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• Eight institutions will take part from across the UK
• PC Specialist and Fierce PC to lend systems to participating schools
• Each school will receive free Rocket League game licenses, courtesy of Green Man Gaming

The British Esports Association, the not-for-profit body set up to promote grassroots esports, has announced new Rocket League Championships for Alternative Provision (AP) Schools.

This standalone esports tournament will get underway in the New Year and focus on Rocket League, with matches taking place weekly.

AP Schools provide a specialist education for young people who are unable to attend mainstream schools. The eight institutions taking part in the British Esports Championships for AP Schools represent a full range of provision for young people with additional needs. These include:

• Social Emotional Mental Health (SEMH)
• Special Education Need (SEND)
• Speech Language Communication Needs (SLCN)
• Autistic Spectrum (ASC)
• Moderate Learning Difficulties (MLD)
• Complex & Severe Needs
• Emotional & Behavioural Needs (EBD)

The AP Schools Championships will run alongside Season 2 of the separate British Esports Championships, which is for secondary schools and further education colleges, and also includes Overwatch and League of Legends as well as Rocket League.

System builders PC Specialist and Fierce PC have kindly agreed to loan 12 PCs each, and digital download platform Green Man Gaming is supplying game keys, meaning the eight AP Schools taking part will each receive three systems and three Rocket League licenses at no cost. It is free for the AP Schools to take part.

Matches will take place during Wednesday lunchtimes and get underway on January 30th, concluding with the finals on March 27th. The tournament will have a break during the week beginning February 18th for half-term.

The AP schools finals will take place online and will be separate to the grand finals for secondary schools and further education colleges, which will take place at Insomnia Gaming Festival in April.

Participating AP Schools will receive a logistics and operations handbook and have the opportunity to receive custom esports jerseys for a discounted fee, courtesy of British Esports’ partnership with apparel company Raven.

The eight institutions taking part in the British Esports Championships for AP Schools are as follows:

• Notton House School, Chippenham, Wiltshire
• The Green Room, Windsor, Berkshire
• The Gateway, Slough, Berkshire
• Millside School, Slough, Berkshire
• Glebe School, Bromley, Kent
• Sheffield Inclusion Centre (SIC), Sheffield, Yorkshire
• Nightingale Community Academy, Wandsworth, London
• Orchard Hill College, Sutton, Surrey

Earlier this year, the British Esports Association held a pilot tournament in Pupil Referral Units (PRUs) across the UK. There were several positives including an improvement in the attendance and behaviour of pupils.

British Esports Association Head of Education, Tom Dore, commented: “I’m pleased to report we have some very excited AP schools and students on board. I am proud to say we are working with a wide range of AP schools who support a full spectrum of students with additional needs and look forward to bringing this esports tournament to them.”

Tim Brown, PC Specialist B2B Business Development Manager, commented: “PC Specialist is excited to be given the opportunity to work alongside the British Esports Association in its project to extend the esports Championships into Alternative Provision schools.

“It is encouraging to learn how participating in esports can be used to help improve both attendance and motivation of students when used as the reward for hitting specific targets as part of individual, personalised learning contracts. Hopefully projects such as this can be used to identify further links between esports and improved academic work, leading to increased participation from AP schools, and ultimately help them to further support students with additional needs.”

Morgan Ashurst, Fierce PC Senior Marketing Executive, added: “At Fierce PC we’re extremely passionate about esports. Every day esports becomes bigger and more influential, especially with young people, and the British Esport Championships is a great way to get young people with additional needs involved.

“We are proud to be a part of this venture and hope to provide the support that Alternative Provision schools deserve. They do a great job and we’re glad to help out giving those with additional needs the start in life they require to get them on the path to success.”

In its continued efforts to promote, improve and inspire, the British Esports Association has met with the Department for Education around this initiative, and will be providing it with evidence of impact after the project.

About the British Esports Association:
The  is a not-for-profit organisation established in 2016 to support and promote esports in the UK.

As a national body, its aims are to foster future British talent, increase the awareness of esports and provide expertise and advice. It’s focused on the grassroots level of esports and runs a national Championships in schools and colleges.

British Esports hopes to help educate the masses – including parents, teachers, media and government – around what esports is and its benefits. www.britishesports.org

Source: Latest News on European Gaming Media Network