We would like to thank you all for your patience, understanding and support in dealing with the unprecedented challenges and uncertainty caused by the spread of Coronavirus (COVID-19). Presently, we do not know when schools will get back to normal so until then we are unable to update our webpages for the new term. We will let you know as soon as we have any updates for you. In the meantime please take care, continue to follow the government guidelines and look after yourselves and your families. We know that we will come out of this situation stronger and better than before and look forward to when we can continue our clubs in schools, when it’s safe to do so.
However, for our existing schools, we are proposing to continue providing school chess clubs online.
While schools are closed, children are missing their friends, and in fact are missing out on socialising and socialisation in an unprecedented manner.
As adults, we are keeping in touch with our friends and families through video calls and conversations.
But that is not how young children socialise. Young children’s interactions can be characterised as ‘playing with each other’ rather than ‘talking to each other’. Many parents will have experienced, over the last few weeks, that their children, when finally given the opportunity to ‘talk’ to a much-missed friend, have fallen mute, monosyllabic, or walked away.
Let them play with each other instead. In fact, let them play chess! We believe that online chess, combined with group video tuition, is an ideal way for children to continue socialising with their friends.
Furthermore, in these times of social distancing and school closures, chess is ideally placed to ‘move online’ smoothly. Already before the current pandemic, millions of chess games have been played online, and sophisticated teaching and learning solutions have been developed.
As safeguarding children is our highest priority, we have carefully evaluated which online chess tools to use.
Online matches will be on chesskid.com, a platform designed with children and safeguarding in mind.
Video instruction sessions will be held on Zoom. We are aware that safety concerns have been raised with regards to Zoom. We have looked into all of Zoom’s updates and advice on how to avoid this and will be applying stringent safety precautions to avoid issues such as ‘zoombombing’. Nevertheless, we will require an adult to remain in the same room as any child using zoom at all times.
We have also:
- an Acceptable Use Agreementt for parents and children to sign
- The video below for you to watch
- a Parent safeguarding form for parents and children to sign to confirm they have read/ watched the above and give permission for their child to take part in online lessons
If you are interested in your child / school taking part in some of our online chess clubs then please complete the form below and we will be in touch with all the above documentation for you to go through:
Don’t forget to Click on <Submit> or we will not receive your form.
Please do get in touch if you would like to discuss the possibility of providing achess club at your school over the next term.
Below is a photograph of Our Weybridge Tough Chess Club Member “Sanjit” receiving his prize for winning the U100 standard play category at the British Chess Championships in Torquay August 2019. Well done Sanjit!!
Select your child’s school chess club from the list below and you will be redirected to that page so you may pay their membership fees for the spring term 2020:
Bishopsgate School Chess Club Membership
Cleves School Intermediate/ Advanced Chess Club Membership
Danesfield Manor School Chess Club Membership
St Ann’s Heath School Chess Club Membership
Tormead Junior School Chess Clubs
Chess Club Membership for Westfields Junior School
Weybridge Tough Chess Club Membership – Held at Cleves School
Any questions please leave a comment below or email admin@chessentriesforall.com
