Cornish Pirates

13th March 2009

Following a successful bid to the Department of Children, Schools and Families the Cornish Pirates have joined 30 clubs across a network of Premiership Football and Rugby Clubs, which include Newcastle FC, Leicester Tigers RFC and Gloucester RFC to deliver the Double Club within secondary schools.

The Double Club based at a secondary school will use sport as a vehicle for learning and engagement in the curriculum. The name 'double' comes from the project being aimed to give school pupils a 'double' experience, learning through sport, educationally and physically.

It was developed by Arsenal FC in 1998, because of the need to motivate and engage pupils, particularly boys, to read and write in inner city schools. The passion that sport provides is a great way to attract their attention.

Pirates Community & Learning Zone Staff at Arsenal's Emirates Stadium

Earlier this year the Cornish Pirates Learning Zone established a pilot for the scheme at Mounts Bay School & Community Sports College, and it can already be seen how the programme of study allows teachers to harness students enthusiasm for sport to increase literacy and numeracy skills.

The exciting partnership between club and school uses the Cornish Pirates Community Coach to deliver a complimentary package of activities as part of the curriculum.

Centre Manager Kevin Jackson commented:

"This is a tremendous victory for schools and clubs. It creates a unique way to harness the talent that a school has in its teachers and a club has within its coaching staff - although the real victory, of course, is for students within the schools."

As part of the induction programme, Scott Cohen, the Double Club's co-ordinator recently invited Kevin Jackson, Cornish Pirates Community Coach Mike Crump and Mounts Bay School teacher Sarah Cyster to the Emirates stadium, which is the home of Arsenal FC.