school orienteering??
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school orienteering??
I just met an old maths teacher of mine while at an orienteering event and she asked me why I had never been interested at school. This came as a surprise as I never knew my school had done any (after thinking about it I remember a vague reference from another maths teacher telling us about some kind of activity involving what sounded like cross-country running). It was clearly not advertised very well at all - no posters, no "taster sessions". I hope this isn't the case in most schools as it would be no wonder why there aren't many juniors joining the sport.
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SJ - blue
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I remember my first experience of orienteering at school, a quite demanding course set out by our Geograohy teachers around not just the school grounds but the entire campus of the neighbouring college - sports fields, gardens and all. Great fun. This was the "taster" before we headed out to the countryside for the real competition (It was a part of the school house sports challenge as well as an individual race). This took us to Mugdock (an area outside Glasgow that a number of folk will know well). Another great day (although walking boots and a rucksack showed how much we knew about the idea behind the sport). In the rest of my time at school, I found one other event (with the BB) but at no point can I remember ever being told that it was a competitive sport and that there were actually clubs out there. Hence my late start when I went to uni. I do remember going "wayfaring" with my Dad's walking club a few times though. I also remember finding out I had an air cadet unit on my doorstep from a single poster on a noticeboard at school. Much came from that. Would one poster in every school help o?
- Domhnull Mor
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We had a teacher who introduced it as an outside sport, bundling us into the minibus and taking us to summer evening training and score events that were nearby, and then taking the minibus and any interested people to Sunday events that he was going to anyway. Probably can't do that nowadays with all the risk assessments etc that need to be completed, but this was 20-odd years ago.
I think we only had a brief classroom based introduction as to what the sport was about, but I had always been interested in the idea of orienteering since a friend acquired a Silva compass and a "Know the Game - Orienteering" book at the age of 8.
I think we only had a brief classroom based introduction as to what the sport was about, but I had always been interested in the idea of orienteering since a friend acquired a Silva compass and a "Know the Game - Orienteering" book at the age of 8.
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PorkyFatBoy - diehard
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Probably can't do that nowadays with all the risk assessments etc that need to be completed
No you couldn't!
There are the child protection risks of one teacher taking groups of selected kids to out of school events on an "ad hoc" basis (problems very rarely occurred in the past, but that sort of activity was often exploited by paedophiles).
In my county, orienteering counts as a "risky outdoor activity". You are supposed to have a level 1 coaching BOF qualification even to run orienteering activities on the school grounds or in its immediate surroundings and level 2 before you take groups to club events in "controlled" areas like Park-O. Thankfully, we have a sensible advisor who will accept grown-up risk assessments (e.g. that people will get prickled and scratched and that it does not matter so you are not going to do anything about it!) and he puts great value on "experience" - if you can show that you have thought sensibly and have a feel for outdoor activities, he is not too hung up on pieces of paper. In this litigious world, this kind of restrictive approach is probably unavoidable.
On the other hand, the notion of someone letting 20 kids loose on a local or district course when they have had no preparation and do not really have any idea what they are doing is scary! I suspect that most kids have very limited experience of the outdoor world and so the "common sense" that we had, growing up in the countryside and hardly ever being indoors, cannot be taken for granted.
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chrisecurtis - red
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I take small numbers of children from a secondary school to local events. I am a BOF coach and do have my child protection certificate, but I have never filled in a risk assessment. Once I got the consent forms when I was taking them to Nottingham for a score event.
The school view is that the parents consent to them going with me as it is a weekend by allowing them to turn up. Just like parents letting their kids go out with a friends parent. I do try to meet the parents if possible so they know who I am etc. May be it's because we're in the rural part of the country but this appears to be the norm. I also coach/run hockey sessions on a Sat morning for a Junior Club(i.e. a group of interested parents). I don't have a qualification in coaching this. I try to ensure that there is another adult, and due to this the sessions will probably cease in September. Parents bring their children but never sign them over or attend the meetings of the club.
