I got ripped because of the kit as well. The shoes were a major problem.. Somehow they though that "Nokia "was not a cool brand..
Times change.
school orienteering??
Moderators: [nope] cartel, team nopesport
45 posts
• Page 3 of 3 • 1, 2, 3
Just though I'd mention what goes on at a big O school like UVHS.
We're a state comp so the school only pays the entry for schools events - the pupils (well their parents) pay the travel, accommodation and all other entry (and NO PE o lessons). Our success is really down to having a really committed teacher who's willing to take us away practically every weekend and has got good parental support for training, shadowing, minibuses (most of them didn't orienteer before their kids did). a couple of other teachers have got involved now for supervision, mini bus driving etc.
we get year 7s involved (about 15 a year) with a notice in assembly and then train them up in time for british schools in november (first few weeks on the school field but then colour coded, badges nationals and JK/british). by year 10 theres usually about 3 boys 3 girls still o'ing.
We're a state comp so the school only pays the entry for schools events - the pupils (well their parents) pay the travel, accommodation and all other entry (and NO PE o lessons). Our success is really down to having a really committed teacher who's willing to take us away practically every weekend and has got good parental support for training, shadowing, minibuses (most of them didn't orienteer before their kids did). a couple of other teachers have got involved now for supervision, mini bus driving etc.
we get year 7s involved (about 15 a year) with a notice in assembly and then train them up in time for british schools in november (first few weeks on the school field but then colour coded, badges nationals and JK/british). by year 10 theres usually about 3 boys 3 girls still o'ing.
-
Rookie - green
- Posts: 324
- Joined: Wed May 12, 2004 9:07 am
- Location: Lake District
don't know about nationally but all UVHS people are LOC members and if they're still o'ing by sixth form they'll tend to keep it up afterwards.
I think schools leagues tend to be used by people doing d of e and most probably don't think of O as a sport outside them
the new year 7s just started - we've got enough girls for a C team at British Schools at moment - don't know how long they'll llast though
I think schools leagues tend to be used by people doing d of e and most probably don't think of O as a sport outside them
the new year 7s just started - we've got enough girls for a C team at British Schools at moment - don't know how long they'll llast though
-
Rookie - green
- Posts: 324
- Joined: Wed May 12, 2004 9:07 am
- Location: Lake District
I no of at least two lads who Colin Best introduced to Orienteering through school who have kept it up after leaving school. SYO have made up compass sport cup teams and realy teams with runners recruited from Bradfield schoolas well. I don't think it is a very high uptake tho.
- CHS
- blue
- Posts: 412
- Joined: Sun Mar 28, 2004 7:26 pm
Hocolite wrote:Also of course the finance issue, they have lots of money, if a teacher wants to run an O club they get a budget, so can go to badge events, book and use mini bus etc. State schools will often pay entries to schools events etc but are unable to offer mini-buses regularly, or fund weekly trips to O events. Also the teachers from state schools are certainly not paid to take kids off on Sundays!
That's all somewhat inacurate. A substantial number of state schools do have minibuses that are available. In fact the four secondary schools nearest us (which between them have most of the Aire squad) all have minibuses available - one even uses it for orienteering on a regular basis. The independent school I work at does not have "lots of money", nor is there a budget for any extra-curricular club other than what parents are prepared to pay, and teachers are equally not paid to take kids off on Sundays. This is also true for the other independent schools round us.
At the end of the day, any school activity, independent or state, is down to the willingness of one or more teachers (or other staff or parent) to spend many voluntary hours making something happen.
-
awk - god
- Posts: 3224
- Joined: Sun Mar 21, 2004 5:29 pm
- Location: Bradford
AWK
You are quoting from the NE I am quoting from my area. When I say mini-buses available. I mean having a driver to drive it (i.e. teacher prepared to give up time) and also the ability to book it above Football, Rugby, Hockey etc.
Certainly I know that a no. of independent schools that O have budgets as the staff have quoted their budget when making entries.
HOCOLITE
You are quoting from the NE I am quoting from my area. When I say mini-buses available. I mean having a driver to drive it (i.e. teacher prepared to give up time) and also the ability to book it above Football, Rugby, Hockey etc.
Certainly I know that a no. of independent schools that O have budgets as the staff have quoted their budget when making entries.
HOCOLITE
- Guest
Yes, but the point I was making is that you can't generalise - it's not sector specific, but school specific. Indeed, to some extent it's teacher specific. The circumstances I'm quoting are certainly not based on the north-east, not least because I don't live there. My experience is more based on local schools (YH/NWOA) and work as as Development Officer (nationwide).
-
awk - god
- Posts: 3224
- Joined: Sun Mar 21, 2004 5:29 pm
- Location: Bradford
You cannot generalise but there are two advantages that all private schools have over all state schools.
1. They are exempt from the national curriculum - the very heavy curriculum content across so many subjects and tight timescales required is a huge disincentive for teachers and pupils and
2. There is a very strong expectation and culture of extra-curricular activity reinforced by smaller teaching group sizes and (very often) lighter teaching loads for teachers than would be the case in state schools - partly because all teachers are "expected" to be involved in extra-curricular activities. Certainly in my area, all the private secondaries employ specialist sports coaches in addition to their PE teachers, and have such wonderful luxuries as their own groundsman, cricket pavilion etc.. Not much involved in orienteering though, except via the combined cadet force.
