Introduction

Clubmark is a cross-sport quality accreditation for clubs with junior sections.

National governing bodies of sport (eg England Fencing) award Clubmark to proven high quality clubs.

The sections below follow the criteria against which the club is assessed. Links are provided to documents held elsewhere on the website.

The Playing Program

• The Club provides a structured coaching programme for junior members
• The Club uses the BFA Achievement Award Scheme
• The performer:coach ratio for coaching/training sessions is in accordance with BFA guidelines
• The club provides suitable intra and/or inter club competition according to England Fencing guidelines. Juniors are encouraged to enter competitions at various levels:
  • Club ladders
  • Bath Schools Foil and Sabre
  • SW Region
  • Leon Paul Junior Series
  • Open competitions
  • International competitions (Sabre - Monéteau, Pisa, Kenten, Gödöllö)
• The club uses coaches qualified and registered with the BFA or the BAF
• The coaches and volunteers responsible for the junior programme have job descriptions with clear roles and responsibilities assigned:
  
  • Junior Club Administrator
  • Junior Club Coach Coordinator
  • Junior Club Coach
• The coaches responsible for the junior programme hold appropriate professional indemnity and/or public liability insurance
• The club uses safe venues and equipment for all coaching and competition sessions

Duty Of Care and Child Protection

• The club follows the BFA child protection policy. The club has a Welfare Officer as first point of contact for child protecion issues
• A least two members of the club, one of whom is a coach, have attended Clubmark-recognised child protection training
• The club has adopted codes of conduct for coaches, officials and volunteers working with young people
• The club has access to first aid equipment at all coaching and competition sessions
• The club has emergency procedures for dealing with serious injuries / accidents
• The club has the contact details of parents/carers in case of an emergency
• The club has information on any medical conditions of young people

Sports Equity And Ethics

• The club has adopted a sports equity policy
• A member of the committee has attended a Running Sport ‘A Club for All’ workshop
• A coach has attended a sports coach UK ‘Equity in your Coaching’ workshop
• The club has an open / non-discriminatory constitution
• The club has a code of conduct for parents/carers and other supporters
• The club has a code of conduct for junior members

Club Management

• The club has Public Liability Insurance through British Fencing. The Club membership number is: 4487
• The club is affiliated to British Fencing, the National Governing Body of fencing.
• The club communicates regularly with parents/carers through its website, newsletters and email.
• The club has a Junior Membership category stated in the Constitution which provides access to the Junior Club.
• The club has regular coaching sessions in schools in the Bath area.
  The Club runs the Bath Schools Foil and Sabre competitions every year. In 2006 29 schools from the Bath area were represented in the events.
• The club has contact with the Local Authority (BANES), County Sports Partnership (Wesport) and the National Governing Body (Southwest Fencing and British Fencing).
• The club has a development plan that includes the junior club. Progress towards the plan is reviewed at each committee meeting.The plan as a whole is revised annually.

© 2011 Bath Sword Club