Based at Rishworth School, RIFA is an elite football training programme for both boys and girls which combines football with academic excellence to give a young player to best start to their career in or out of football.

Our academy is built up from industry experts both in the footballing and coaching professions to within leading educational environments. Combined, our team have over a century of experience and knowledge to be able to guide you on the right path. We have:

Mrs Jessica Sheldrick - Head of Rishworth School

Mr David Johnston - Programme Manager of RIFA

Mr Paz Shan - Head of Football

Mr Richard Danks - Director of Marketing and Admissions

Mrs Miller - Head of Admissions

Mr Andrew Thomas - Head of Sport at Rishworth School

RIFA's Interview with Paz Shan

Learn more about RIFA from our interview with our Head of Football, Paz Shan, in our video below.

Paz has over 30 years of experience as a player and football coach, previously the Manager of the Manchester City FC Women’s U17s team.

Alongside running RIFA, Paz works within the Recruitment Department at Manchester City FC in providing pathways and opportunities for talented young players into the Manchester City Football Club Academy Programme.