England international visits Hackney’s Princess May Primary as part of Premier League Primary Stars scheme

Arsenal Ladies and England defender Alex Scott visited Princess May Primary School in Hackney to mark the recent launch of Premier League Primary Stars, the Premier League’s new national curriculum-linked education programme.

Premier League Primary Stars uses the appeal of the Premier League and professional football clubs to inspire children to learn, be active and develop important life skills.

Scott joined in a Premier League Primary Stars after-school football session delivered by Arsenal in the Community, combining classroom-based activities with physical exercise.

To mark her visit, the school was also specially renamed for the day in Alex’s honour, becoming ‘The Alex Scott Primary School’ for the duration of the star’s visit.

Scott said: “Having the school named after me for the day was a real honour and certainly not something I was expecting!

“It’s great to come out and see the Premier League Primary Stars programme in action. I’ve been able to see first-hand how football, and Arsenal can engage kids both inside and outside the classroom.

“Arsenal’s projects are so important to these children so it’s fantastic to see the Premier League investing more into this type of project.”

Arsenal in the Community runs weekly PE and after-school sessions at many schools across Islington, Camden and Hackney as part of the Primary Stars programme.

Teachers can apply for the chance to receive free football strips or equipment for their school by registering for the programme at PLPrimaryStars.com.

Parents can also nominate their school via the Premier League Primary Stars website and the application window is open from April 24 to June 9.

The Premier League Primary Stars Kit and Equipment Scheme will allow teachers the opportunity to get their hands on a full team kit or a range of useful equipment that can be used for different subject areas.

Premier League Primary Stars offers free downloadable resources for teachers across Key Stages 1 and 2 in English, Maths, PE and PSHE and the easy-to-use materials have been developed in partnership with education organisations including the National Literacy Trust and the PSHE Association.

Countdown TV presenter and mathematician Rachel Riley and children’s authors Cressida Cowell and Dan Freedman also helped to create the teaching resources, which use real life sport examples to put lessons into a relevant engaging context for children

This content adds to the existing support professional football clubs provide to primary schools and their local communities.

Arsenal is one of 88 Premier League, English Football League and National League clubs in England and Wales which provides in-school support through Premier League Primary Stars, which is the Premier League’s most ambitious community programme to date and aims to support 10,000 primary schools by 2019.

Richard Scudamore, executive chairman of the Premier League, added: “Premier League Primary Stars uses the power and popularity of football to inspire children to enjoy English, Maths and a range of other subjects.

“Our clubs are already doing great work in this area and it is fantastic to see players visiting local schools to support the programme and encourage learning.”

The football kit package includes 14 football shirts, 1 goalkeeper shirt, 15 pairs of shorts and 15 pairs of socks, while the equipment package includes a roller bag, bibs, training balls, pop-up goals, a whistle, a ball pump, a captain’s armband, hoops, cones, bean bags, giant dice and floor markers.

The Premier League Primary Stars Kit and Equipment scheme is supported by Nike and delivered by the Football Foundation. To register for the Premier League Primary Stars programme go to PLPrimaryStars.com.