SCHOOL QUALIFICATION LETTER
January 2018
Dear Colleague,
Congratulations on your team’s success in qualifying for the semi-finals of the National Schools’ Chess Championship to be played during May and June.
What to do urgently:
Please complete and return the Semi Final Entry Form(s)by post/email within 1 week of your Zone date, to confirm which semi-final you wish to compete in. Individual accommodation/Day Pass booking formswill need to be returned by 31st March 2018.
You have a choice of 2 weekend semi-finals at Pontins or a one day semi-final in May.
The individual booking form(s) and payment must be with us by 31stMarch 2018.
Should the final numbers entering any of the semi-finals be odd then we shall even them up by inviting the highest placed team from the zones, which has entered the Plate competition.
Please note that EPSCA insurance will only cover the actual tournament chess activity.
The venues for the semi-finals:
1) Bristol (One Day) -Saturday 12th May 2018
2) Camber Sands, East Sussex -Saturday / Sunday 19th-20thMay 2018
3) Prestatyn, North WalesSaturday / Sunday 9-10th June 2018
We shall share the two Pontin’s sites with holiday makers. Each site is a little different.
The venue for the one day semi-final in Bristol is The Great Hall, Bristol Grammar School, University Rd, Bristol. BS8 1SR.
Pontins Semi-Finals
All bookings for apartments at Pontins must be made through EPSCA (not direct with Pontins) or the child will not be able to play for your school in the semi-final.Please make sure your players’ parents know this and return their forms by the requested date.
It is imperative that we confirm our bookings with Pontins before 31st March. At this date we shall be releasing any unsold apartments and after this date apartments will only be available if Pontins have not resold them to the general public for their holidays.
We have a limited number of each type of apartment and may have to allocate you a different type to that which you have requested
Please make sure that you use the correct booking form as some apartments are slightly different in price at Camber Sands and Prestatyn Sands. Please photocopy this letter and booking forms as required.
Accommodation is for 3 nights and is a set contract with Pontins, this cannot be varied. Parents/schools cannot purchase single/2 nights for this competition, although there is no requirement to use an apartment on all 3 nights. The contract ensures that all chess participants are able to retain their apartment until they leave the competition and do not have to vacate for cleaning purposes.
We offer rates, which may not always match the best offered by Pontins in the period close to the event. We agree to pay Pontins a higher rate than they charge to the public later on in order to guarantee that a set number of apartments will be reserved solely for the event. In addition the cost of having the large amount of hall space available to us for the entire weekend and a variety of extra services is built into Pontins charges for the apartments. An amount to cover the competition (e.g. prizes, arbiters expenses etc) is built into the accommodation price by EPSCA. Therefore it is a requirement that everyone who wishes to be involved with EPSCA in this event will book their Pontin’s accommodation through EPSCA.
We hope that the financial aspect will not be an insurmountable problem for your school. It may be possible to offer a little assistance to schools with particular problems. Please talk to Glynis/Ian in confidence.
Please note that we can only keep School apartments together if they are of the same category and preferably sent in together.
To avoid confusion with apartments
Where the choice is designated 1,i.e. P1, K1 or C1 this will generally accommodate 4 people, 2 in single beds in a separate room and 2 in a double sofa bed in the main living area.
Where the choice is designated 2, i.e. P2,K2 or C2, this will generally accommodate 6 people, 2 in single beds in each of 2 separate rooms and 2 in a double sofa bed in the main living area.
Camber Sands
There areNO POPULAR TWO apartments at Camber Sands.
Bed linen is included in the price of the apartment. However towels are not included
Prestatyn Sands
Bed linen is included in the price of the apartment. However towels are not included.
All apartments now have a microwave and toaster.
Bristol Grammar School
Places will be limited to 60 teams. In the event that this semi-final is oversubscribed, then priority will be given to teams who stayed to the end of the prize giving last year; those returning their form as soon as possible following their Zone and those hosting Zones this year. Following several incidents in the past, on this occasion all schools will need to provide adequate supervision outside the playing area and to ensure the children and adults in their party behave responsibly and according to the instructions that they are given by the school and chess organisers.
This is a long event for children: Please do not enter this semi-final unless the timings are realistic for your travel plans.
Payment-
Please make all cheques payable to EPSCA.
Pontins - Please send no more than one cheque per apartment
It helps us to have one cheque for multiple apartments associated with each team or school. Therefore there will be a 5% discount for booking 6 or more apartments and paying with one cheque. On booking please deduct your 5% discount prior to payment. Please detail this so the discount is identifiable.
Once the apartment has been booked with Pontin’s at the beginning of April there can only be a refund if the apartment is re-sold.
One day semi-final - The entry fee for the one day semi-final is£100 per team.
The competition:
Each team will consist of 5 players plus 1 playing reserve:only six named children may play in the competition in any one team. You may select any children of an appropriate age to represent your school as long as they are on the school roll at the time of the first Zone played in January.
