Brooke Weston Academy students have been taking part in an after school Chess Club which takes place every Tuesday from 4.05pm in the Library. The club is run by Assistant Librarian Mr Holton, and all students are welcome, regardless of their age, experience or ability.

Mr Holton said, ’We have students who only learnt to play this term, or who haven't played in years and have forgotten. We also have students who have been playing for a while and know slightly more advanced concepts such as notation. For the first two sessions we just got straight into games so I could gauge ability levels. Since then I have started sessions with a 5 - 10 minute game of a chess variant, such as the pawn game or take me chess, before moving into proper games. Moving forward I will be incorporating chess theory into the first few minutes of sessions. Chess is good for students for many reasons, studies show cognitive health benefits; such as improving memory, critical thinking and abstract problem-solving skills. Also it's good for improving social skills as the students will interact with people they might not know from different tutor groups and year groups.’

Anyone interested in joining Chess Club should visit the Library on Tuesday after school or speak to Mr Holton.