British Schools

[Mrs H.]

Noooooooooooo

We as parents took our school group - as friends - no member of staff involved - and stayed in Bradley Wood Scout hut - we hired a mini bus and had fish and chips for tea - all the kids thought it was the best bit by far.

I went out with my cap in my hand and got given enough money to pay for the hut and the bus - it cost the kids next to nothing.

there is no way a regional version could generate the atmosphere of Sunday's event - don't water it down for God's sake just move it around so everyone gets an easy year every now and then.

[kedge]

Agreed, Mrs H.

Clayesmore have trekked all over the country to get to the British Schools, without missing a year, since we started going in 1990, and the more memorable ones, the ones which the children have got more out of, have all been away trips, rather than venues we could get to in a day.

I wouldn't want to dilute the competition by reducing it to a regional event. Clearly though, some schools don't travel - were there any Scots there this year? Leeds is closer to Glagow & Edinburgh than it is to rural Dorset.

[kedge]

The uphill run in clearly took its toll as these two pix of Stef Blomquist finishing on her knees and an unknown runner dead on arrival clearly illustrate.

http://www.wimborne-orienteers.org.uk/w ... %20pix.htm

[Guest]

i was looking like that coz id neva run so hard round a course in my life!!

[Rookie]

there's no need for regional champs - county ones already exist in most areas

having a regional champs instead would mean that some of the top schools never competed against each other

BSOC was excellent for the seven years I competed and it was an event to look forward to. All (meaning most) other sports have national schools champs

[Jene]

thought my course was ace, (g13)...and was same as stef after the run in... which was horrible! thought the whole evnt was really well run, the courses were planned well with good route choice for the older ones and also thought the commentary was really good... esp for some of the older courses where results were close

[Lizi Beee]

I agree with jene, thought our course (G13) was goood, all the little path networks provided a challenge trying to go at full speed but were also good enough so you could run fast if you wanted. Also the finish must have been very hard work for the younger ones, but it showed me how my training's going! Thanks Tony and everyone who helped out, i had a great weekend and as that was my last one it shall stick in my mind, like the brambles to my legs

[Carnage Head]

A couple of extra points:

1:5000 would probably have suited my bunch, but they enjoyed it nevertheless.

Also, how about if the British Schools Score Champs was moved from the same term as the BSOC (as it is now) to the summer term, so that school teams have an aim for the end of the school year?

And finally, Mrs H - pity we didn't cross paths - I'd love to share your tent anytime.

[Rookie]

Summer term:
causes the same problems as JIRCs and exams
also lots of large events round then, eg. BOC in most years + FCC final etc.

summer term might be fine for primary school but for older competitors it's a bit annoying

[HOCOLITE]

[quote="Carnage Head"]A couple of extra points:



Also, how about if the British Schools Score Champs was moved from the same term as the BSOC (as it is now) to the summer term, so that school teams have an aim for the end of the school year?

This has been visited many times at committee meetings.Rookie states the major problems that have been met. The BSSOC has managed to get a permanent slot in the fixtures list and that was hard to establish. With exams at all levels from the SATS at the beginning of May to the A Levels at the end of June there is not much chance. Before this there is usually the JK and British as well as FCC races etc.

[Carnage Head]

RE: Score Champs not being in summer - I'd imagined those to be the reasons (exams and other big races). Understandable.

So, what do other schools have as their 'end of year' focus? Or even as a focus for the end of Easter term? (Beyond local/district events, which I enter them into now, where there are no 'team' standings to focus the pupils who might not be so good individually.)

There is no school league in the Leeds area (yes - I know - set one up... but one thing at a time).

Do some teams arrange 'friendlies' with other active o schools who I know are going to turn up at certain events (eg Ermystead's?)?

Or can school teams enter as themselves (i.e. not running for the local club) in junior events (not having been involved until adulthood, I'm a bit sketchy about junior events). (Ideally, some juniors might want to join the local club, but most will not, at least in the first year or so, I'd imagine.)

(Sorry about the excessive use of parentheses (brackets, ha ha).)

Any ideas?

[kedge]

As has been stated above, holding major Schools Championships in summer is now impossible, with exams coming earlier & earlier in term-time. In any case, the BOF fixture structure is now always so full of major events in April & May that there isn't room for another championship. Hence national schools orienteering events are always held in the Autumn term, when most children will be able to attend them, although this means that the older children are always running in forests full of bracken and/or brambles.

This also leaves schools with the problem that they lose experienced runners the previous July and haven't yet really had time to train up replacements to their teams from the new intake.

The solution in the the Dorset Schools league , is to hold perhaps 8 league events throughout the year : - 5 in the Autumn term,( including one the week before the British schools, so that those expert & experienced children who spend their time running up a level can practice on a Yellow, Orange or L Green Course, hopefully similar to the standard they might be expecting to meet at the British. ), 2 or 3 events in the Spring term. In the the summer we might slip in another event, particulalry if Easter is early, so schools go back in early rather than late April.

These schools events include any district events run by WIM,WSX & Sarum ( & sometimes SOC, which is in S. Central rather than SWOA, ) with WIM putting on a couple of extra events to fill the gaps. Schools turn up at these events and run as schools competitors, rather than for clubs.

If the event is also a SW galoppen league event, then regular galoppen competitors run for their clubs and I pick thir names out of the results and work out their schools league points. These events are almost always on a Sunday, sometimes the odd one on a Saturday. Although our numbers are still fairly small, we seem to be doing something right, in that all of the Sarum juniors who took so many podium positions at Temple Newsam last weekend have all cut their teeth in the schools league.

In addition, we have a Dorset Schools Champs in early May, always on the Friday afternoon, at the end of the KS2 tests. This is a score event, format stolen from the British Schools Score model. To this we get all our regular competitors plus other schools who don't come to our Sunday events.

We used to have prizes presented by some local worthy - now we use our star juniors, wearing their GB tracksuits, to give the medals out to the winners.

[Carnage Head]

In addition, we have a Dorset Schools Champs in early May, always on the Friday afternoon, at the end of the KS2 tests. This is a score event, format stolen from the British Schools Score model. To this we get all our regular competitors plus other schools who don't come to our Sunday events.

Thanks for the input, Kedge. I particularly like the above suggestion. I will discuss things with other AIRE (and the surrounding AIRE-ea) teachers, who could probably grab a handful of pupils for a one-off score race, even if they don't have an active o club. In fact, I'm co-planning a score thang in Jan - perhaps I could have a practice/informal Leeds area schools score champs then! Will liaise with the powers that be - prob have to delay it a few months for a Spring thing like yours.

[HOCOLITE]

Carnage I don't suppose you get route choice #5 but if the school is a BSOA member I think it should come to the school. There was an article in the most recent one about competitions based on PESCCL's or some school centred term. Basically there are different levels for different age groups. Perhaps you need to speak to your RDO. I believe your 'chap' is pretty good. If you don;t have a contact ref I recommend you contact either Hilary Palmer or Peter Bylett or Pauline Olivant via BOF

[Carnage Head]

Thanks Hocolite - will contact RDO. Was also recommended to do this at a race today.