What is the Schools Programme?

It is an integrated programme designed to introduce educational bridge into English schools. Bridge can be successfully taught at any age from around 8 or 9, but we have found that it is particularly valuable and effective with the 10 – 13 age group.

The usual pattern is to start with a single session of Taste Bridge, run for a group of school children and lasting approximately 75 minutes, at a time and place convenient to the school.

The EBU will provide suitable posters for display in a school, together with outline information to parents, teachers and pupils if required.

After the Taste Bridge session, the EBU, through its regional and local officers aims to provide experienced club players trained in teaching MiniBridge, to help foster a bridge group within the school. This will typically take up to a full term of one hour sessions, at the end of which the students should be playing with confidence. During this term, competitions will be arranged within the school group and where possible with other local schools.

Pupils receive a certificate of competence at the end of this term, after which they are well prepared to go on to proper bridge in term two.

Bridge can be organised as a lunch-time or after-school activity, or may be fitted into the curriculum in some cases. If taught during lunchtimes, short sessions may mean that perhaps more than one term of MiniBridge will be needed before progressing to bridge itself.

In one school where all the Year 7 intake are taught MiniBridge within the Key Skills part of the curriculum, the teacher has said:

"I like the way young people of all abilities can participate in MiniBridge from a very basic level to a more strategic form of play. Apart from helping to develop thinking skills and mental agility, MiniBridge also helps youngsters to work together cooperatively."