Sports Colleges were introduced in 1997 as part of the Specialist Schools Programme in the United Kingdom. The system enables secondary schools to specialise in certain fields, in this case, PE, sports and dance. Schools that successfully apply to the Specialist Schools Trust and become Sports Colleges will receive extra funding from this joint private sector and government scheme. Sports Colleges also act as a local point of reference for other schools and businesses in the area, with an emphasis on promoting sports within the community.