As the Premier League dedicates its October match rounds to No Room for Racism, pupils from primary and secondary schools have been meeting players, hearing their stories and learning what it means to be an ally.
Every Premier League match between 17 and 25 October is dedicated to No Room for Racism, the League’s campaign to tackle discrimination and celebrate diversity in football. Away from the pitch, much of the campaign’s work is taking place in schools.
The 2026/27 campaign launched on 16 October with a new film featuring players from all 20 Premier League clubs, including Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk. No Room for Racism began in 2019 and encourages everyone to challenge and report discrimination wherever it occurs. Education is central to the campaign, and free No Room for Racism resources have already reached more than 510,000 children and 16,000 teachers.
New free assembly for primary schools
This Black History Month, Premier League Primary Stars has launched The Power of Positive Voices, a free assembly resource that brings the stories of Premier League players into the classroom. It is the latest addition to the No Room for Racism: Black Voices pack.
The assembly uses football’s biggest role models, including Virgil van Dijk, Leeds United’s Ethan Ampadu, Fulham’s Alex Iwobi and Chelsea Women’s Lauren James, to help pupils explore diversity, belonging, resilience and self-confidence.
Van Dijk said: “It means a lot to me to represent my community on and off the pitch. I’m proud of being part Surinamese, part Dutch and it’s a good feeling to always represent what you stand for. I think it’s important for young people to see role models who look like them, to see that they can achieve anything. It doesn’t matter who you are, what you do or how you look.”
Iwobi added: “I think it’s important to include everyone from all backgrounds because football doesn’t just cater to one person, ethnicity or religion. Everyone should feel included. Football has a space for everyone.”
The resources are available to more than 19,000 primary schools across England and Wales, and 9 out of 10 teachers report a positive impact on pupils’ understanding of diversity and inclusion after using Premier League Primary Stars resources.
Brentford: “We have to be fair to everyone”
At a Premier League Primary Stars session earlier this month, primary pupils met Brentford’s Josh Dasilva and club captain Nathan Collins, who spoke about their experiences of equality, diversity and inclusion in football.
Dasilva said: “No Room For Racism means education. In schools and at workshops, we can do better to improve knowledge about racism and how we can eradicate it from not just in football, but in everyday life as well. It doesn’t matter what skin colour you have, someone shouldn’t be put down because of something that they have no control over.”
Pupil Myla, aged 11, said:
“The session taught us that racism in sport is bad because you shouldn’t show kindness to one person and unkindness to someone else because of the colour of their skin.
“The number one thing I’m going to take away from today is fairness. We have to be fair to everyone in sport and in life because we’re all human and we all deserve to be treated respectfully and fairly.”
Brighton & Hove Albion: “Meeting Leroy really shifted my perspective”
In Sussex, secondary pupils took part in a No Room for Racism workshop run by the Brighton & Hove Albion Foundation through Premier League Inspires. Albion forward Femi Azeez and former West Ham United and Fulham striker Leroy Rosenior MBE answered pupils’ questions about allyship and spoke about the racist abuse they have faced.
Azeez said: “Unfortunately, in today’s age, racism is still very prominent,” adding that visits like this are an important way of educating people.
Year 8 pupil Seb said:
“Meeting Leroy, who had experienced racism, really shifted my perspective. I knew that racism was a problem, but I hadn’t met someone who had been verbally or physically abused because of the colour of their skin. And I hadn’t realised the extent of the problem, especially when Leroy played football. Nowadays, I know it is better but there are still massive issues.
“The No Room for Racism workshop also taught me about being an ally. This means supporting people who aren’t being treated right. I will try and be an ally to all people, no matter who they are.”
Free resources for teachers
Teachers can register for free and download The Power of Positive Voices and the wider No Room for Racism collection from Premier League Primary Stars.
About Premier League Primary Stars
Premier League Primary Stars uses the appeal of football to inspire children aged 5 to 11 to learn, be active and develop important life skills. It offers free, curriculum-linked teaching resources and is available to more than 19,000 primary schools across England and Wales, with over 83,000 teachers registered.
About Premier League Inspires
Premier League Inspires is a personal development programme for young people aged 11 to 18, created by the Premier League and professional football clubs. Delivered mainly in secondary schools and pupil referral units by club community organisations, it uses group sessions, mentoring, workshops and social action projects to help young people build confidence and life skills and plan for their futures.
