Schools
Get your school involved
We have an active, engaging Primary and Secondary schools programme that is growing rapidly. Participation has risen over the past 5 years, due to the rising statistics regarding the deterioration of our children’s physical and mental health. We offer an opportunity for every child in your school to exercise.
Our Primary School Programmes
Taster Session:
A one off session for a class group where they will learn the basics of fencing. Time permitting, this would include:
- The en garde position,
- Basic footwork,
- How to attack and defend,
- Fencing safety and etiquette.
The session will conclude with a chance for the group to fence some matches against their classmates. We usually run these sessions for 45-60 minutes accommodating up to 36 children but can adapt to your needs and/or availability.
Cost: - FREE
Young Swashbucklers Course:
A five week long course with weekly 45 minute sessions during which a group of children will get to grips both with the basic technical elements of fencing and their tactical application. As well as covering all the technical elements set out for the Taster Session, our aim here is, from the outset, to get your children to engage with the sport as a tactical game - a game of distance and traps.
At the end of the course, each student will receive a certificate of completion declaring them a Fencing Ireland/Trinity Sport Young Swashbuckler!
Cost: - FREE
Our Secondary Schools Programme
Transition Year Programme
Fencing is a natural fit for TY and encouraging sporting diversity for this age group is critical for keeping children active and involved in sport. Our Transition year program also meets many of the objectives of Gaisce Awards
- Learning a new Skill
- Getting Active
- Meeting New Friends and having an Adventure
We provide lessons to fit your class sizes and timetable. Students are taught a series of skills that develop their fencing abilities through a mix of footwork and blade work. Sparring is an essential element and students will get to compete with one another from the very first lesson.
Our qualified instructors teach using steel foils or sabres - the same equipment used in the Olympics. Class size is typically 25 students, and this requires a sports hall or similar space. Half of a large hall can be sufficient.
A typical two hour Introductory lesson will comprise...
- Brief warm up and stretch
- En guard position and efficient movement on the piste, including the lunge
- Practicing footwork using a game
- Get the equipment on and talk about safety
- How to hold the sword
- Simple attacks and defence
- Feints and some of the key rules
- Competitive fencing
Schools usually take a class photo and some videos so they can share the experience on social media.
Cost will vary depending on the size of the TY Year. For more information, please contact Fencing Ireland dfoley@irishfencing.net
Transition Year Active School Plastics Coaching
For schools enrolled in the Post Primary Active Schools Programme, we can follow up the TY introduction course with a plastics program.
Our Coach Developer can give a short course to small group of TY students (typically 6) who are trained to deliver a beginner fencing lesson using plastic fencing equipment. We lend the plastic equipment to the school so the TY trainee coaches can give lessons in the sport of fencing to other years in the school as part of their Active School timetable.
