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?!

At the very least they should offer the opportunity for ALL to apply , even if not everyone can attend.

Not all, but there are fairer ways than choosing the best sports players. If selecting for a team this should be separate.

If a club is oversubscribed, have a waiting list for those who didn't get a place to get a chance next term.

If a child has put football and basketball offer them one if both clubs are full.

Names in a hat (though this could still end up with the same children). Likewise first come first served has the same issue as those who put their name down for one club are likely to put their name down for multiple clubs, hence the suggestion of if clubs are full ask the child to choose one.

I would talk to the coach!

Email the headteacher, setting out the facts and query the policy.

Most likely scenario is that the outside sports provider has decided to do this without consulting the school. (Telling the office staff is not the same thing as changing an agreed contracted provision with the headteacher.)

I refuse to run free after school clubs anymore. Children weren’t interested but their parents wanted an hour of childcare. Parents would constantly pick up late which made me late. It was too much grief.
I’m paid to teach all children during the school day but in my own time, which I’m freely giving up I’ll only teach motivated, enthusiastic engaged and well behaved children.
Ask if your child can go on a waiting list.

I have those sort of boys who are very sporty, good at all sports and always get picked for school teams (at primary and secondary level), so it’s absolutely believable that the 3 boys have been picked based on ability and not favouritism.

However, I’m 100% with you that school sports clubs should be for everyone within the designated year groups for those clubs, who want to do it. I do think school teams selections (not clubs) should be mostly based on ability and sportsmanship, however my youngest son’s primary school also take along 3 or 4 of the not-so-good players and give them each a little bit of match time / playing time so they get to experience competitive play as well, which is great. Sports being inclusive at primary level is so important.

That's terrible.. I would complain. At my daughters school (it's a very large primary), clubs are allocated based on whether the child had a club the previous term. They have competitive after-school teams for football and basketball, based on ability. But non-competitive clubs that all children are able to access.
If the school wants to make the teams competitive, these should be separate from the normal after-school clubs. Otherwise, how else will all children get to experience that sport.

No wonder Scotland seldom qualifies for the World Cup

No country made it to the World Cup on the quality of their primary school teams.

How so ?
Dd rode 3 X a week after school in yrs 4- 8 I would definitely used it as child care.

If they're effectively using it for team coaching then it isn't really an after-school club and they should really be offering another session for everybody else if that is possible. However there is never room for everybody who wants to do sports clubs after school.

Sorry if somebody else has already said this, rushing a bit and haven't read all the posts.

When my Ds1 was about the same age he was desperate to try rugby after school club. I asked the coach if he could wear trainers first session to see if he liked it. The answer was no he had to have rugby boots so we spent a full day and a lot of money to get some.
Anyway he let him practise a little bit but never let him go to the games they had some sort of interschool league. Ds1 got very disheartened so I went to see the teacher and he actually said, we don't want him in the team because he's no good and I need the trophy for the school. Wanker. Son never played any sport after that.
Some teachers are glory hunting bastards.

If its free, I assume the coach us giving up his time for free so really the school are not in a position to say anything unless they want him to stop aktogethwr

It's to do with supervision ratios, surely? You can't just allow as many people as want to to come because it wouldn't be safe if the entire school showed up and only one teacher to supervise.

He usually attends football and basketball

Your son has had a turn at attending both OP. Perhaps there are only so many spaces and others are now getting the opportunity to attend?

There really was no need for this comment.

Sorry but my ds was that kid.

I do agree with others who have said that there shouldn’t be kids getting a space on both when some get none.

Unfortunately this is the age of child where it starts to become about the coaches’ own egos

Which is why you do first come first served, waiting lists go first, names out of a hat or an underhand ability pick if you're so inclined, but everyone should have the opportunity to apply.

I would find out who your school governors are and make a complaint to them as well as the headmaster, questions need to be asked on how one teacher is able to pick and choose which pupils are by their definition are better than others and how that goes against the ethos of the school about inclusion. I am sure they will have something written down about being inclusive to all.

If the club is free and being run by a teacher unpaid then surely the teacher can chose who attends the club, and if they can only handle a certain number of children then select the children based on criteria. Ability criteria makes sense, especially for team sports like football and basketball, especially they hope to get involved in school competitions.

If it was a free art after school club, which is more individual then selecting by ability would make less sense because that is more individual.

I’d be warily of kicking up too much of a fuss about ability selection unlike some PP because if I was a teacher running something for free and I was getting complaints or worse had to take on less suitable kids when I can only handle a limited amount for a team activity/sport because the headteacher told me too, then I’d probably just pack it all in next term to avoid the hassle. Unless a 2nd teacher stepped up and also volunteered so we could take on the extra kids.

If you want a guaranteed space for your child to do extra sports then pay for it at a sports centre/club.

In PE lessons? Where the teachers are paid to teach the sport.

Primary school sports is crappy, I thought same as you op but at my son's school they have to try out and it's ridiculous. Some kids just get tapped on the shoulder for things, especially if they're known to do clubs out of school as can just be taken to matches and bring back trophies I don't get the point. This is a state school. There's a second paid football option but they treat it like a premier league camp my kids hated it as just wanted to play a bit and have fun not some coach yelling at them constantly. My kids either do other less popular sports like hockey or whatever seems fun or don't bother

Except to a parent trying to work out what to do with their child after school, they aren't different they both serve the same purpose - fundamentally in both scenarios their child is looked after and safe but one is free, the other isn't.
How is that fair?

The activity clubs run for a few weeks, ate a lot shorter, and can be cancelled at short notice. They aren't reliable childcare.

Not saying the set up is fair but of course kids can be talented in more than one sport. Often it is the case that high level elite players were excellent at other sports too.