Schools Memory Championships | Improve memory

From left to right - Dominic O’Brien (eight times World Memory Champion), Bronze Medal winner (Joe Sidebotham from Blue Coat C of E School, Coventry), Gold Medal winner (Eva Ball from Bablake School, Coventry), Silver Medal winner (Amandeep Chumber from Sandwell Academy, Black Country) and Tony Buzan, ( co-founder of the World Memory Championships).

What are the UK Schools Memory Championships?
The UK Schools Memory Championship is the world’s first student memory competition. Established in 2008 by the World Memory Sports Council (WMSC) and Inspire Education, the event has become a huge success in improving the learning skills and confidence of students. The competition is targeted at secondary schools and colleges for years 7 – 13 and involves schools from England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Dominic O’Brien the 8 times World Memory Champion leads a team of Inspire presenters going in to schools / colleges and training young people in how to develop and enhance their working memory. Students are shown how to apply their newly acquired memory skills to their studies through various curriculum based examples, and also to the 4 competition disciplines: random words, random numbers, dates of events and playing cards.

All students receive a training manual created by Dominic O’Brien which is based on his published work. All schools receive a brain club pack which contains practice papers, activities and games for brain training, a Rubik’s box set (including the Rubik’s cube, Rubik’s revolution and the Rubik’s 360), resources for competition training and further information and advice for memory training in general.

All schools have their own in-school competition and the top 3 students in each discipline are given additional prizes and certificates for their achievements as well as the top 3 students from the school over all. The top students from around the country will be invited to Bablake Schools in Coventry to take part in the July 2010 national final.
Due to the high number of competing students some areas around the UK will be holding regional finals to aid the selection process, for more information on regional finals please visit our web site or contact our head office.

What are the aims of the Championships?
• To promote the art and science of memory
• To boost creativity and enhanced thinking skills
• To reveal to young people the amazing potential of their brain
• To train young people in advanced study skills
• To boost self confidence and self esteem
• To provide young people with valuable skills for school, HE/FE and for life
• To create a national competition involving all schools and their students
How do we take part?
The event can be for individual schools or groups of 2 or 4 schools, coming together to share the costs and resources. For further information about the various flexible options and to find out which local schools, clusters and networks are involved please contact us.
What have people said about it ?

Here is a small sample of the comments made about the event:

Helen Brown, Development & Activities Officer, Aimhigher Derbyshire

Below is a small sample of the comments made about the event (more on the website): “We were delighted to be able to offer some of the young people we work with the opportunity to take part in the UK Schools Memory Championship. The skills taught during training have already been useful to the participants in school and it is great that they are able to recognize their importance beyond the competition.”

Ailish Ash – Chenderit School, Northamptonshire

“A big thank you for all your help and support in introducing Chenderit to the memory techniques and championships. I had never heard of it really so am delighted to have become involved. The students really enjoyed the day and Sophie was thrilled with her medal!

Ursula Boote - Knowsley Hey School, Liverpool

“This was an excellent seminar – the students were really impressed and the looks on the faces of the students at Dominic’s amazing memory techniques was a pleasure to see... I really enjoyed this event and the feedback from the students on the day was really positive – the sessions certainly had the WOW factor.”

Paul Taylor, Sandwell Academy, Blackcountry

“ The training days were really enjoyable for both students and staff. The success in the championships has also sparked a discussion as to the possibility of introducing study and learning skills lessons into the curriculum at a whole school level. The whole experience has
been enjoyable and massively beneficial for staff and students and we can't wait to get
involved again next year."

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