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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To wonder if after-school clubs with a cost to attend are fair?

56 replies

FourArms · 03/12/2009 18:19

I'm genuinely not sure what to think about this. Probably should have posted in Primary Education, but knew I'd get more responses here!

I attended an advertising assembly today for an after-school club run by an organisation from outside of the school.

For a 6 week course, it would be £42, so £7 per session. This is for 1 hour per week, straight after school.

The school is in a more deprived area of the city. Not all of the children are going to be able to afford the club fees. Is it wrong for the school to send home newsletters advertising the club? Bearing in mind the kids have just seen an assembly to show how fantastic it will be, and will probably want to come along. A member of staff at the assembly commented that to allow the club to go ahead, with a cost to the parents, would make it elitist.

At my DS1's school they have free after school clubs (as this school does too), and paid for clubs (I think at present this school doesn't have any paid for clubs). However, the one my DS1 goes to is £12 for 6 weeks (I think!) and is a multiskills club run by GOALS. Not nearly as expensive, and within the reaches of most household budgets (of DS1's school). I have no idea if PTA or other funding is available for children who cannot access paid for after school clubs at DS1's school, perhaps it is?

Anyway - fair, or elitist.. what do you think? How does it work at your DC's school?

OP posts:

gingernutlover · 03/12/2009 18:56

i think its unreasonable to use an assembly for advertising

not unreasonable forthe school to offer the club - most schools offer paid for clubs as well as free.

JingleAllTheWay · 03/12/2009 18:59

Our school has been very poor for afterschool clubs. They run netball and football training for teams, but the rest of sports are run by motive8 and cost a similar amountas you say. Then there are a broader range of sports. There is a recent addition of A lunchtime free choir. That's all though. My friends children go to another school where they have ( free) kntting, dance,drama, orchestra, running etc.

What also annoys me about ourschool is that when we had ofsted looming suddenly there were moreclubs eg drama and construction etc. These of course faded out once ofsted had been.

Tizzyjacko · 03/12/2009 19:03

Mixture of free and paid at DS's school but agree £7 an hour is a bit steep and advertising in assembly is unfair and puts pressure on the parents who can't afford it.

cat64 · 03/12/2009 19:12

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cat64 · 03/12/2009 19:13

This reply has been deleted

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LynetteScavo · 03/12/2009 19:14

What is the club offering?

There are no free clubs at our school, although funding is now abailable for chilren who recieve free school meals.

Is't it a bit patronising to sugest that parents may not be able to afford to pay for the club? If it's going to benefit their child, they my well place it as a priority in their budget. I'm presuming the club is a commercial venture, so if not enough children attend the club wont' go ahead anyway.

If this club is elitist, then every after school club is elitist.

Sounds fair to me, but unles it was something totally thrilling, I probably wouldnt' be signing my DCs' up for it.

Georgimama · 03/12/2009 19:14

If it is in effect after school care then of course parents should pay for it. Parents who send their children to wrap around/after school CMs have to pay for it. Who exactly is going to pay for it if the parents don't?

gingernutlover · 03/12/2009 19:15

trouble is, jinglealltheway, that the free clubs are run by teachers in their spare time (ha ha what's that!)

At my current school we are made to do it - no choice, it gets everyones backs up to be honest being made to do an extra hours work at the end of their day (and then going home to do the 2-3 hours of paperwork that they didnt get to start at svchool because they were running a club)

therfore, there is a need for some paid clubs.

Sagacious · 03/12/2009 19:15

dcs primary school have a paid for outside sourced multi sports club.

They also did a big advert in assembly

Was not impressed TBH

RainRainGoAway · 03/12/2009 19:16

Our French club at school runs for £7 a session.
But there is also a yoga for adults in the evening as well for the same price. They are both on the same newsletter sent home. I guess the school has to do whatever it can to get in revenue in hiring out the hall. In the long run that must benefit all children. I guess...

PurpleHeffalump · 03/12/2009 19:31

The 'free' sessions are those run by teachers who volunteer their time to run clubs.

Any session not run by a teacher will be paid for.

Therefore obviously schools will differ in how many free clubs they run - how many teachers the school has, how willing the teachers are to give up more time in the evenings, how well behaved the children are generally (who wants to volunteer their time to a bunch of misbehaving kids?)

Just tell your child they're not going. So what if 'all the kids will want to go'? Kids see numerous adverts on TV each day - and quite often REALLY want those things. You just tell them no. If you are correct that lots of families won't be able to afford it, then the club probably won't run for long anyway as it want get many children attending.

CitizenPrecious · 03/12/2009 19:50

I don't think it's fair either, and am having similar Ishoos with my school (also an inner city school with a high number of kids eligible for free school meals)...

