Reading takes great pride in its academy, and they have had Category 1 designation since 2013, the best an institution can achieve. The under-23s participate in Premier League 2, while the under-18s compete in the Premier League under-18s. As well as this, the under-15s also play in the FA Youth Cup. There are currently 80 students at the academy, with more than half being female. The majority of players who have gone on to represent England at youth level are graduates of the club's youth system, with more than 30 having done so by 2009. Reading has one of the largest student populations in the country, with many students coming from outside the local area. In fact, according to figures published by the Department for Education, reading has the highest percentage of students living more than 30 miles away from school campuses in the country. The club initially set up the academy in response to concerns over the quality of football being played by younger age groups within the club. At the time, Reading were not considered strong enough to enter the higher divisions of the English game, so it was decided that a better way to improve the standard of football being played across all ages groups would be to have their own team in the lower divisions. This allowed coaches to be hired specifically to work with the young players rather than just promoting from within the first team, while also giving them experience of competition at a high level.