A SCHOOL is one of just five in the north to be picked to partner with the University Campus of Football Business (UCFB).

Students at Haslingden High School now have a unique opportunity to pursue a career in football or the sports industry after sixth form.

UCFB has bases at The Etihad in Manchester and Wembley in London and Haslingden High School students will benefit by being given priority entry onto their undergraduate degree courses.

The sixth form currently offers the Cambridge Extended Technical Certificate in Sport which enables students to get lots of leadership opportunities within school.

Currently five students in Year 13 are on the course, another four in Year 12 and 18 are interested in joining the course from September.

Head of PE Wes Haworth said: “Only five schools were picked as partners and we were the only one in East Lancashire.

“Our sports studies students, and a number of Year 12s, went to UCFB to a guest lecture delivered by Alan Shearer and then got to meet him afterwards.

“The link came about because Dave Shaw, head of business, and I decided to offer our students a combined pathway of sport and business, where students study vocational sport and vocational business and that set us down the road of linking up with UCFB.

“What we are offering fits in perfectly with what they want to do.”

The campus offers a variety of degree courses combining football business courses with finance, marketing or media, football coaching with management and talent development and other courses including sports journalism, broadcasting, psychology and events management.

Mr Haworth said: “This partnership offers an excellent opportunity for students to kick-start their career in the football and sports industry.”

As well as meeting guest speakers, students will get to tour the Etihad, and possibly Wembley, and attend a careers presentation.