Shouldn’t after school clubs be for everybody?

[Passionfruitlove]

8yo (year 4) DS school offers free after school clubs. They start the second week of every new term. He usually attends football and basketball. School sends an invite out via email then we click on a link to register interest. Yesterday I realised I hadn’t received any emails about it so I phoned the office. They told me that emails were sent out and all places were fully booked. I told them that I hadn’t received any emails and was told that the sports coach had started offering places based on ability.

DS then told me that 3 boys out of his class had been chosen for both football and basketball. I understand going off ability for competitions/tournaments but surely after school clubs should be for everyone?!

I totally agree with you OP.

I personally think free clubs should be open to all, fair enough if there are paid sports clubs that sort by ability, but that does seem unfair (I expect those that are good at them are more likely to do paid sports clubs outside of school too). I have no idea if there are any rules as such for schools to follow, guessing not, but certainly at DS' school one of the aims of the free after school clubs are to make these activities accessible.

Totally agree. It's a primary after school club, not an elite team. I would complain about this and say that there should be a separate, paid for, club for those wanting to be elite.

That’s rubbish. Here (scotland) the rules are very strict for school football that every player on a team must get equal pitch time to ensure opportunities within the team get shared, but there are still some children who want to play who don’t make it onto the team.

I don’t think the team selection ought to be down to who answers the emails first. Maybe the solution is some get on the team one year and not the next? Or hope a parent offered to start another team (if state school). If private school I’d expect the school to start another team.

As a teacher, I'd be quite embarrassed to have to try and justify basing it on ability to parents! Doesn't fit with the ethos of most primaries at all.

This seems rather mean for a club that is provided after school and presumably free.
Our clubs are first come first served, so your son might still not get a place, but in theory it should be a fairer process (and if a club runs in the next term, those who didn't get a place previously get first chance at it).

I am wondering if they are preparing for a competition/tournament but surely this should be done separate

YANBU. In our school it’s first come first serve which isn’t great either. It should be that everyone gets a turn throughout the year for free clubs imo.

That’s not on - here, after school clubs are first come first served as places are limited. Sometimes they will pick names at random too if it’s very popular. The school have various sports teams which are chosen on ability but these are separate from the after school clubs and often meet at lunch times or for matches after school.

Wow that’s shit and I’d be complaining to everyone who would listen. Unbelievable at ages 8!! The sports teacher is obviously a twat and doesn’t share what I would say are most people’s/parents’ values about children’s sport at primary school.

When DDs were at Primary it was register interest (so you listed the clubs in preference order) and they made sure that everyone got one club. Popular clubs you only got for a term.

The only exception was the school play which was auditions for main parts, but everyone could get a chorus part. (The audition process left a lot to be desired unfortunately, but on the surface it was inclusive)

Thos is absolutely shocking OP! Their job as PE teachers is to teach ALL children how to enjoy sport and physical activity and help them lead a more active life. How does this policy achieve that? What's next, only teaching maths to the bright children!?! Because that is the obvious parallel!

Which one? The World Cup? 😂
School is out of order here. I’d be having a chat which would end in DC attending the after school club.

@JustMyView13 No but this has been done in the past at the school

Indeed – so you’re entitled to free after school childcare if your kid is good at sports? Something is extremely off with that.

Is the sports coach a teacher or an external provider? Does the school offer any other wraparound care or just these teams?

This is the fairest way.

no they aren't. they routinely exclude children with SEN.

YANBU. Seems the sports coach at your school is more interested in children winning matches for the sake of his own ego rather than wanting to provide them
witg an activity beneficial to their health and wellbeing. I think it’s worth a complaint.

Maybe a bit of favouritism at play too. The 3 boys from his class for example, how can they be talented in both basketball and football

Obviously they can be talented at both, why wouldn't they be?

But they shouldn't let some children do two sports clubs when others don't get to do any at all.

On the face of it this isn’t great and all children should be given the chance to take part.

Having run after school clubs I would say that some parents use it as an opportunity for free childcare and send children who clearly have no interest and put no effort in which drags the whole club down. I wonder if perhaps the P.E teacher is fed up of babysitting kids who have no interest in football (not suggesting your son is one of them or this is your intention).

Presumably the teacher is doing this unpaid so I can see a logic in wanting to spend their volunteer effort on developing the children who will do best at the sport.

They have been very good in providing free clubs at all imo.

I do think it could have been communicated a lot better though.

Whilst I agree with you main point OP… this is a wild take that people can’t be talented at more than one thing.

YANBU. There’s nothing wrong with teams playing matches being selected on ability, but a Y4 after school club being selected on ability is dreadful. It becomes self-fulfilling, so the kids that get to go every week naturally improve, compared to those who don’t get to play.

Children develop at such different rates at that age that those who are not quite so big /strong/fast/coordinated now, can easily have a growth spurt and become brilliant players 6 months later. Aside from that, all children should have the opportunity to enjoy playing sport with their friends.

@ZestyLemonBiscuit Yes you’re right. I didn’t mean for it to come out that way, I just think it’s unfair how they’ve been chosen for both. Obviously it’s not their fault though