HOCOLITE
The school view is that the parents consent to them going with me as it is a weekend by allowing them to turn up. Just like parents letting their kids go out with a friends parent. I do try to meet the parents if possible so they know who I am etc. May be it's because we're in the rural part of the country but this appears to be the norm. I also coach/run hockey sessions on a Sat morning for a Junior Club(i.e. a group of interested parents). I don't have a qualification in coaching this. I try to ensure that there is another adult, and due to this the sessions will probably cease in September. Parents bring their children but never sign them over or attend the meetings of the club.
HOCOLITE
- Guest
They are taking the line that the trips to events are not being run by the school - the school has not appointed you and has no responsibility for you so just like if the parents allow children to go straight to the event or with a friend or relative the parents are assuming the risks. The down side is that if something did go wrong (heaven forbid) the school and the LEA would not be there to support you - you would be on your own.
If a school employee is involved (as I often am) then the school automatically has responsibility and must "manage" the risk - these days that means bureaucracy to show that the risks have been thought about and managed. The upside is that if something did go wrong I would have the backing of the school and LEA (and more importantly their insurers and lawyers).
If a school employee is involved (as I often am) then the school automatically has responsibility and must "manage" the risk - these days that means bureaucracy to show that the risks have been thought about and managed. The upside is that if something did go wrong I would have the backing of the school and LEA (and more importantly their insurers and lawyers).
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chrisecurtis - red
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I started at school,
Being the cool kid I am, I was getting a lift back from school where I had been to a competition in the choir ( which we won ), was chatting to my friend Chris Watts who had just been to British Schools. Orienteering sounded interesting and said I wished I was picked for the team. he replies - oh, you just have to come.
Big Shout out to Chris O'Donnell for all those years of driving me to events - plus helping at NWJS weekends.
Being the cool kid I am, I was getting a lift back from school where I had been to a competition in the choir ( which we won ), was chatting to my friend Chris Watts who had just been to British Schools. Orienteering sounded interesting and said I wished I was picked for the team. he replies - oh, you just have to come.
Big Shout out to Chris O'Donnell for all those years of driving me to events - plus helping at NWJS weekends.
Now, I know you're a feminist, and I think that's adorable, but this is grown-up time and I'm the man.
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Braddie - light green
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Within bristol there is an active schools league, in which my school competes, there are about 6 of us who run for the school on a regular basis, however we are all from orienteering families, and often compete at a national level anyway, virtually all of us hearing about the league through BOK rather then through school.
A few of us have tried to set up a lunchtime club within school, to try and gain interest, as well as giving out notices about future events, but there was no response, no one seemed interested at all. Although we compete for the school we have to organise eveything ourselves, entry for relays, individual championsip entries, as the physical education staff have no interest in helping us at all even though we are competing for the school.
A few years ago we had a teacher who did encorage a few more people to start competing, but most of these people stopped after a year, and none of them are still orienteering. However some schools seem to have great success in getting a team together, with some schools having teams of up to 40 coming to local events, however these schools seem to have teachers who are very active in premoting the sport, arrange transport to events and take teams up to the british schools. I think unless you have an member of staff who is able to co-ordinate and organise orienteering within the school you are very unlikely to gain any interest from juniors who have had no previous orienteering background.
A few of us have tried to set up a lunchtime club within school, to try and gain interest, as well as giving out notices about future events, but there was no response, no one seemed interested at all. Although we compete for the school we have to organise eveything ourselves, entry for relays, individual championsip entries, as the physical education staff have no interest in helping us at all even though we are competing for the school.
A few years ago we had a teacher who did encorage a few more people to start competing, but most of these people stopped after a year, and none of them are still orienteering. However some schools seem to have great success in getting a team together, with some schools having teams of up to 40 coming to local events, however these schools seem to have teachers who are very active in premoting the sport, arrange transport to events and take teams up to the british schools. I think unless you have an member of staff who is able to co-ordinate and organise orienteering within the school you are very unlikely to gain any interest from juniors who have had no previous orienteering background.
