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London Irish
The ACE scheme – Academy, Colleges and Education

ACE London Irish is an academic partnership between London Irish and Bishop Wand School. The Naval Children’s Charity have partnered with London Irish to promote this scheme to our young people, and will be able to support any successful candidates from Naval families with their costs, including accommodation, whilst on the programme

Overview from the London Irish website

The ACE scheme – Academy, Colleges and Education – is targeted at talented Year 12 and Year 13 students who have the aspirations and potential to play at the elite end of the game. The ACE scheme gives boys the opportunity to combine rugby training on a daily basis at London Irish with academic study at our education partner Bishop Wand School as of the 2020/21 academic year. This combination allows the students to not only gain an excellent education, but also experience high quality rugby training and match opportunities. Ofsted rating: Excellent The rugby component of the combined development process will be delivered on site at the London Irish training ground and will be led by ACE Head Coach Richard Pryor supported by Pierre Clark, Simeon Barnes and Delon Armitage.

All students receive an Individual Development Program that is worked out to their individual needs and will also include a competition program which will consist of RFU ACE league games, friendlies, junior club games and representative games where appropriate. In addition to this students will also receive a personalised strength and conditioning programme and will have access to a full time physio.

The scheme is a fantastic opportunity for young talented rugby players to really develop their potential in a professional environment alongside like-minded players whilst continuing their academic education.

Some of the key highlights of the program include:

  • 8 of the 15 senior academy players all graduated from ACE
  • 36 former London Irish ACE players currently playing professional rugby
  • School Ofsted rating Good
  • 12 hours of rugby as part of a bespoke school timetable
  • Excellent links to top BUCS universities

For any specific questions regarding the programme email Richard.pryor@london-irish.com
What is ACE?

ACE is an academic partnership between the club and Bishop Wand School. It is a program run to provide a 6th form education as well as access to the highest level of coaching and playing opportunities at schoolboy level in England. We act as a feeder school to the academy and provide between 40-50% of the academy U18 squad each season.
There are only 14 ACE colleges/schools in England all linked to a Premiership Academy so competition for places is high.

It is aimed at anyone who wishes to develop their rugby further and is not purely open to boys within the DPP structure. As we have 12 hours of rugby for the 2 years of 6th form education, we know the players who come on ACE will develop significantly physically, mentally, technically, and tactically.

I reiterate, this is the highest level of schoolboy rugby in the country and is a fantastic opportunity for young men who wish to become better rugby players while receiving an excellent education.

It also must be remembered that if your son does not make it from U16 DPP into the U18 academy, ACE is the best place for him to be if he harbours a desire to get back into the academy as all staff work for the academy and we train and play at the home of the 1st team and academy therefore your son will be seen on a daily basis developing as a player.

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How we can help you

Apply for Financial Assistance using the Lightning Reach portal.

For applications for financial assistance you can apply by clicking on Register for Help below which will take you to the Lightning Reach portal. This platform is provided by our trusted partner, Lightning Reach, a social impact startup which uses secure technology to make the application process as quick and safe as possible for you.

Register for Help
A simple 3 step process
  1. Register and complete your profile here
    When asked to specify which of the Armed Forces you have served in, make sure to select ‘Royal Navy’, ‘Royal Marines’, ‘Merchant Navy in support of the Armed Forces’ or from the roles / industries list to ensure you are matched to Naval Children’s Charity.

  2. Once you’ve completed your profile, you should receive a support match to The Naval Children’s Charity. Click ‘continue’ to complete and submit your application.

  3. Provide your supporting evidence and submit your application to The Naval Children’s Charity.

Once your application has been made a caseworker will be in touch as soon as possible, this is usually within 3 days.

The profile you create on the Lightning Reach portal can also help you to find and apply for support from other support organisations easily and securely. We recommend that you submit your application to The Naval Children’s Charity first before submitting applications to other organisations.

For help with completing your application, visit Lightning Support and search for ‘The Naval Children’s Charity’.

If you have a question or not sure what help you need and require information or advice please use this online form.

Online Enquiry Form
Alternatively, If you would prefer to call our casework team, we can be contacted on 023 9263 9534, our office hours are 0830-1600 Monday to Friday.

How we can help you

The Naval Children’s Charity supports children up to and including the age of 25 whose parent(s) serve or have served in the Naval Service: Royal Navy, Royal Marines, QARNNS, WRNS, their Reserves and the RFA. If you need information or advice regarding support for your child(ren) please fill in the form to the best of your knowledge. One of our caseworkers will then contact you.

If you would prefer to call us we can be contacted on 023 9263 9534, our office hours are 0830-1600 Monday to Thursday and 0830-1300 on Friday.