Training Courses
The National Orienteering Centre regularly runs courses for people to improve their own orienteering (perhaps starting from scratch), and courses covering how to teach and coach the sport. This summer we are offering a new package to give you just the combination of courses that you want.
There are two strands for people who want to teach or coach orienteering:
- Teaching Orienteering (parts 1 and 2) is perfect for school-teachers who want to introduce orienteering within the curriculum; Part 1 requires no prior knowledge or experience, and the courses do not include any form of assessment.
- UK Coaching Certificate qualifications are aimed at people with some orienteering experience, who want to teach or coach the sport in clubs, outdoor centres, youth groups or schools.
Some people who do the Teaching Orienteering course want to gain more personal skill at the sport, perhaps also to progress to UKCC Level 1. Meanwhile some people who want to do the UKCC Level 1 course lack the required experience.
Orienteering opportunities for schools
British Orienteering recently re-structured their coaching qualifications and the result is an exciting arrangement well suited to both the primary teacher who wants simply to introduce the basics of the sport and the secondary teacher interested in setting up an after-school club and integrating with the mainstream sport.
Most teachers start with the Teaching Orienteering course; this comes in two parts, part 1 and part 2 each take one day. Part 1 provides the skills and lots of ideas for introducing the sport in a primary school (or similar group). It assumes no previous knowledge or experience of the sport, and you don’t have to be seriously fit or fast – though some knowledge and the ability to jog moderately will give you an added advantage. Neither parts of this course are assessed, though certificates of attendance are issued, for CPD purposes.
More details of the courses can be found on the British Orienteering website.
The Teaching Orienteering courses are held at Glenmore Lodge from time to time, but many local authorities or schools prefer to arrange their own in-house course.
For those who want to take the sport further, the main coaching qualifications for orienteering are becoming UK Coaching Certificate qualifications. The Level 1 course takes 3 days, the first 2 being tuition, with assessments following on the third day.
The full information pack can be downloaded from the British Orienteering website
Both courses are taught by Hilary Quick, Scottish Orienteering Association Development Officer, who is based at Glenmore Lodge.
Of course the one key item that’s required for orienteering is a map. Several schools in the Highland area have recently had maps created of their grounds (and in some cases, nearby woodland areas), for as little as £100 each. Maps are created using specialist software, a cut-down version of which can be downloaded free from the internet. Schools are given their electronic map so they can keep it up to date themselves, and print only as many copies as are required at any time. Hilary Quick can also supply contact details for people who could do this mapping.
If anyone’s uncertain as to the benefits of orienteering in schools, we suggest you read a recent article from the Times Educational Supplement: (as with any press item, some details are slightly inaccurate (e.g. job titles!), but the general message is spot on.
Finally, Hilary has undertaken the ambitious task of organising a series of weekly orienteering activities every Tuesday evening from the end of March until the end of September, based loosely around the Aviemore area. Details of exact venues will be confirmed in due course, and will be published on the websites shown below. All these activities will provide fun orienteering for beginners and experienced people, young and old.
Hilary Quick
Scottish Orienteering Association Development Officer
National Orienteering Centre, Glenmore Lodge, Aviemore PH22 1QU
tel. 01479 861374