Keep up-to-date with the latest football activities in the Central region on twitter @sfa_central

A parent at a Scottish FA Central region School of Football has said the programme has “improved her son’s confidence and made him a more well-rounded individual as a result”.

Wallace High School in Stirling is home to the S1 and S2 programme – paid for by the Scottish Government’s CashBack for Communities fund – which provides football coaching for five hours each week.

Although the programme aims to improve the football skills of the pupils, its other objective are to improve social and academic ability.

Describing the impact of the programme on the field, parent Sheila Henderson – whose son is in his first year – said: “Receiving five hours of professional coaching per week can only be a benefit, and I can see it bearing fruit on my son’s improvement as a footballer.

“His skills have improved and the School of Football has identified areas of improvement that he can concentrate on.

“It is also key that the tuition concentrates on developing him as an individual, rather than simply in a team context.

“A number of teams have offered him the chance to join their club or take a trial with them.”

In the classroom, football topics are mixed in with literacy and numeracy subjects which Mrs Henderson said her son “is clearly benefiting from”.

Nutrition and the importance of a healthy lifestyle are taught within the programme with pupils at Wallace High linking up with the sports science department at Stirling University for classes.

The Wallace High programme is run by Scottish football legend Jimmy Bone who has been in the game for over 40 years.

He is a Stirlingshire local and said he is delighted to be able to give something back from a game which has given him a livelihood his entire life.

“I have loved being able to come back to Stirlingshire in this role,” he said. “This programme uses the power of football to improve the lives of young people.

“This is an area which has always been passionate about the game. The enthusiasm and support I have received from parent, teachers and pupils has been fantastic.

“The School of Football programme is one of the Scottish FA’s leading grassroots initiatives and we have been delighted to be able to put the money from the Scottish Government’s CashBack fund to good use.”