If kids from families on low incomes are excluded from activities the school offers- in and out of school- then it's really not offering equal opportunities to all children.

In my experience some schools tend to focus on the (more vocal) middle class parents and their/children's needs as far as "extra" stuff goes- I don't think it's malicious, I think it's just ignorance. I think if you're offering expensive trips, clubs and music lessons etc at school then you should consider concessionary rates to kids on FSMs.

Original poster

FourArms · 03/12/2009 20:00

I don't think that there is any revenue to the school from the club. They don't mention it on their website anyway.

The justification of it being effectively paid for care did come up, but I don't imagine there are many parents who would only need that care until 4:15pm. If they did then that would be great. Otherwise I can get the school after school care from end of school until 6pm or 6:30pm for £6. Much cheaper per hour!

LynetteScavo I'm not being patronising in the OP. My words were: The school is in a more deprived area of the city. Not all of the children are going to be able to afford the club fees. Both of these statements are facts. The HM thinks that none of the parents will be able to afford it. This may be wrong. I know the organisation are trying to source funding for children entitled to free school meals. This hasn't yet been confirmed.

The club is something exciting. The children often get something to take home with them that they have made/learnt about. The club group is quite small - 12-20.

OP posts:

LynetteScavo · 03/12/2009 20:03

But if no after school clubs are ofered, children would miss out, parents may not choose the school etc.

Someone has to pay for the activities, and if the PTA aren't raising huge amounts of money, parents will have to pay directly.

primarymum · 03/12/2009 20:06

We very rarely charge for clubs, only if the staff/parents or volunteers can't feasibly run them on their own. For those that we do run, we have a maximum charge of £2.50 per week. If the prospective organisation can't do it for this amount, we don't book them!

Original poster

FourArms · 03/12/2009 20:10

OK, so ideally concessionary rates for children entitled to FSMs. But does that leave the kids in the middle out? Not poor enough to be entitled to FSMs, and not rich enough for £7 a week for a one hour club to be fine.

I would say that we are fairly OK financially. Not mega rich. I'm a SAHM but DH has quite a good job. We could afford £7 a week, but it seems a lot, since for us it wouldn't be childcare, just a fun club.

Is it OK if this price is comparable to swimming/yoga/French classes held outside of school? Or is it wrong because it is done via the school?

FWIW, I think the schools go for the 'free' assembly, because it's quite fun and exciting for the kids to watch. They certainly all enjoyed it today. It was about 30 mins long, and only the last two minutes were about the after school club.

OP posts:

LynetteScavo · 03/12/2009 21:39

But what would teh children be doing at the club?

coolma · 03/12/2009 21:47

ds goes to after school club - it costs £8.40 from 3.30 till 6 - they have loads of activities, including termly 'shows', evening meal if they stay after 4.30 and he loves it! i donlt think it's unreasonably priced atall - if we had a childminder it would be £4 + an hour.

HappyMummyOfOne · 03/12/2009 21:54

I dont think schools should stop offering clubs, trips etc because some may not be able to afford it as its not fair then on parents/children who would like to attend these or be given the opportunity.

Its outside school hours so they should not have to be "inclusive" and those parents who dont want to use the service or pay for it just dont sign up.

Original poster

FourArms · 03/12/2009 22:20

Coolma - this is £7 per week for 1 hour only. It is only for 6 weeks though, so £42.

The club is science based.

I very much appreciate all of these opinions. I will soon be leading of one these groups, and I couldn't do it if it felt wrong. Up until today the cost hadn't worried me. I worried that they might not get enough parents signing their children up, but at most schools this doesn't seem to be a problem.

OP posts:

cat64 · 03/12/2009 22:31

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

Original poster

FourArms · 03/12/2009 22:46

That's the opinion I was hoping for cat64

OP posts:

MillyR · 04/12/2009 10:05

There are many clubs that are not on school premises that are £7 a session. Not everyone has a car and so not only have the problem of paying for the activity but also the problem of extra public transport costs to get to and from the activity. At least with activites held at school the children are already there and the transport cost should be no more than the usual home from school cost.

I would rather have a wider range of activities held at school, even if I then have to pay for my children to attend.

inthesticks · 04/12/2009 10:20

When my DCs started primary there were plenty of after school activities, all fre and run by teachers.
A new head teacher saw an end to all that and in came the contracted out activities. I do not want childcare just some sporting or other activities and really resented this change. Also you had to commit to 6 weeks at a time so if the child was ill you had to pay for missed sessions.

grenadine · 04/12/2009 10:55

In the private sector it is expected the staff will run after school clubs, and saturday sport clubs often with no charge.

How is it that they find the time, offer to do it and not all state school teachers do? Are the state school teachers paid significantly less? (genuine question - I'm not a teacher)

to go back to the OP the club in question sounds quite expensive.

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