The Branch Ringing School provides extra teaching sessions for those learning to ring church bells in and around our Branch. Our aim is to help the learners to learn more quickly so that they are able to take a more active part in ringing in their own towers earlier.
The Branch Ringing School runs two sorts of sessions according to the time of year:
It is important that the ringers local to each tower should attend the practice and help by joining in with the ringing organised that evening.
The syllabus of the Association of Ringing Teachers (ART) is followed. Each learner will receive a copy of the Ringers Personal Progress Logbook which will be completed by their teachers as they progress through the Learning the Ropes scheme. They will also receive the Ringers Guide to Learning the Ropes, a step-by-step guide for ringers from bell handling through to ringing Plain Bob Minor inside.
An initial fee of £10 is charged to pay for the books provided. A donation of £2 each week for the rope fund of the church visited will also be expected.
The Ringing School is growing. Sessions take place at St Helen’s Church, Abingdon (OX14 5EB) each week from October until the end of March. Sessions have also taken place fortnightly at St Mary’s Church, Kirtlington (OX5 3HF) since October 2022 and there are plans to start fortnightly sessions at St Mary’s Church, Witney (OX28 4AW) from March 2023.
It is important that learners should also attend another teaching session at their own tower at least once a week to help them to progress more quickly.
Emails are sent to every participant each week to make the arrangements. It is not always possible for every learner to be given a lesson every week, depending on how many learners wish to be taught.
The Summer Ringing School Sessions are designed for those who can handle a bell reasonably safely. The weekly sessions usually take place 1930 – 2030 but on a different evening and at a different tower each week. The practices will be pre-arranged with the tower concerned and notified to those attending each week.
Experienced ringers are invited to attend one day training courses run by ART. After the training course, the new teachers may gain experience and confidence by teaching under supervision at the Winter and Summer Ringing Schools in preparation for Assessment and possible accreditation by ART.
More details are available from Susan Read, the branch Training Officer
Page last updated: 21st January 2023.