Entering a School Team
How do I register my school to enter The Times Spelling Bee?
Use any of the five ways available to register your school by Friday, December 10, 2010.
Phone: 020 8973 0046
Email: spellingbee@rapportgroup.com
Post: Complete and return the FREEPOST response form in your school details
Fax: Complete the response form in your school details and fax it to 020 8977 7974
Click here to register
What is the eligible age for students to take part?
Pupils who take part are required to be full-time students who will turn 12 years old between September 1, 2010, and August 31, 2011. The Times reserves the right to review the eligibility of team members. Any team member or reserve found to be in breach of the age rules for participation, or contravening the spirit of the Championship, may be disqualified before or during the Championship and will have to forfeit any prizes gained through participation.
How many teams can each school enter for The Times Spelling Bee Championship?
The competition is open to one team per registered school. Your school team should comprise four eligible pupils – three competitors and a reserve.
Can schools re-enter year after year?
We welcome all schools participating every year whether for the first, second or third time.
How soon after registering my school in the 2011 Championship will I need to confirm each pupil’s name?
Following registration, you will receive a Welcome Pack in January 2011, with full details, including the deadline in March 2011 for submission of team name and participating pupils.
Attending Championship Events
Where do the Spelling Bee Championship local heats take place?
First stage local heats will be held at selected Cineworld cinemas throughout England, Scotland and Wales. Schools will be notified about their local heat venue in January. One or two events, in areas where Cineworld does not have a presence (eg Northern Ireland), are held in selected independent cinemas. Winning teams from the local heats will be invited to the Semi-Finals, which will also be held in Cineworld cinemas. The Grand Final will be held in London.
How long does the event last?
Approximately two hours, with a refreshment break between the two halves.
What should school teams wear to the Championship spelling contests?
Competing teams and the reserve must wear their school uniform (if applicable) when taking part in the Championship events.
Can I have a word list to help prepare my team to take part in the Championship?
There is a sample word list to illustrate the progressive difficulty of words that teams will be asked to spell in the local heats. The Times with HarperCollins, publisher of the official dictionary of The Times Spelling Bee, has also developed fun online spelling games and puzzles which can be used in class and at home to practise spelling.
What should we bring to the event?
Please bring the event passes we will send you, and the signed consent forms. Children are provided with water during the interval.
Do the students need to bring packed lunch or refreshments to the events?
Refreshments are supplied in the break. Teachers may advise children to bring snacks depending on travelling times and arrangements.
Who can come to the Championship spelling contests?
All four members of the team should attend the Championship contest heats, ie including the reserve student. All teams must be accompanied by a member of staff to supervise the participants. Each school is given passes for up to ten supporters – pupils, staff, friends or family – to attend each Championship event, in addition to the team members. Members of the general public who don’t have guest entrance passes will not be admitted.
Answering Other Queries
What happens if we cannot bring the whole team?
As long as your school has three team members, participation without a reserve player may be allowed. If the contact teacher can't attend the event, another teacher can take their place, but the organisers must be informed about any changes.
What happens if there’s a change in team names?
It is crucial to the smooth running of the event and health and safety that the correct information about team names, names of the players and the accompanying teacher are given to the organisers. If there is any change between registering team names and your event, please call the customer service team on 020 8973 0046.
How many teams are participating? Can I find out which other schools are in my heat?
For 2011 we have capacity for 1,200 teams to take part. It’s difficult to confirm until much closer to the local heats exactly which schools in your area will be participating, as unforeseen events may arise - such as last year’s volcanic ash cloud - that prevent teachers and children being available.
What do we do if we are running late or get stuck in traffic?
Call the customer service team on 020 8973 0046 as soon as you think your team is at risk of being late. The event teams know how hard children have been practising for the Spelling Bee and will do everything possible to accommodate late arriving teams. However, there are usually two events a day, one in the morning and one in the afternoon, so teams may be disqualified if they haven’t arrived by the start time.
Will there be local publicity about the schools taking part in the Championship spelling contests?
By entering a team in the Championship, each school agrees to be responsible for obtaining the necessary parental permissions for each team member to be photographed or filmed and for their images to be used in publicity for the Championship. The Times may use the school name, and the name, image, and performance of participating students to publicise and report on the Championship, provided that the students’ parents or guardians have provided the relevant consent. If any of your team players do not have consent for publicity, this will be indicated with a ‘no publicity’ badge on the day and they will be excluded from photographs, even if they are in the winning team. Also, your school is welcome to initiate PR with local media channels. A draft press release will be available nearer the time.
What do we need to do if one of our pupils requires special attention?
Please get in touch with the Spelling Bee team to let them know your requirements. Telephone 020 8973 0046 or email: mailto:spellingbee@rapportgroup.com
Are there travel bursaries for schools to attend the Championship spelling contests?
It is expected that a school will cover the travel costs of its team, accompanying teaching staff and supporters. If a school is unable to cover travel costs, meaning a school team is unable to attend a local heat, Semi-Final or Grand Final, the Headteacher should complete a Travel Expenses Application Form (available by contacting The Times Spelling Bee: mailto:spellingbee@rapportgroup.com) explaining the circumstances. Applications for a travel bursary will be considered only in exceptional circumstances and on an individual case by case basis. Travel expense applications must be received a minimum of two weeks before the relevant event, or earlier, to give time for applications to be considered. If a travel expense application is successful, the bursary will only be paid if the bursary terms are complied with. Bursary terms will be supplied on notification of a successful application.