For the Pontins venues:
This is a team Swiss event over 6 rounds: Three on Saturday and three on Sunday. Presentations will be made at 3.45 p.m. on Sunday. All teams are expected to attend. The games will be played using EPSCA Quickplay Rules.
Teams should gather in the playing area by 9 a.m. on Saturday for a final briefing.
For the one day semi-final:
This is a team Swiss event over 5 rounds. Arrival: 9am. Presentations will be made at 18.30: All teams are expected to attend and should expect to travel home after 7pm. The games will be played using EPSCA Quickplay Rules.
Plate Competition:
There will be a plate competition running alongside for teams who did not qualify for the semi-finals. It will follow the same timings as the semi-final at that venue. There is a separate entry form for this.
This is only available at the Pontins’Weekend Semi Finals.
The Finals
The finals will be held at the Park Inn, Bescot Crescent, Walsall WS1 4SE.
Arrival during the afternoon: Monday 2nd July 2018.
Play: From 9 am Tuesday and Wednesday 3rd-4thJuly 2018.
The finals will consist of 8 teams in each age group. 3 teams qualify from each of the Pontins Semi-finals and 2 teams from the Bristol One Day Semi-Final.
All games will be ECF Graded in the Final.
We look forward to receiving your entry.
Yours sincerely,
Glynis Purland and Ian Burford
National Schools Controllers
ENGLISH PRIMARY SCHOOLS CHESS ASSOCIATION
National Schools’ Championship Semi-Finals: 2018
PONTINS WEEKEND ENTRY FORM
School: ______
Contact Teacher/ Coach/ Parent Manager ______
Preferred telephone number: ______
Email:______
It is essential that both telephone number and email address are supplied and that information sent to these will be received by the Organiser.
Please enter our qualified team in the Under 9 / Under 11 Semi-Final. (One sheet per team please)
We would like to play in the semi-final at:-
PONTINS PRESTATYN (9th-10th June 2018)
1). We will be staying at Pontins and will order apartments through EPSCA using the appropriate order forms. (please note this is the preferred option for both Pontins competitions).
or
2). We will be attending Pontins competition and will make our own arrangement and will require day passes using the appropriate form.
or
PONTINS CAMBER SANDS (19th-20th May 2018)
3). We will be staying at Pontins and will order apartments through EPSCA using the appropriate order forms. (please note this is the preferred option for both Pontins competitions).
or
4). We will be attending Pontins competition and will make our own arrangement and will require day passes using the appropriate form.
(Please circle at least one option)
Please return booking forms and payment as soon after your zone event as you can but by March 31st 2018
IMPORTANT: All locations have limited availability. Places will be allocated on speed of return following your Zone.
DAY VISITORS to PONTINS:
EPSCA and Pontins encourage everyone who participates in the competition to stay at the centre over the weekend so that the children can experience the atmosphere and activities of the semi-final event fully.
Should any team decide not to stay at Pontins but travel into the centre on Saturday and Sunday, then they will need to book day passes at £20 per person per day (including nonplayers over 5 years old). These Must be booked Through EPSCA as Pontins do NOT issue Day Passes on Events Weekends. If you wish, you can book a team room for day time use only, and this will include free day passes for 8 people, (6 players and 2 coaches). This can also only be booked through EPSCA
Please note that visitors must vacate the site before 11 pm.
Please return this Entry Form to: EPSCA, 11 Warwick Drive, Wallasey, Merseyside. CH45 7PJ
ENGLISH PRIMARY SCHOOLS CHESS ASSOCIATION
Reply to: National Schools Controllers, Glynis Purland/Ian Burford, 11 Warwick Drive, Wallasey, Merseyside. CH45 7PJ
E-mail
NATIONAL PRIMARY SCHOOLS CHESS CHAMPIONSHIPS 2018
ONE DAY SEMIFINAL – SATURDAY 12th MAY BRISTOL
Places are limited at this Venue and will be allocated strictly on the basis of host schools, followed by speed of return of the completed application form and entry fee following your Zone.
Venue: The Great Hall, Bristol Grammar School, University Rd, Bristol. BS8 1SR
5 rounds. 09.00 -09.15 arrival. Prize giving no later than 18.30 (earlier if possible) Finish 7pm.
The entry fee for each team (5 players plus 1 reserve) to enter the competition will be £100.00.
Please use ONE form for EACH qualifying team
School: ______
Contact Teacher/Coach/ Parent Manager ______Preferred number: ______Email ______
It is essential that both telephone number and email address are supplied and that information sent to these will be received by the Organiser.
Zone in which our team qualified is ______
Our team is an ** U11 / U9 team.
I enclose a cheque payable to EPSCA for £ ______as the entry fee for our team for the one day semi-final competition.
** Please delete as appropriate. NB If the event is oversubscribed, priority will be determined by
speed of return following Zone; attendance at
last year’s prize giving and this years zone hosts.
Entries should be received before 31st March 2018.
Return To:
EPSCA
11 Warwick Drive
Wallasey
Merseyside
CH45 7PJ Please do not use Recorded Delivery as this may delay your entry.
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