Top Birmingham school spawned England hero
Nathan Clarke reveals how World Cup star Bellingham found his calling at one of the city’s finest independent schools
AFTER another stellar display in the heart of England’s midfield against Senegal at the weekend, 19-year-old Jude Bellingham cemented his status as the break-out star of this year’s World Cup.
But long before he became a household name, Bellingham was just a normal Birmingham schoolboy – albeit at one of the city’s most expensive schools.
Born and raised in Stourbridge, Bellingham is a former pupil at the £16,000-a-year Priory School in Edgbaston.
The school boasts an ‘outstanding’ Ofsted rating and numerous state-of-the-art sporting facilities where PE teachers would have nurtured Jude’s footballing talent.
His former teammates at Birmingham City say Bellingham would often turn up to training in his burgundy school uniform before ‘humbling’ some of the senior pros in the squad.
But what do we know about The Priory School – and why was it the perfect place to nurture a young football superstar like Bellingham?
The Priory School is an independent private school in Edgbaston, Birmingham. Founded in 1933 it moved to its present site in 1936 and boasts 14 acres of wooded gardens and grounds including a full-sized football pitch.
Other sporting facilities on offer include a state-of-the-art sports centre, a multi-purpose gym and a seasonal running track.
But all these facilities come at a cost – parents hoping to send their children to The Priory School will be expected to fork out £5,450 a term including a £500 acceptance fee.
It’s evident why The Priory School was the perfect place for a young Bellingham. The school prides itself on being a ‘a centre of
sporting excellence’ with students encouraged to compete at regional and national levels in sport while being supported academically to excel in all areas of their education.
The schools website says it offers: “Tailored academic support for students training with premier league football clubs to ensure academic success alongside sporting pursuits.”
Bellingham would have also enjoyed international football tours run by the school to Real Madrid and Barcelona, which may have contributed to his decision to move abroad to develop his footballing career.
At the same time he was training at Birmingham City’s academy which he joined at the age of eight – he was also a regular for the school’s football team. He says school football was one of the few times he could play ‘without any sort of pressure on who would be watching.’
While at the Priory School, the school’s football team won a national tournament, but a young Bellingham was ‘gutted’ to miss the final through injury.
But if England keep up their good form and reach the World Cup final this year – Bellingham is sure to be one of the first names on the team sheet.