There are willing and enterprising teachers in state schools, and there are private schools that do not do much, but there are government policies which actively drive out school sports in state schools, despite all the rhetoric. (Just as it is extremely difficult to get hold of lottery money to develop sport, despite all the hype)
As for private schools and money - some are much richer than others, and some are not rich - but I have yet to find a private school that will offer a secondary education for £3,400 a year - which is what we and most state secondaries get per student.
1. They are exempt from the national curriculum - the very heavy curriculum content across so many subjects and tight timescales required is a huge disincentive for teachers and pupils and
2. There is a very strong expectation and culture of extra-curricular activity reinforced by smaller teaching group sizes and (very often) lighter teaching loads for teachers than would be the case in state schools - partly because all teachers are "expected" to be involved in extra-curricular activities. Certainly in my area, all the private secondaries employ specialist sports coaches in addition to their PE teachers, and have such wonderful luxuries as their own groundsman, cricket pavilion etc.. Not much involved in orienteering though, except via the combined cadet force.
There are willing and enterprising teachers in state schools, and there are private schools that do not do much, but there are government policies which actively drive out school sports in state schools, despite all the rhetoric. (Just as it is extremely difficult to get hold of lottery money to develop sport, despite all the hype)
As for private schools and money - some are much richer than others, and some are not rich - but I have yet to find a private school that will offer a secondary education for £3,400 a year - which is what we and most state secondaries get per student.
-
chrisecurtis - red
- Posts: 171
- Joined: Fri Apr 16, 2004 12:34 pm
- Location: near Gatwick
Just seen this on the BBC website
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/3694556.stm
Check the photo caption......
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/3694556.stm
Check the photo caption......
- Domhnull Mor
- light green
- Posts: 286
- Joined: Wed May 05, 2004 11:16 am
- Location: Way, Way Up North
and orienteering got mentioned in the report on this on the radio this morning; as a good example of what was still going on as a school outdoor activity
- ifititches
- blue
- Posts: 400
- Joined: Fri Apr 02, 2004 9:15 pm
- Location: just SW of greatest track junction in UK, I think.....
oh dear this post just reminds me of the daunting fact that i will have to go hunting around my new college trying to find vaugely fit people who can basically read a map for british schools or i am doomed to be the only one running for my college...a sad fact
Planner/Organiser extraordinaire
JO'G 2006
JO'G 2006
-
rororosie - white
- Posts: 77
- Joined: Mon Apr 19, 2004 8:25 pm
- Location: always-bloody-raining manchester
chrisecurtis wrote:You cannot generalise but there are two advantages that all private schools have over all state schools.....
Can't disagree on the generalities, my point was one of specifics. As an example: whilst we are not required to deliver the national curriculum, we do; also my teaching load in terms of time (but not class size!)matches anything in the state sector, as do those others I know in the independent sector. However, Chris, you focus on the secondary sector. Could this be a bit different at primary?
but I have yet to find a private school that will offer a secondary education for £3,400 a year - which is what we and most state secondaries get per student.
And a disgracefully low figure it is too. But I also know that our local state schools have managed to tap into financial resources beyond this, for instance the several hundred thousand grant towards new buildings acquired by our local primary school from the LEA. Most of the sports development has been paid for by other sources too; our local primary has had no problem finding the finance for professional sports coaching. Apart from one sport, all our coaching is done in-house.
I'm no expert on school finance, but I suspect the biggest reason for the difference in fees is the smaller class sizes?
I'm sure this could run and run. I'm not trying to make out that there is an equality of resourcing, I'm sure there isn't. I am, however, trying to point out that some of the stereotypes put forward about independent compared to state schools, are just that, stereotypes (perhaps more at primary than secondary level possibly?). Rather more than financial, I think the imbalance is more cultural, and those state schools who are able to challenge those conceptions have shown how successful they can be.
-
awk - god
- Posts: 3224
- Joined: Sun Mar 21, 2004 5:29 pm
- Location: Bradford
redkite wrote:Avon appears to have a strong schools league in the winter but never appear to be all that many kids at local BOK events?
I compete in the avon schools league, and i've noticed that a lot of the other juniors find it difficult to move from schools level to even other local events. i think a lot of the problem is although parents who don't orienteer are willing to take their kids down to the local park for a couple of hours for a run, they are less happy to drive to the mendips or the forest of dean which use up a lot of their sundays.
The level of difficulty is also another matter, i'm a w16, so have about 4km on average at regional level events but when i compete in the schools league i'm expected to run a light green of around 3.2km, which makes the jump to regional level for people who have only just started orienteering difficult (although the jm/w system has solved some of these problems) as for local events, there is little advertising for other events at the league events, so maybe new juniors just don't know that there are other events on.
- Nicky
- string
- Posts: 11
- Joined: Tue May 04, 2004 9:40 pm
- Location: Bristol
Well I have been proved very wrong today. I went to give an O session at a local primary school. Not only did over half the group know what O was but they were, all prepared to go off into the woods. In fact they were visably disappointed when I said I wouldn't be taking them into the woods after school. There teacher is very keen for them to get out and get dirty. Although I was recommended for this job, I've not been asked for my clearance or coaching crudentials. I did mention that I had them. Obviously out in the countryside rationality overrides political correctness and all the rest of the buncom.
I have told them that I will give them details of events that their parents can take them to locally. We'll see what happens then.
I have told them that I will give them details of events that their parents can take them to locally. We'll see what happens then.
Diets and fitness are no good if you can't read the map.
-
HOCOLITE - addict
- Posts: 1274
- Joined: Thu Feb 12, 2004 8:42 pm
- Location: Down the Ag suppliers
45 posts
• Page 3 of 3 • 1, 2, 3
Who is online
Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 204 guests