NORTH AYRSHIRE (NA) SCHOOLS

Report by Dick Heathwood

23 JUNE 2004

CS and NA have been continuing to build upon the Continuing Professional Development (CPD) chess course arranged NA teachers. For example, Mr and Mrs Mathie of CS, have been providing ongoing help and support for NA teachers who run chess clubs. In this connection they ran an inter-schools chess competition in which 28 pupils from five schools took part. Top places were won by:-

NAME	SCHOOL	POINTS	GAMES
Callum Lee	Corsehill Primary School	4	4
Colin Munley	Corsehill Primary School	4.5	5
Greg Barr	St John's Primary School	3.5	4
Gavin Smith	Auchenharvie Academy	4	5

A number of prizes were awarded to the best players on the day.

In terms of the NA schools on the Island of Arran, the website has been reporting on various initiatives since their original CPD course for teachers (geography dictated that the Arran course had to be run separately). The most recent Arran activity was an inter-school chess competition. End of term is of course an extremely busy time for schools but a very successful mini-congress was held on 22 June with five local schools sending along 26 competitors. The main prize-winners in the continuous pairing competition run by Dick Heathwood of CS were: -

NAME	SCHOOL	POINTS	GAMES
James Todd	Lamlash Primary School	7	7
Michael Black	Brodick Primary School	5	6
Sam Tattersfield	Lamlash Primary School	4	5
Grant Adamson	Lamlash Primary School	4	7

 

Six of the other competitors received a book prize for their excellent individual performances.

Once again, CS should record its thanks to Irene Gilmour and Lesley Owens of NA in the continuing support and encouragement they are providing to school chess players in NA. The indications are that these initiatives are successfully building upon the excellent work already being carried out by teachers in providing pupils with an opportunity to play chess in organised school chess clubs.

CS looks forward to its continuing work with NA in developing school chess; ideas for the autumn term are already being discussed.