Boreham Wood Football Club are delighted to announce the relaunch of the successful education partnership with Barnet & Southgate College, as the two organisations reunite to support the next generation of talent through the BW PASE Academy.
The renewed collaboration marks a return to a highly successful relationship that previously ran between 2014 and 2021. During those years, Barnet & Southgate College served as the BW PASE Academy’s education provider, helping to establish a programme that became recognised as one of the UK’s leading football and education pathways.
The BW PASE Academy earned a reputation as the country’s number one sports and education academy during this time, combining elite-level coaching with a diverse and accessible academic offering, including a range of A-Level and BTEC courses. The programme catered to players of all abilities, ensuring that every student had the opportunity to develop both on the pitch and in the classroom.
One of the defining features of the partnership was its proven pathway into professional football. Graduates progressed into the first team and beyond, with several going on to achieve success at the highest levels of the game. Among the most notable alumni is Iliman Ndiaye, now playing for Everton and an Africa Cup of Nations winner with Senegal, as well as Sorba Thomas, who represents Wales internationally and currently plies his trade at Championship side Stoke City.
The BW PASE Academy also produced 27 college internationals and a wealth of professional players across the Football League and beyond, underlining its status as a breeding ground for talent. Alongside its footballing success, the programme consistently delivered strong academic outcomes, with students progressing into higher education, apprenticeships, and international scholarships as well as careers in other areas of the sports industry.
Additionally, in collaboration with Barnet & Southgate College, the BW PASE Academy enjoyed remarkable achievements on the pitch, including national titles and cup successes. Its Under-19’s were crowned Champions of England and Wales, while younger age groups secured league and cup doubles, symbolic of the programme’s strength.
The relaunch of the partnership aims to build on these past achievements, offering a modern, forward-thinking environment for aspiring players. The BW PASE Academy will once again combine professional coaching, state-of-the-art facilities, and a wide range of academic courses designed to suit the ambitions of aspiring 16-to-19-year-old players.
Players enrolled in the programme will benefit from full-time training delivered by UEFA and FA-qualified coaches, access to top-class playing surfaces, strength and conditioning facilities, and analysis tools as well as a structured pathway into a professional, first-team environment. Alongside this, Barnet & Southgate College will provide a comprehensive educational framework, including BTEC courses, A-levels, and vocational pathways tailored to each student.
Boreham Wood Chairman, Danny Hunter commented: “I’m hugely excited. Barnet & Southgate College are old friends, and we’ve had a long partnership in the past. It’s good to be going back and working on areas of the BW PASE Academy we feel we can improve, both on a football level and on an educational level.
Barnet & Southgate College are a good, local educational institution and I think we share the same values. With the new contract being long-term, that will bring stability and growth to what we’re doing. If we want to be in the EFL, we must put all the right structures in place off the pitch. That’s happening at the south end of the ground and with the things we’re doing. This partnership is another building block along the way to hopefully progressing ourselves and one day reaching the EFL.
The last time we were together as a partnership, we were number one in retention and success rates and had huge success on and off the pitch. We developed 27 England College Internationals and had players who went on to play in the Premier League and at the last FIFA World Cup. Those are all things we’ll chase again and see what happens. I look forward to a fantastic partnership in the years to come!”
Boreham Wood First Team Manager, Luke Garrard added: “I was the Academy Manager when we had the relationship with Barnet & Southgate College before and we had some huge success stories. The idea is to mirror that and more. For me, being the First Team Manager, we need young, exciting players coming through the BW PASE Academy. Previously with Barnet & Southgate College, we had that in abundance.
We want players to have a great experience with us on the pitch and off the pitch, in the classrooms. Collaborating on a sports/education programme with people who have high standards is important, and you can see that with Barnet & Southgate College. We want to hit the ground running next season with the new recruits coming in over the summer, ones that I’ll cast my eye over. Hopefully there is a new Sorba Thomas or Iliman Ndiaye!”
Barnet & Southgate College Chief Executive and Principle, Neil Coker said: “Both organisations have a clear, common purpose which is to continue providing something that’s of high quality, an outstanding experience for all the students that join us at Boreham Wood Football Club with Barnet & Southgate College. We want them to develop their sporting capability and be successful in their education.
Our mission is to change lives and lead the way in preparing students for the future. Partnering with Boreham Wood Football Club allows us to create a high-performance environment where young people don’t have to choose between their sporting ambitions and their academic success.”
The reunion between Boreham Wood Football Club and Barnet & Southgate College signals an exciting new chapter for the BW PASE Academy. By combining professional football coaching with high-quality education, the programme aims to offers a unique opportunity for aspiring players to achieve their goals both on and off the pitch. Further information on trials, applications, and course details will be released soon, as the BW PASE Academy prepares to welcome its next intake of talented and ambitious students.
