FA’s push to give girls equal football access in school brings mixed results

The FA’s data on girls and equality in football shows many great successes as its four-year strategy comes to an end. Photograph: Fabio De Paola/The Guardian

The proportion of schools in England offering girls equal access to football in physical education has climbed considerably since 2020, but not quite as fast as the Football Association had hoped at secondary-school level.

Figures released by the FA on Friday show that 85% of primary schools are affording girls equality of football access in PE lessons, well above the FA’s targets from four years ago, but half of secondary schools do not do so, falling below an ambition to have three-quarters of secondary schools meeting that standard.