenging gender stereotypes. 

● Secondary resources (Ages 11-16): Addressing more complex barriers, specifically body confidence and mental wellbeing, which are primary drivers for girls dropping out of sport during teenage years.

The lesson content features Molly in conversation with primary-aged pupils about how gender bias can negatively shape young people’s beliefs, and with secondary-aged girls discussing the pressure society places on teenagers’ self-image and body confidence. Findings from Youth Sport Trust suggest girls are over three times more likely than boys to lack confidence when taking part in physical activity, and more than twice as likely as boys to not feel resilient – underscoring the need for early, targeted support.

With insight showing more than half of teachers don’t feel confident discussing the issue of anti-misogyny in class, we have also released a dedicated visual podcast for teachers to help guide these conversations. Hosted by comedian and women’s football fan Maisie Adam, the episode brings together Lioness legend Rachel Brown-Finnis and Educating Yorkshire’s Matthew Burton to explore the wider societal challenges young people face and how teachers and adults can actively help by addressing these barriers to participation head on.

Our partnership with Barclays continues to deliver crucial work to ensure all girls can access football in school, with bespoke interventions to empower girls, grow their confidence and develop skills through football. The programme reaches 90% of eligible schools nationwide, with 20,434 schools now part of the network – a 47% increase since 2020-21.

With education at the heart of the partnership, Barclays continues to invest in girls’ football initiatives rooted in equality. Alongside Made for This Game: Breaking Barriers, the Barclays Girls’ Football in Schools partnership is also rolling out its Barclays Talent Education Programme this month – a new initiative to provide targeted support for high-potential players aged 8-16 within the school system. Working with Professional Game Academies and schoolteachers, the programme will help bridge the gap between football and education for girls on elite pathways, ensuring talented players receive the support needed to manage the demands of both. 

Made for This Game: Breaking Barriers launches formally today (18 March) at the Elizabeth Garrett Anderson School in Islington, London, with Barclays Football Ambassador Ian Wright joining classroom and staffroom sessions to chat with pupils and teachers about barriers that persist for girls in sport.

Ian Wright has been a passionate Barclays Football Ambassador for seven years. During this partnership, he has launched the Ian Wright Coaching Fund to boost the number of female grassroots coaches, supporting 664 aspiring coaches to date. He also built TenEmBee FC’s first ever girls’ football team, plastered and painted a new girls’ changing room in Manchester, and has been at the forefront of Barclays Girls’ Football in Schools campaigns.

Sue Day MBE, Director of Women’s Football at The FA said: "We cannot ignore the fact that societal pressures are threatening to slow the excellent progress that’s been made over the last few years. By starting these conversations for girls and boys in their formative years, I hope we can help to develop a generation of girls who truly believe that football is for them. It’s no use having role models in our Lionesses and the elite players of the Barclays WSL and WSL2 for girls to look up to, if they don’t feel that football is a place for them to thrive.

“There is always more to be done but I’m really proud that we’re tackling the difficult challenge of breaking down barriers head on in a bid to create a more supportive, inclusive and accepting environment for the next generation of girls and boys.”

Tom Corbett, Group Head of Sponsorship and Client Experience at Barclays, said: “Working closely with The FA over so many years, we’ve seen first-hand how powerful the right support can be in opening doors for girls across the country. Reaching 90% of schools offering girls aged 7–14 equal access to football in PE – three years ahead of schedule – is a milestone we’re incredibly proud of. It’s also a reminder of what’s possible when we keep pushing together.

“But access alone isn’t enough. Too many girls are still held back by stereotypes, self doubt and wider societal pressures. That’s why we’re proud to build on this progress through the Barclays Girls’ Football School Partnerships network - breaking down the barriers that stop girls from even wanting to step on the pitch, and creating environments where they feel confident, welcome and seen. The new Barclays Talent Education Programme takes this even further – ensuring talented girls are identified early, supported properly, and never forced to choose between their education and their passion. Together, these initiatives mean we’re championing girls from their first kick of a ball, all the way to chasing their dreams.”

Barclays Football Ambassador Ian Wright said: “For the last four years I’ve been to the Barclays Girls’ Football in Schools Biggest Ever Football Session, and it’s been amazing to see it go from 90,000 girls playing football on one day, to 485,000. Football is our national sport and it’s so important that it’s truly open to everyone, which is why I’m supporting what The FA and Barclays are doing with Made for This Game: Breaking Barriers.”

CBBC and BBC Strictly Come Dancing star, Molly Rainford, who stars in the educational resources, added: “Having the opportunity to speak to girls and young women as part of this project has been very eye-opening. I know body confidence, misogyny and gender bias remain as barriers, but it’s really important that we change the narrative and understand why they think this and what we could do to change that. The conversation is much greater than football itself, but it's a great place to start.”

Made for This Game: Breaking Barriers educational resources are available to schools here