How can chess help your pupils?

Chess is an effective and affordable educational intervention, promoting key academic and social skills that children will use throughout their lives. The game helps them to think logically and solve problems, it develops sportsmanship and resilience and it teaches children to plan ahead and take responsibility for their actions.

Open to anyone regardless of gender, ethnicity, faith or disability, chess has also been positively linked with academic performance; see our research page for details of this emerging field. However, it has all-but disappeared from state schools and especially from deprived areas - which is exactly where it can have the most benefit.

How can Chess in Schools and Communities help?

We work exclusively in state schools, and give priority to the most disadvantaged areas. The most effective way to teach chess is as a full lesson-time class, but we can also provide an extra-curricular club. Children learn the game over 30 weeks, taught by one of our trained tutors (all with Enhanced DBS clearance). Our curriculum assumes no prior knowledge and progresses from the laws of the game to foundational tactics and strategy.

Your school will receive all the equipment (including chess sets, our curriculum, workbooks and other learning aids), free training for staff and entry to school activity days at the annual London Chess Classic.

How can your school get involved?

Over 300 schools throughout the UK are now partnering with Chess in Schools and Communities, and we have supported hundreds more with equipment or training. If you would like to discuss how we could work with your school, please complete our Join Us form and we will be in touch.

We require schools to approach us directly, but parents can help - find out more.