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NEWS FROM THE COLLEGE 11

LEICESTER CITY FOOTBALL CLUB & RATCLIFFE

COLLEGE WORKING CLOSELY TOGETHER

In January 2015, an exciting and
unusual international initiative was
launched in the form of a partnership
between Ratcliffe College and Leicester
City Football Club (LCFC), which saw
sixteen students from Thailand brought
to the UK by LCFC. The students,
aged between 15 and 17, are spending
two years getting a first-class British
education as full-time boarders at
Ratcliffe. When not studying, the lucky
students train with the LCFC Academy
players, benefiting from the fantastic
sports training facilities at Leicester
City’s state-of-the-art training
complex.

Headmaster, Gareth Lloyd, said: “We are The Thai students at Ratcliffe
very excited to be partnering Leicester
City Football Club in this pioneering educational initiative. The Thai students have a busy timetable, with a carefully devised
The sixteen students from Thailand are benefiting from two schedule, designed to see the boys develop strong written
years’ exposure to the best of the British educational system. and spoken English through full engagement in the day and
International initiatives such as this can add a great deal to the boarding programme. Initially, the boys started an ‘English as
education of our UK students, as we attempt to ensure that they an Additional Language’ course, which combined daily lessons
have the ability to take their part in what is becoming a ‘global with a rigorous football training schedule at the Leicester City
village’. We hope and expect that the education which we shall Academy. Since September 2015, the boys have started a BTEC
provide for these students from Thailand will make a significant in Sports Science and are combining this course with further
difference to their lives, whatever they may do in the future.” English lessons to support their studies. During the evenings
and at weekends, the boys complete their preps like any other
Susan Whelan, Leicester City’s Chief Executive Officer, added: students, then benefit from the exciting and busy cultural and
“We chose Ratcliffe College because it is committed to delivering sporting options available to them - after their work is complete,
an all-inclusive education to extremely high standards, which of course!
is consistent with our objectives for the pioneering Leicester
City International Academy project. As well as aiding the One year on, progress made thus far is very encouraging indeed.
development of talented young footballers, it is vital that we The boys have integrated well with the growing boarding
help them to develop as students and as people. I am sure that community, where they are simply seen as Ratcliffe College
the sixteen young people will benefit enormously from their students who go about their daily business with happy smiles on
Ratcliffe experience.” their faces!

The objective to this exciting educational and sporting project
is not necessarily to find the next Lionel Messi, but to help
form sixteen young men in the values and quality gained by a
British boarding education, and for them to return to home to
Thailand, in time, to influence the infrastructure of tourism,
sport, education and business within their own country. After
much planning, LCFC’s Jon Rudkin, Academy Director, went out
to Thailand in October 2014. In an X Factor-style football contest
that involved recommendations from schools and youth clubs,
as well as practical football elements, Jon selected and assessed
young people across five regions of Thailand. Thirty students
sat entrance examinations, and the fortunate sixteen arrived
at Ratcliffe at 11.45pm on January 12th 2015. The morning
after they arrived, as Headmaster Gareth Lloyd walked across
the fields, the new Thai students, along with some of our other
international boarders, were taking photos of the first snow that L to R: Gareth Lloyd, Headmaster, with Susan Whelan, Chief Executive,
they had ever seen! Leicester City FC & Jon Rudkin, Director of Football, Leicester City FC

Register online at www.ratcliffianassociation.co.uk