I just received the following document for comment from Bob Wilmoth at the EJCOA ( English Junior Coaches and Organisers Association). Its not a finished document, still a work in progress which should be completed by mid-June, but it does contain a lot of useful generic advice for the Bedford School if it is still a live issue.
"English Junior Coaches and Organisers Association (EJCOA)
Starter Pack for Schools Chess
Introduction
Welcome to this EJCOA Starter Pack for Schools Chess. If you are thinking of forming a chess club at your school or among children, we hope you will find our advice and suggestions useful.
EJCOA (ejogguide.co.uk) is a newly formed body of experienced English chess coaches and organisers and currently comprises over 300 members, all of whom are dedicated to developing junior chess.
Chess organisations
First, a few words about the current junior chess scene in England
The largest junior tournament organisers and coaching associations aside from EJCOA are:
1) Chess in Schools and Communities (CSC). This is a charity that provides chess coaching in state schools. It provides curriculum lessons and after-school clubs, also providing chess sets for school use.
2) English Primary Schools Chess Association (EPSCA). The main event the organisation runs is the National Schools U9 and U11 team championships. A flagship event that starts in January with zonal sections moving forward to three semi-finals and a final in July consisting of 8 teams. There are also individual events that allow for norms to be achieved, which allow you to qualify for the EPSCA England team.
3) Delancey UK Schools' Chess Challenge | Chess Competition for Schools (delanceyukschoolschesschallenge.com) This is an exceptionally popular event for individuals that starts with a school section and widens out into a county, national and then final stage.
4) English Chess Federation The national federation organises national championships for individuals and school teams.
School chess clubs
In the next section we offer direct advice about setting up and maintaining a school chess club.
Please click on each link for information.
Coaching Advice
• Structure for a school club
• How to handle behaviour in a school club
• How to run an external junior tournament
• How to run an external junior club
• How to run an online training class
• How to set up your studies on Lichess
• Chess sets for school clubs and other equipment required
• Competing in a school team tournament
We are also able to offer introductory booklets to chess, which will help children, teachers and parents. This is a project sponsored by St Catherine’s School in Bramley, in partnership with the English Chess Federation. The books assume no knowledge of chess to begin with and will take you through to a good starting level.
You may download them here:
Chess products by EJCOA members listed in our constitution | EJCOA (ejogguide.co.uk)
Increasing numbers of girls playing chess
More and more girls are getting into chess and ‘She Plays To Win’ is a UK Girls Chess Project led by England Women Olympiad Team Coach IM Lorin D’Costa, to try and encourage more girls to participate and learn chess in a fun environment.
This involves FREE 30 minutes training in a weekly group and a tournament on the Lichess server afterwards.
lichess.org • Free Online Chess
This is open to all female chess players in primary and secondary schools, as well as in universities and colleges (under the age of 28), regardless of chess level or experience. We are particularly keen to encourage girls starting to play chess, and run a group for beginners.
To sign up, parents just need to sign up via the official website:
https://www.sheplaystowin.co.uk/join-sptw
SPTW also has an online girls Primary and Secondary Schools League, sponsored by Pinpoint Learning.
This runs every half term throughout the school year, and is free to enter. Girls from all schools are welcome to take part.
Email Lorin at:
[email protected] to enter your school.
It pays to be simple at an early stage and we hope that you have found this starter pack helpful.
Please do contact us at the link below for more advice and information:
Contact | EJCOA (ejogguide.co.uk)"