City of London Academy Shoreditch Park students crowned winners in inter-school chess competition

It was celebrations all round for a group of students from City of London Academy Shoreditch Park (CoLASP) after winning an inter-school chess competition at the Old Bailey.

They won a valiant match with students from City of London Academy Southwark (CoLAS) 17-15 following a two-day, seven team tournament, with an early round held at Guildhall, the home of the City of London Corporation.

All seven teams were drawn from the City of London Academies Trust – the City Corporation’s multi-academy chain. It worked with charity Chess in Schools and Communities, which uses chess to help children’s educational and social development, to organise the event.

Supported by Elizabeth Green, Sheriff of the City of London, the new tournament featured more than 50 primary and secondary school children in the first phase.

Andrew McMurtrie, Chair of City of London Academies Trust, said:

“We arecommitted to providing outstanding learning opportunities for all Londoners, whilst delivering educational experiences that enrich and inspire.

“This competition encouraged pupils to hone their academic and social skills over a chessboard.

“Our aim is to ensure that young Londoners in the City Corporation’s schools have access to the information, advice and experiences that will help them to progress into fulfilling careers.

“Congratulations to all the students who took part and to City of London Academy Shoreditch Park.”

Malcolm Pein, Chief Executive of CSC, said:

“Chess digitally detoxes children, teaches concentration, problem solving, how to plan, how to recognise patterns and a host of softer skills which provide some of the building blocks for employability in the new economy.

“As a universal game with no barriers of sex, language, culture or disability it socialises a classroom and boosts children’s self-esteem.”

Elizabeth Green, Sheriff of the City of London, said:

“Congratulations to all the students who took part and to the tutors from CSC for mentoring the pupils.

“It was fantastic to see students of all year groups come together to showcase their strategic and problem solving skills.”

Students from City of London Academy Shoreditch Park, City of London Academy Highgate Hill, City of London Academy Highbury Grove, The City of London Academy, Southwark, Redriff Primary City of London Academy, The City Academy, Hackney, and City of London Academy Islington all took part.

The City of London Corporation sponsors or co-sponsors 10 schools across Hackney, Newham, Islington and Southwark. It also supports one maintained primary in the Square Mile as well as three independent schools.

In 2017 and 2018, Sutton Trust named the City Corporation as the UK’s best academy sponsor for empowering pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds to perform above the national average, and the leading academy sponsor for Progress 8 and Attainment 8, which track pupil progress and achievement.