As a school you may already have links with local community clubs, but have you considered linking with a netball club?

Find your County Netball Development Officer here, who will then put you in touch with a club accredited by the England Netball CAPs scheme (Club Action Planning). CAPS is the minimum operating standard for junior clubs, and is part of the national Clubmark scheme governed by Sport England.  If a club is CAPs accredited it will have all of the correct safeguarding in place for young people. We recommend that you set up a link with one of these clubs or a club that is working towards their accreditation.

A school and club link can be very simple: it may just be a club giving your school posters or flyers to give out to your pupils, or the club may be able to send a coach into the school to run some after school High 5 taster sessions. Whichever way you link with a club, it’s always going to be good for your school and pupils.

What could be involved in a School and Club Link?

It is important that the School and Club have clear points of contact and with the support of the Netball Development Officer, this can become a very successful partnership. Here’s a few ideas of how a School/Club Link can function and yield the most success……

• Both are delivering High 5.

• Support to provide coaches to deliver sessions.

• Ensure all coaches are appropriately qualified and have a CRB.

• Organisation of High 5 Festival collectively.

• Posters and Flyers provided to promote session.

Netball South West (NSW) recognises that strong links between schools and clubs are vital for the continued development of our Sport and Young People. The England Netball School Club Links programme (Physical Education and School Strategy for Young People also known as P.E.S.S.Y.P) operates in the South West Region. NSW provides additional support for this important area of development.

Working in Partnership

England Netball recognises the pressure on the education sector to deliver against National Curriculum targets and outcomes and the growing demand on clubs to ensure they are delivering in a high quality environment. Therefore, the England Netball School Club Link programme has been developed as a support tool for Teachers (primary and secondary), Partnership Development Managers (PDM's) , School Sports Co-ordinators (SSCO's), Competition Managers (CM's) and Clubs, offering an integrated approach linked to partner outcomes. The England Netball School Clubs Links Guide provides all the information required to create a high quality Netball school club link. The '5 Stage Delivery Model' enables schools and clubs to work together to create their own unique school club link programme by selecting from a wide range of courses, resources and support.

Benefits from creating a link

• Greater numbers of young people participating in the club
• Increased membership in the club
• Increased number of coaching opportunities
• Increased number of young volunteers in the club
• Increased number of young leaders in the club
• Increased number of young officials in the club
• Increased accessibility to School facilities
• Greater accessibility to funding to further develop the club and its volunteers/coaches
• Increased profile within the local community
• Increased profile within the sports community

How to set up a link

Whether you are a school or club, contact your County based Netball Development Officer in the first instance for support.