Do you want your career in the sport you love?
Courses
We have variety of courses from Certificate to Diploma.
Join the Denbigh Football Academy, the most established Post-16 provider of Football Education within Milton Keynes and running since 1999. Study at the exceptional Denbigh Sixth Form where you can develop your passion for football and study for a Level 3 academic qualification. In the Academy, you will develop your footballing skills and learn how to coach young people on courses that are run by a UEFA qualified coach and dedicated PE specialists. The Academy works in partnership with the Milton Keynes Dons Sport & Education Trust (SET) which allows Academy students the opportunity to train and compete in a high-performance environment at the MK Dons and allow boys from the MK Dons Talent Pathway access to Denbigh’s first-class education offer.
We welcome both male and female Sixth Form students onto our challenging and flexible course. Our Academy has created an environment that inspires graduates to pursue a future in higher education and professional sport, through competing, coaching, physiotherapy or other sport related industries.
Academy students have the opportunity to train at the MK Dons through our partnership with the Milton Keynes Dons Sport & Education Trust (SET) which gives them access to a high performance training environment. Students can also use the fully equipped gym and facilities at Shenley Leisure Centre, which is adjacent to the School. The Academy also has three grass football pitches and two 3G floodlit artificial grass pitches.
Academy students enjoy all the benefits of being a Sixth Former at Denbigh. The bespoke Sixth Form Centre includes a common room, social working space and a dedicated Sixth Form ICT suite. The Centre also houses a careers room filled with university prospectuses and information to help students progress into further education and employment.
Our Artisan School Food Company 'Cucina', runs Café Pronto as a dining and social area for Sixth Form students offering food and drinks in an Italian coffee house style environment.
Encouraging and nurturing students through a player centered approach, Denbigh Football Academy Director, Malcolm Lay, brings over 25 years teaching and coaching expertise to the role.
Malcolm has held a UEFA 'A' Licence qualification for over 10 years and has a proven track record of developing individuals, to enable them to progress at grassroots, elite and professional levels.
Malcolm joined Denbigh School in 2005 as a qualified PE teacher, following employment at other secondary and primary schools, as well as working in higher education and on social exclusion programmes.He brings a wealth of experience from within the football world, having worked at a number of professional clubs.
Malcolm follows a holistic approach to player development, seeking to develop the person not just the player.
For entry into the Denbigh Football Academy, candidates will need five GCSEs at grade 4, which include English and Mathematics. However, if students do not achieve these results, they can contact the Academy Director, Malcom Lay, as each application will be looked at on an individual basis.
Students are assigned a learning mentor, with whom they meet regularly to discuss targets, progress and their future.
Students can access their work in school and at home, via the School portal. They receive regular formal feedback concerning their progress. They can also gain access to the School’s wi-fi network to support their learning and private study throughout the day.
There is comprehensive support for those students applying for higher education, including university visits.
Students going into employment will receive full support on writing CVs and interview preparation. They can also attend regular drop-in sessions, where apprenticeship providers will meet and discuss opportunities with students. The School’s Careers Adviser is available to give guidance, which will focus on student’s individual aspirations.
A large proportion of students complete UCAS applications and regularly receive offers from first choice universities.
The Academy was founded in 1999 to fill a recognised football development gap in Milton Keynes and is now the most established Post-16 provider of Football Education within Milton Keynes.
The Academy is based at Denbigh School, rated as ‘Good’ by Ofsted in 2019 and forms part of the Sixth Form. Hundreds of students have completed the two-year full-time course and attained BTEC and FA qualifications.
In September 2023, the Academy entered into a partnership with the Milton Keynes Dons Sport & Education Trust (SET). The Academy had been working informally with the MK Dons and MK Dons SET for many years, with a large number of Academy graduates going on to work within the Club, so it was right that a more formal partnership was established.
Academy graduates have progressed into employment in the sporting world by becoming full-time coaches, and have gone on to pursue careers in event management, education, sports therapy, the police and the tourist industry. Others have built on their qualifications by studying at university or in Higher or Further Education.
The Denbigh Football Academy has worked with some exceptional candidates, some of whom have kindly agreed to share their professional success stories and testimonies. Their statements clearly demonstrate the excellent teaching and dedication of the Academy and Sixth Form staff:
“If it wasn’t for Denbigh Football Academy, I wouldn’t be where I am now and experiencing working with the MK Dons Academy and working in America in a game I love.” Chris
“Being on the course and getting my coaching badges improved my confidence….I’ve been working for the police within neighbourhoods arranging charity football tournaments and games against local youth groups.” Alex
“The course helped me to help to get onto my sports science BTEC course….I am now a qualified sports therapist.” Becky
“I spent the summer in America coaching at a British soccer camp and I am now currently in my second year at Liverpool John Moore’s University studying sport development and PE, which has included a five-week placement at Everton’s Academy.” Leanna
“After leaving the Academy, I got a two year apprenticeship at MK Dons as a community coach….I was offered the job as an Events Officer at MK Dons. I am now 22 years old and look back on my time at Denbigh Football Academy as a huge success. I cannot thank Malcolm enough, as if it wasn’t for his guidance and excellent tutoring, I wouldn’t be in the position I am in today.” Martin
We have variety of courses from Certificate to Diploma.
Please contact Malcolm Lay, Denbigh Football Academy Director, at Denbigh School, Burchard Crescent, Shenley Church End, Milton Keynes, MK5 6EX by email laym@denbigh.net or fill in your details and Malcolm will contact you.
Our Football Academy students are champions of the EFL’s U19 Regional CEFA Football League and received their winners’ medals at Wembley at the EFL League One Play Off final.
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