AIBU to think children in after school care should not get priority for clubs?

[5dcsinneedofacleaner]

At my DCs school they run a number of after school clubs that last say 6-8 weeks, different things like dancing or drama or the latest one christmas craft.
For these clubs the children who stay at the after school care anyway always get priority so there are hardy ever any places or at best (rarely) only a handful of places left for children who do not.

Now the afterschool care is not provided by the same people that run the clubs so there is no NEED for the same children always to be included as the after school club is still there even if the children are not (if you see what I mean).

AIBU to think that it is unfair to effectively ban any child who doesnt attend the after school childcare group from attending any extra curricular activities?

I am really thinking of complaining about it now - my ds has applied for every club since he started getting letters about them and in 2 years has not had a place in a single one.

Yanbu. Are you sure it's always the after school club children getting most of the places? If so then I think you have a point.

Yes it is as I have asked the teacher and at the office and been told this is the case (I questioned why he was repeatedly getting refused).

yanbu sounds very unfair

I'm not sure how the places are allocated at my boys school but every after school activity we sent the form back always seemed to be full. In 3 years ds2 had failed to get a place in one. They gave out letters for woodwork recently, I took it straight to the office and filled it in then and there and he still didn't get a place. So I asked why not, seeing as we had definitely given our slip in first. They said they didn't know.... But a place magically came available for ds2.

Oddly enough, I never have the same problem with ds1. He gets a place on everything, before and after school activities. Even when the letter is handed in days later.

As the activities that ds1 goes to always seem to contain the same group of kids I think a bit of selective favouritism plays a part in the availability of places.

I think the problem is your school runs after school clubs as well as having after school care. Here the after school care has different activities on different days, so effectively is the club, and we pay for that instead. Perhaps ask why your Ds keeps being missed out and maybe ask if they can have a waiting list instead to ensure fairness for all. Places to be offered in priority order of children who haven't done the last club then any places left to others. It's never going to please everyone (do you have to pay for the clubs or just the care?)

Beertricks - I am not sure about looked after children but the clubs normally have around 20 - 30 places.

Sok - Most of the clubs have a small fee ranging from say £3-15 some although a few are free (like the christmas one). It tends to be outside people running things like dance so these are paid for. The ones run by the actual teachers tend to be free.

I think the problem is your school runs after school clubs as well as having after school care.

My DC school runs it like this an on site but run by separate staff after school paid for wrap around care. Then completely separate to this teachers and sometimes outside teachers run clubs.

The after school care can do pick up from the school clubs if you arrange this with them.

The difference is the clubs at my DC school do run on a first come first serve basis - which means you have to fill forms in immediately and they do have waiting lists.

I don?t see why the warp around care and the clubs are being confused ? it really doesn?t sound very fair at all and they are serving very different functions.

Are you sure the after-school children get priority? It does seem unfair. Clubs at DD's school often have lots of after-school children in, but they don't get any priority for places. Unless you count the fact that these children come in early for breakfast club, so are likely to be first in a "first come first served" allocation?

YANBU

What you are describing goes against Every child matters.

If a child is in after school club every night then it can get pretty boring. I suppose the arguement is that stay at home mums can take their children to more places. However I do think its unfair. It does nothing to help social mobility as stay at home mums rarely have the cash to pay for comerical clubs outside school.

Ds's school has lots of after school clubs and and an after school club. I think the solution is for your child's school to run more clubs. Ds's school has a policy of trying to make sure that every child has a place in at least one club if they apply.

The clubs vary on how they select children. For example homework club priority is given to low achieving children who never do their homework. Some clubs give priority to the older year groups, Some clubs draw names out of a hat.

Ds's school has 23 clubs and parents pay for them.

If it is definitely the case that after school club is given priority then this is certainly unfair. My DD went to after school care that was run on the school premises but by an outside organisation (obviously we had to pay privately for this) but there was never any connection between that and other after school activities the school ran.

redskyatnight may have a point though. If the children in the after school care are at school outside of the normal hours they may just have the advantage in getting there request slips back in to the office before anyone else.

In your shoes I would certainly be tempted to inquire how the allocation of places is carried out.