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Swansea
shown within Wales |
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Craigfelen Primary
Woodside Crescent, Clydach,
Swansea
Website:
www.craigfelenprimary.ik.org
Coach: Debbie Evans
(supported by Ian Eustis)
Year groups:
3, 4, 5 & 6.
Wednesday Breakfast Club 08.00-08.55
Day/Time: Wed 9.30-11.15 &
11.15-12.45.
Lunchtime Club: Ian Eustis
(supported by staff)
Gors Community Primary
School
Website:
www.gorscommunityschool.co.uk
Coach: Debbie Evans
Year groups:
3 & 4.
Friday Breakfast Club: 08.00-08.55
Day: Fri 13:00 - 14:00
Lunchtime Club: Debbie Evans
Terrace Road Primary School -
Swansea Edunet
Website:
http://bit.ly/vTMCwc
Terrace Road, Mount Pleasant,
Swansea, SA1 6JD.
Coach: Debbie Evans
Year groups:
3 & 4.
Monday Breakfast Club 08.00-08.55
Day/Time: Mon, 13.15-14.30.
Lunchtime Club: Debbie Evans
(supported by staff)
Sea View Community Primary
Website:
www.seaviewprimary.ik.org
Creidiol Road, Mayhill,
Swansea, SA1 6TZ.
Coach: Debbie Evans (support
Ian Eustis)
Year groups:
3, 4, 5 & 6.
Thursday Breakfast Club 08.00-08.55
Day/Time: Thurs, 9.30-11.15.
Lunchtime Club: Debbie Evans
(supported by staff) + after
school club
In total the estimated
number of children taught is
200 + for all schools.
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Swansea Chess Academy Wales has four
schools enrolled on the CSC programme.
Lessons to reach an estimated 200+ children.
In this Autumn term I have started teaching
at two of the schools with Ian Eustis
(retired teacher and Director of Junior
Chess in Wales in nearby Pontardawe) lending
support in Craigfelen Primary.
Gors Community Primary School (Townhill
Swansea) focuses on years 3 and 4.
Craigfelen Primary School Clydach (North
Swansea/ Lower Swansea Valley Region) caters
for years 3/4/5 and 6.
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Deborah Evans, Geraint Davies MP
and Garry Kasparov with children
from Gors Community Primary School,
Swansea |
As expected Chess activity has been well
received in the schools with some children
bursting at the seams! Teachers, children
and parents are enthusiastic and friendly.
Staff support the lessons; very helpful when
organizing the worksheet activity that I
like to mark on the spot to reinforce
learning. Also there are some children
(varying ethnic groups) with language and
learning difficulties where support from
staff has been essential.
Some children can play reasonable moves
but generally I am continually learning
myself in how to best improve teaching
delivery. The CSC resources are solid.
Typically, as in all teaching subjects,
activities that work well with one group
don’t necessarily work as well with a
different group. For instance, I played a
simul with one group and was able to
assess/correct illegal moves etc with
individuals but with another group the
exercise was laboriously difficult for many
of them. The main skill is keeping the
children in a frame of mind where they feel
they are improving and enjoying.
Both schools have expressed an interest
in having a school match helped by the fact
that some of the staff have worked in
schools together previously. Some children
may attend a CAW private run extra training
day in March.
One school is prepared to try out an
after school club.
As a practicing Artist (www.beehappenings.com)
I would like to introduce
art/craft/design/creative writing and
presentation skills but haven’t caught my
breath long enough yet to sit down and
workout a plan of action for this. Possibly
I would be able to apply for local funding
relating to the Arts to do a one-day
workshop. Visuals in the school and creative
development would add another dimension to
the Chess Project. I am still aiming to put
in an application for the 2012 London
Olympic Aspire Mark project linking
qualities needed by the chess player to
sports person qualities.
On October the 18th we took some pupils
from Gors Community School and Craigfelen
Primary School to Westminster for the CSC
First Birthday event at the House of
Commons. Wallis Thompson from Craigfelen was
on-air with Nigel Short and myself being
interviewed by Radio BBC Wales Breakfast
Show ‘Good Morning Wales’ before we caught
the train from Swansea Central that morning.
The Swansea Evening Post reported the
event and published
the above photo, (Craigfelen in Red
Jayden and Wallis and Gors in Blue Lauren
and Annie) which has hopefully helped raise
the profile of chess for schools in general.
A really memorable and fun day out. The
award ceremony at school later in the month,
when the children received the certificates
and medallion momentum from CSC, meant that
the whole school could join in the
celebration and take a pride in the Chess
Project at their school.
- Debbie Evans, Coach and Director
of Chess Academy Wales
www.chessacademywales.com
Click to see this report on our News page
