What is the NICAS award?  

The National Indoor Climbing Award Scheme (NICAS) is a UK wide scheme designed to promote climbing development and accredit individual achievement on artificial climbing structures. It is open to all candidates aged 7 and upwards.

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What will participants learn?

• How to fit their own harness and helmet 

• Safely tying in to a rope

• How to belay for a climbing partner

• How to lower a climbing partner

• Warm ups

• Climbing technique and movement

• Climbing grades and how to choose the right climb for them

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NICAS and the Curriculum 

NICAS is designed to meet the needs of pupils and schools by addressing the principles of Curriculum and many outcomes in Health and Wellbeing, Social Studies and Literacy. The approach to the curriculum design and meeting pupils’ needs is holistic, allowing five capacities to be addressed throughout the award.

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• Breadth is added to the school’s curriculum by using NICAS to experience learning out of the classroom. Programme design and framework uses NICAS to deliver a challenging and enjoyable learning experience.

• Depth is achieved through collaboration between the school and the NICAS awarding centre by taking learning objectives addressed in the classroom situation into a new environment. This enables children to experience learning in real contexts.

• Coherence is achieved in the programme design, through awarding centre staff encouraging and supporting pupils to see links between different curriculum areas and the outdoor environment they are experiencing.

• Relevance is demonstrated by enabling the children to apply the links between curricular subjects and the climbing environment.

• Affinity to the outdoors is created through association of enjoyable experiences leading to use of outdoor areas.