Provider Chess in Schools and Communities and Newham Council
Name Urban Chess
Since 2010, more than 500 children in Newham have been taught how to play chess. Now, three years on, teachers have been so pleased with the results that the east London borough is extending the project to all its 64 primary schools by 2015.
The chess classes are delivered by trained teachers supplied by the charity Chess in Schools and Communities.
The lessons are timetabled to take place within the school day for one hour over 30 weeks. Head teachers can decide which class would benefit most from the course, which has already been delivered to more than 11,000 children in England and Wales.
Malcolm Pein, chief executive of Chess in Schools and Communities, wants to see chess clubs in every primary school. “The social and academic benefits of teaching chess to young children have been well proven to improve concentration, critical thinking and build self-esteem,” he says.
Pein says the results are particularly positive in deprived areas, such as Newham, because the game is a great “leveller”. He gives one example of a girls’ team from a school in a challenging, inner-city area of Liverpool that beat a team from a private school in a national competition in March. “Chess crosses all boundaries,” says Pein. “It’s empowering for children because it’s something they can beat adults at.”
Pein, whose organisation offers schools its chess teachers for free for the first year, also says chess teaches children to take responsibility for their own actions and decisions. “If you make a bad move at chess, there’s usually a negative consequence and it’s only your fault,” says Pein.
