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Chester Racecourse Hosts the First Racing to School Visit in 543 Days

Published on 12 September 2021

It has been 543 days since a Racing to School group has taken its place at the heart of a raceday. Pupils from Wood Memorial Primary School enjoyed a fun filled day at Chester Racecourse packed with racing insight, course tours and practical education. The pupils were treated to an exclusive look around the parade ring and enjoyed watching thrilling racing on The Roodee.

Racing to School is an education charity that aims to inspire young minds through the provision of free, interactive, and healthy outdoor educational events for schools, staged at a variety of racing venues. In 2019, Racing to School delivered a record 372 events across the country – engaging over 15,000 young people. The charity works with young people with special educational needs and over one third of their output is targeted to engage those from inner city, rural and deprived areas.

Racecourses across the country have opened their doors to the education programme on non-racedays since the pandemic. Young people’s learning has been severely disrupted by a lack of off-site educational visits, with demand for the Racing to School programme higher than ever. Chester Racecourses’ open spaces provide the perfect environment for young people to work together to help build their confidence and to apply their learning, while having fun outdoors. The education programme encourages pupils to be inquisitive about their surroundings and ask questions about what they see and hear at the racecourse – from reading the statistics in a racecard to understanding why the horses race in a particular direction, and so much more.

Andrew Morris, Director of Racing at Chester Racecourse said:

“We are delighted to support Racing to School and it is a pleasure to see the pupils back at The Roodee. It is important that we deliver a memorable experience for young people, and we know how much they enjoy being part of the buzz of a raceday. We hope to continue working with Racing to School to expand pupils’ knowledge relating to racing and bring a new generation into the industry.”

As we head into National Racehorse Week, we are delighted that school pupils will be able to see racing’s equine stars perform on the track. Pupils will have the opportunity to apply their numeracy and science skills in the unique setting of a racecourse.

Find out more about Racing to School at www.racingtoschool.co.uk

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