Amidst the excitement of Ipswich Town Football Club’s recent promotion to the Premier League, Chantry Academy, also located in Ipswich, is thrilled to announce the extraordinary achievements of its girls under 13 (U13) and under 12 (U12) football squads in the 2023/24 season. The teams, consisting of year 7 and 8 students from the school, have swept through local and regional competitions, exceeding expectations, and showcasing more local footballing success.
The season's highlights include the U13 squad clinching the EFL Girls ITFC Club Final and the U12 team dominating at the Suffolk Futsal competition. Both squads also triumphed as Suffolk Cup winners - with the U12 team achieving a spectacular 13-0 win against East Bergolt and the U13 team securing a 6-2 victory over Bungay High in their respective finals. Furthermore, the U12’s came out on top as winners at the Suffolk schools 7-a-side fixture and made a notable run to the last 16 of the National Cup.
These results are particularly impressive as this is the first year these squads from the school, which is part of The Active Learning Trust, have competed together. The teams even outperformed older competitors, with the U12’s winning titles against teams of girls a year their senior. India Cook, a standout player in year 7, scored over 30 goals this season, making significant contributions to the team’s success.
PE Teacher and Pastoral Leader, Jake Barnard, became aware of the girls' potential during their primary schooling and attended several games in the summer of 2023 to witness their skills first hand. Inspired by their exceptional talent, he entered the teams into Suffolk and national cups for this year’s season.
Reflecting on the season, Jake commented: "It has been a great season, I knew the girls had the potential for success, but they have exceeded all our expectations. We have won the Suffolk cup previously with a great girls’ team, but now they have done the double and five trophies for the year, and we are excited about what is still to come. Our target for next year is to reach a national cup final!"
With such a successful season behind them, the teams have set the bar high. However, the future looks bright for these young football stars.
Chantry Academy is committed to fostering sporting excellence and providing opportunities for young athletes to thrive. The school looks forward to seeing what these remarkable teams will accomplish next.
