Schools to open evenings and weekends.

[WaterSheep]

Anne Longfield has suggested that schools should open in the evenings and on weekends, in order to help prevent children being preyed on in the streets by gang members.

Apparently this would allow children to access their sports, drama and technology facilities. Wonderful... but what happens if anything goes missing or gets damaged, who is going to replace them?

Oh and just one small point, i'm sure it's an accidental oversight, she hasn't actually stated who will be supervising the children....

Teacher and support staff should staff it. they get like 15 weeks paid holiday anyway right?

PristineCondition You're being sarcastic, right?

Difficult to tell with the written word.

Lol, our premises are hired out from 5pm and all day at weekends.

Thus we have enough money for buildings upkeep and CPD.

So she wants to turn learning environments into youth clubs?

Does she have no understanding of how subject areas operate?
Who's equipment/ resources will be used? Who will supervise, structure and pay for this?

She estimated another 2.5 billion (or something like that) would be needed, so presumably staffing was part of the costing. There is no reason to assume teachers would be running this, it would be more appropriate to have qualified youth leaders - which could create employment opportunities.
I think it was more about a safe space being available to kids who may be vulnerable. Personally if it could be made to work I think it could be a good idea.

I think this will be the norm when class sizes erupt anyway

Well have a two tier system of education

I do think that in a lot of areas where things are lacking there is certainly room for school buildings to be used more outside of school hours as community facilities. Some already do it very well and if done right it does provide more for young people and an extra source of income for the school.

NightmareLoon That's another missing nugget of information. It seems from what she has said the buildings are to remain open, but there's no mention of payment for the use of their sports, drama or technology facilities.

I'm sure with how much schools are struggling financially, Anne Longfield would be more than wiling to pay for the use of such facilities, right?

Teacher and support staff should staff it. they get like 15 weeks paid holiday anyway right?

Pristine That's either an attempt at a joke or you have no idea how teachers and support staff are paid!

For the millionth time here on MN.
Teachers/support staff get statutory holiday pay only. They do not get paid all year round. The money they earn is spread over 12 months.

Children spend enough time in school.
How about ploughing the money into new youth centres?

@PristineCondition

they get like 15 weeks paid holiday anyway right?

Nope they get exactly the same amount of paid holiday as the legal minimum. The rest is unpaid. Their salaries are just paid monthly (like a lot of other jobs!). I don't understand why this is so hard to work out.

Whose not who's ...

Elodie , I agree.

I'm guessing you'd also need insurance, youth workers and maybe some increased security

I'm sick of people thinking that schools should be able to solve all the ills of society.

Poverty, obesity, poor mental health and now Gang violence.

These things need proper funding elsewhere in society. Yes, schools will always have to have good pastoral care but this is ridiculous. Leave the schools to teach!

I'm sick of people thinking that schools should be able to solve all the ills of society.

This.

Youth work is an actual profession. It isn't a babysitting job ffs and schools being youth clubs don't work. (This has happened before)

Good Youth work gives yp ownership of their space, the yp create their own 'rules'. Youth workers had youth clubs (before cash strapped LAs sold them and tuped degree qualified staff to level 3 youth support workers with companies that don't use the correct pay scales) and by it's very nature to is different to a school because of its anti oppressive practice and non exclusionary way. Youth workers are not babysitters to police young people.

Youth work is a process and started out with educating the poor raggedy street urchin children that schools refused to take. Its roots are within social work roots and it sprung up at the same time. Youth workers don't want your schools, youth workers want their youth clubs back.

Schools are not secure enough to prevent people touching or stealing things.
No it’s not a good idea.
Do it somewhere else, fine.
I worked at a summer scheme which was housed within the local cricket club.
All high risk items were secured.
Schools are not set up like that.
I have first hand experience of my dcs play school being rented out and displays and equipment touched and damaged.

Adults were present too and allowed this to happen.

Sounds potentially quite sensible to me. Why spend money building youth centres on land that might not be there - why not use buildings that are standing empty at these times.

OP, you do know that many primary schools host holiday clubs, with great success?

I would assume youth clubs would be run by youth professionals, not school staff.

I’m not sure why building standing empty and unused for as much time as schools are is a good thing.

Youth workers don't want your schools, youth workers want their youth clubs back.

THIS!! Absolutely!
As I said earlier, schools are not youth clubs. Money needs to be spent on new buildings/facilities specifically aimed at young people away from the school environment.

Great post fizzy.

@Milicentbystander72
I'm sick of people thinking that schools should be able to solve all the ills of society

Here here!!!!!!!!

I think it was more about a safe space being available to kids who may be vulnerable

Then why target schools? Why not bring back youth clubs? A lot of kids have negative experiences of schools, and having dedicated youth clubs removes these.

Youth clubs used to be fun and enjoyable spaces, where everyone was welcome and no one cared about your past behaviour. Even with different staff, the school environment is still the same. It's the place where the child spent the day avoiding bullies, the place where they were tripped and everyone laughed, the place where they've had to spend detentions and had meeting with staff about their behaviour and grades. For many children it's not an environment they would choose to spend more time in.

I was just talking about this with my husband and we are quite old fashioned here in our house but we were chatting about how we as kids used to enjoy the school discos every friday 6 til 9 in our schools years ago.It was the highlight of the week,everyone came there was never ever any trouble and we all loved it.This was our high school years way back...there doesnt seem to be anything like that now...kids need occupying.I do think even if we had youth clubs now they would all be teched up and kids wouldnt interact just be playing xbox or surfing the net..its the interaction thats missing,,making friends,,being respectful it all has to be taught and it should begin at home...yes schools have a part to play too but they can;t fix it all....Its a good suggestion I feel in part but to fund it is another thing totally....to engage kids totally we need a radical solution and I dont have the answer to it...its a tough one.

Sorry, pressed send too soon.
Some of our most vulnerable may not have a good relationship with school.
Why the hell would they want to go back to the same place on a Saturday or in the evening?!