- Nicky
- string
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You are supposed to have a level 1 coaching BOF qualification even to run orienteering activities on the school grounds or in its immediate surroundings and level 2 before you take groups to club events in "controlled" areas like Park-O.
Having just read the new SOA handbook, it says that Level 1 is for Teachers or Leaders who wish to teach O on a safe controlled site (eg school) or who wish to take groups to organised O events. Level 2 allows you to do teaching sessions in local parks and woodlands.
So, to teach O in the school grounds and then go to local organised events, I only need Level 1, right??
I hope so, coz that's what I've got (well, teacher / leader certificate under the old system) and I took groups to local organised events last term. The Edinburgh Council website said that was all I needed, which fits in with the SOA handbook Level 1 description.
On a different tack, the form-filling is a nightmare!! Last term was the first time I'd tried to fill out the forms (didn't need to at my last school???) and I got it totally wrong - wrong forms, sent to the wrong people... It's totally confusing and wasted lots and lots of my time. Very nearly enough to make you not bother doing extra-curricular stuff at all...
Oh, and when I went to visit my current school before starting there, I noticed a very eye-catching poster of young Miss Hargreaves as she was then (just!) - but I doubt there was any info about how to actually go Orienteering and it was nicely hidden away in a corner. Now there's a similar poster and also a signed one of Jamie Stevenson WC in a much more obvious position. Oh, and quite a lot of kids went orienteering last term...
The more I think, the more confused I get...
- Gillian
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I've talked to school about setting up an oreinteering club as a 6th former. They said that they would say it was a school team so going to local events would be covered by a general consent form for local trips given out at the beggining of the year. My mum just needs the title team manager and parents can drop their kids off events.
I'm not sure quite how well this will work as we've not gone back yet, but it is another idea.
I'm not sure quite how well this will work as we've not gone back yet, but it is another idea.
- CHS
- blue
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So say if i wanted to start up an orienteering club in Northern Ireland... i would need a qualifed teacher with a Level 1 or 2?
And if a club was set up in the NIOA region what competitions would we be eligble for, seeing that we are not mainland?
And if a club was set up in the NIOA region what competitions would we be eligble for, seeing that we are not mainland?
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loo - off string
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i have a teacher who is kind of enthusiastic but it is hard to get interest form older kids and most find running around school boring.
we sometimes go out around a perminant course near us but we have to go out in groups of 3 and only in a star formation. I find it really frustrating as im used to freedom on a course.
Some younger people in my school might take up an intrest which would be good.
we sometimes go out around a perminant course near us but we have to go out in groups of 3 and only in a star formation. I find it really frustrating as im used to freedom on a course.
Some younger people in my school might take up an intrest which would be good.
Don't mention it
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Guy - off string
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I get headlines from the Scotsman paper e-mailed daily and this morning it was this one entitled "From chess to skiing, education continues outside the classroom" starting off with
It then goes on about how great private schools are at promoting extracurricular activities and how this is so essential to their pupils development. It never mentions why parents see the need to send their children to public school inorder to get this sort of activity.
I know that my Physics teacher (Dick Webster) was integral in not only promoting orienteering but also a lot of other extracurricular programmes within the school. At the time he had two children of his own at similar ages to me so would take us all to Scottish Schools and did a lot for me like writting referances for me to get on an expedition to Greenland and taking the Duke of Edinburgh expeditions.
Other sports were the same, teachers, off their own back used to take us to other sporting events and the like.
Towards the end of my high School days (1997) this was coming to an end due to the need for coaching certificates and the general apathy of the school towards extracurricular activities.
In my opinion it is imperitive and essential that schools take on more responsibility and are proactive in promoting sport (and other out of class activities) through the staff or other means.
