Insurance for schools chess teams

[Andrew Varney]

I have recently discovered that the school chess club I run has not been covered under the school's insurance for away matches since I am not a paid member of staff and it is only I and other parents that accompany the team for away games. The school has been playing in the Oxfordshire schools league for the last two seasons without me being aware of this. Now it could potentially mean that the school will be unable to partake in the chess league next season under my successor.

In the last few days I have also heard from a volunteer chess coach at a local secondary school who would like to enter the league next year since he hopes finally to have enough players in the club to make up a team. But with no member of staff involved, he is being told that will not be possible because of the insurance situation.

How do other schools get around this issue? Is it only the Oxfordshire education authorities that have this rule? Or do all other chess clubs manage to rope in a teacher to take part? If this is a widespread problem, is this a block to (especially secondary) school chess that the ECF may be able to help remove somehow?

[Neill Cooper]

Good question Andrew. Almost all the schools (primary as well as secondary) I have interacted with have had a member of staff (not necessarily a teacher) involved in the chess team. In most of the exceptions the person running the chess team(s) is a retired member of staff.

[Neill Cooper]

Andrew. Our school is being very helpful and will ask our insurers. However we need to know exactly what the problem is. What/who is it that is not insured?