Schools invited to apply for free Fishing for Schools courses

Applications open on 16 September for schools wishing to sign up for free Fishing for Schools courses in 2020

Schools wanting to take part in Fishing for Schools in 2020 are invited to apply online, from 16 September until 21 October.

Fishing for Schools is an initiative run by The Countryside Alliance Foundation (TCAF), the charitable arm of the Countryside Alliance. For 12 years it has provided free, short angling courses at schools across the country, to aid the education of 10 to 16-year-olds who may not respond to traditional classroom-based learning but flourish when you get them outside onto the water.

Due to phenomenal interest in our courses, Fishing for Schools (F4S) operates an application process where schools use an online form to apply for our free sessions annually.

Who can apply?

• Applications are invited from educational providers in the following geographical areas: Avon, Bath and North East Somerset, Derbyshire, Dorset, Gloucestershire, Hampshire, Kent, Somerset, Wiltshire and Yorkshire.
• We welcome applications both from new schools and those that have previously participated in F4S.
• All schools and educational establishments are welcome to apply. Our courses are suitable for children aged 10-16 years of all educational abilities.
• Applications close on 21 October.

If schools are interested in F4S but are not located in our current areas of focus they can still register by emailing [email protected] and we can decide whether the current F4S provision can be expanded.

F4S director and founder Charles Jardine said: "Fishing for Schools uniquely meets the needs of schools and educational establishments throughout England and Wales. Our work is well suited to students who often struggle with mainstream education. However we see our initiative as all-embracing and certainly not prescriptive and it is equally beneficial to all young people between 10 and 14 years of age.

"What we try and do in our small way, is to profoundly alter perception, not just about fishing, but about rural environments and to challenge and offer routes into learning that have not generally been explored."

Schools can still benefit from Fishing for Schools if their application for free sessions is unsuccessful. F4S is also happy to provide paid-for courses. This also applies to schools that were successful and want to continue their provision beyond the free sessions granted. For further details please contact [email protected].

How to apply

Schools should apply using our online form, which will be available on our website from 16 September 2019 to 21 October 2019. Successful applicants will be notified in early December 2019.

For further details on applying, or to find out more about paid-for sessions, please visit our webpage: https://www.countryside-alliance.org/charity/fishing-for-schools/fishing-for-schools-apply-for-a-place-in-2020