When i was working as a climbing instructor at the Glasgow Climbing centre we took loads of school aged kids from the inner city school areas and either had indoor walll sessions or took them to the local crags where we could not only teach them to climb but also to respect the natural environment and its worth. Obviously this costs the school a bit as we were proffessional instructors but can you really put a price on that sort of child development? (I'll leave that for the economists to discuss!!)
SCHOOL is about much more than exam results. A pupil may emerge from sixth year with straight ‘A’s in academic subjects - but without something to offer the world in terms of interests, balance, personality and enthusiasm, he will be ill-prepared for life beyond the school corridors.
The emphasis which Scotland’s independent schools place on extra-curricular activities - particularly on sports, outdoor pursuits, music and drama - is one of the principal deciding factors for many parents in choosing to send their children to a private school.
It then goes on about how great private schools are at promoting extracurricular activities and how this is so essential to their pupils development. It never mentions why parents see the need to send their children to public school inorder to get this sort of activity.
I know that my Physics teacher (Dick Webster) was integral in not only promoting orienteering but also a lot of other extracurricular programmes within the school. At the time he had two children of his own at similar ages to me so would take us all to Scottish Schools and did a lot for me like writting referances for me to get on an expedition to Greenland and taking the Duke of Edinburgh expeditions.
Other sports were the same, teachers, off their own back used to take us to other sporting events and the like.
Towards the end of my high School days (1997) this was coming to an end due to the need for coaching certificates and the general apathy of the school towards extracurricular activities.
In my opinion it is imperitive and essential that schools take on more responsibility and are proactive in promoting sport (and other out of class activities) through the staff or other means.
When i was working as a climbing instructor at the Glasgow Climbing centre we took loads of school aged kids from the inner city school areas and either had indoor walll sessions or took them to the local crags where we could not only teach them to climb but also to respect the natural environment and its worth. Obviously this costs the school a bit as we were proffessional instructors but can you really put a price on that sort of child development? (I'll leave that for the economists to discuss!!)
You can't expect to reach the top without a little climbing!
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Asian - light green
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Some private schools have huge advantages in this area. Average private day school in England gets £6,000 - £8,000 per pupil per year in fees. Boarding is usually much more (£18,000 seems fairly typical) Average state secondary school gets £3,300 per pupil. Teacher time costs roughly £750 for an hour per week for a year. Work out who can afford what.
The extra money in private schools translates into smaller classes (therefore teachers less exhausted, with less marking etc. and more willing to do extra-curricular), better facilities and into paying people directly to lay on these activities (including monopolising all our local public facilities and pushing prices beyond our reach!). Private schools are also exempt from the national curriculum so still do such things as Wednesday afternoon sport for all - we have to teach 14 subjects at KS3 (11-14 year olds) and a full programme of GCSEs for 15 & 16 year olds which uses up all the timetable time and allows exactly two hours a week for PE and sport - INCLUDING extra-curricular. Even sixth formers now usually take 4 subjects instead of three, and have to do "key skills" so they have almost no time either.
My staff (I am a Head) still do a great deal of extra-curricular activity (as I do personally) but we simply cannot match what is on offer in local private schools. We would love to do more, but things have to change to allow this.
The extra money in private schools translates into smaller classes (therefore teachers less exhausted, with less marking etc. and more willing to do extra-curricular), better facilities and into paying people directly to lay on these activities (including monopolising all our local public facilities and pushing prices beyond our reach!). Private schools are also exempt from the national curriculum so still do such things as Wednesday afternoon sport for all - we have to teach 14 subjects at KS3 (11-14 year olds) and a full programme of GCSEs for 15 & 16 year olds which uses up all the timetable time and allows exactly two hours a week for PE and sport - INCLUDING extra-curricular. Even sixth formers now usually take 4 subjects instead of three, and have to do "key skills" so they have almost no time either.
My staff (I am a Head) still do a great deal of extra-curricular activity (as I do personally) but we simply cannot match what is on offer in local private schools. We would love to do more, but things have to change to allow this.
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chrisecurtis - red
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