Playing for Success (PfS) is a partnership between the Department for Children, Schools and Families, the LA, the Football Foundation and sporting Clubs to establish out of school hours study support centres at sports' club grounds. The centres use the environment and medium of sport as motivational tools.

PfS began in 1997 and was initially based at Premier League Clubs. In 1998, First Division Clubs were included and so successful was the scheme in raising the educational standards of the pupils who attend the centres, that it was decided to extend the scheme still further to include Division Two and Three Clubs as well as other sporting venues such as Rugby, Cricket, Tennis, Ice Hockey and Basketball.

Pools Study Support Centre was the 88th PfS study support centre to be created.

Initially based in the CK Restaurant in the Cyril Knowles Stand it opened its doors to its first cohort of pupils in summer 2003.The Centre has gone from strength to strength and is now offering the full range of study support classes in its new purpose-built classroom.

Currently 5 Primary Schools and 3 Secondary Schools are invited to attend once a week for ten weeks - Primary pupils from 2.45 to 4.45pm and Secondary pupils from 4.45 to 6.45pm. Supervised transport is provided from the school to the centre and then back to the school after that.

The pupils work on numeracy, literacy and ICT with a football related theme. The children also have the use of wireless networked computers, an A3 colour printer, an interactive whiteboard, digital cameras, as well as having access to the the Internet using a 10mg Broadband connection.