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Original poster

Why can after school clubs run in private schools?

79 replies

notevenat20 · 23/09/2020 09:48

At the state secondary schools I know all after school clubs, including for example music, have been cancelled. But the private schools are still running school string orchestra for example after school. They separate them by year bubble so the year 7s are 2m away from the year 8s etc. But within the year the can be closer.

Are the rules different for private schools?

OP posts:
CovidPostingName · 23/09/2020 09:51

The rules are not different. State school after school clubs and groups can run. It sounds like your school just doesn't want to. That's allowed too. Most of the time the issue will be finding the staff willing to do so.

Both my sons' state schools have all their extra curricular after school groups up and running.

EnglishRose1320 · 23/09/2020 09:51

It must be down to what individual schools feel comfortable doing. My ds isn't in a private school and still has a group music lesson this term and football next term.

AlexaShutUp · 23/09/2020 09:54

I imagine that the teachers at private schools are more under pressure to put themselves at risk. After all, there is a very real risk that the business will go under if they are not perceived to be offering more than the state sector.

Original poster
notevenat20 · 23/09/2020 09:54

Most of the time the issue will be finding the staff willing to do so.

Is there a difference in pay for after school clubs normally? I mean do private school teachers get paid to do them where state school teachers don't?

OP posts:
Friendsoftheearth · 23/09/2020 09:56

All schools are different, and are making their own decisions. If you are unhappy write to your school. I think posting on here is not going to help you if you would like your child to do more after school.

I don't think all clubs are running in private schools or otherwise, just the ones that are deemed safest.

MillieEpple · 23/09/2020 09:56

Most of our clubs are outside organisations that run as a business. They cant make a profit and be covid secure so they arent running, partly because numbers dropped off as some parents werent keen on childrdn mixing mkre anyway. They are allowed to run so a couple have carried on. My sons school they are mainly teacher led and have carried on.

BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 23/09/2020 09:56

I would imagine a private school pays their staff for more hours of work than a state school does? So a state school pays their staff for (estimate) 1300 hours of teaching time. This is pretty much taken up completely with classroom time and a smidge of prep time.

A private school likely has factored in after school clubs and what not (that the parents prepay for in their fees) and the staff are salaried for that too. Meaning they can fulfil it.

TryAnotherNickname · 23/09/2020 09:58

Private schools are able to contractually require staff carry out certain after school activities which state schools can’t I think. But currently clubs are at school discretion and our private school isn’t offering any.

MillieEpple · 23/09/2020 09:58

notevenat20 ' its not pay but terms and conditions can be very different. So many private schools have 19 weeks of holidays instead of 12 but their contracts will specify a club is run.

TheTeenageYears · 23/09/2020 10:00

Lots of schools including private's are taking a very different stance on this. DD's boarding school has decided not to run any sports fixtures with other schools but another independent in the same town is doing loads as are other schools not very far away. Lots of clubs at independent schools will probably be externally operated unlike teacher led clubs at many state schools.

ineedaholidaynow · 23/09/2020 10:03

Do staff get paid for running after school clubs in state schools? I assume some schools are struggling with just sorting out the normal schools day with bubbles, staggered start times, staff welfare etc and don't want to factor in the extra stress of after school clubs.

DS goes to a private school. They used to have inter school sport on a Saturday morning, but obviously that is not happening at the moment. They are offering sports clubs on a Saturday morning instead. I assume to reassure parents that they are still getting their money's worth and not having to reduce fees. We used to hate the early morning starts on a Saturday just to see DS sit on the subs bench! We are opting out of the optional Saturday morning clubs

TartanDMs · 23/09/2020 10:04

Could also be that after school clubs in state schools are suffering a knock on effect - if you are a teacher with primary aged children who relies on after school club at their school to give you the time to run after school club at your own school, if your kids school isn't offering it you have no childcare yourself.

2020notfun · 23/09/2020 10:05

There are definitely state schools around us operating after school clubs.

AllTheUserNamesAreTaken · 23/09/2020 10:06

Our state school has cancelled all after school activities. There are private music lessons by an external provider which are during the school day.

ASC (as in childcare) provided by external provider on school site is running. Breakfast club provided by school is also running

pinkbalconyrailing · 23/09/2020 10:07

1k per term per child is why.

ElfDragon · 23/09/2020 10:11

I currently have dc in 2 different private schools.

One (secondary) has no clubs running. Sports training is continuing in year bubbles, but nothing else - no music clubs, dance clubs etc. No after school sessions either - there used to be homework sessions running alongside clubs,to allow for a later pickup, but not at the moment.

The other (prep) has after school care, but in a very different format from before. My ds finishes lessons at 4pm, and until 4.30pm can be (and is) cared for in his year group bubble by one of his years’ teachers. From 4.30pm, this changes to a bubble consisting of multiple year groups (eg years 3-5, years 6-8), for an activity - often PE based, and outdoors as much as possible. Previously thy err were multiple clubs running, both internal and from external providers. No external providers are onsite for clubs, although peripatetic music staff are coming in each day for music lessons.

namechange34 · 23/09/2020 10:13

My dds are at a private school and extracurricular clubs are not charged for separately, they are part of what we are paying for in the fees. There are reduced choices this year as they are only doing them in year groups so they can't staff as many (usually key stages would do clubs together). The teachers that run the clubs are the same ones as teach them those particular subjects during the day. So i think it comes down to two things: money and logistics.

BunsyGirl · 23/09/2020 10:15

@AlexaShutUp On the contrary, I think you will find that many teachers are less at risk in private schools. My own DC’s private school has put lots of measures in place including hiring extra toilets so each year group has their own. They have reduced the size of every class. They have put in portable hand washing basins. Staff are provided with masks and visors for close up work. The kids have their temperature checked every morning before they are allowed to enter. Parents have to wear masks at drop off and pick up. The dining halls are not in use - the kids eat outside in year groups. Two areas (including an entire playground) are going to have waterproof covers put over them so the kids can be outside even in bad weather. Dance lessons and orchestra practice etc will also take place under this cover so they are resurfacing the playground with a much softer material to allow this to happen. Every child from year 3 upwards has been provided with an iPad so books do not come in and out of school and they can switch quickly to remote learning. After school clubs are only in year groups now and there are no sports fixtures at the moment. Uniform has been relaxed so that no ties and blazers are worn.

MojoJojo71 · 23/09/2020 10:23

I don’t think it’s a private/state issue but individual risk assessment by each school. There has been several positive cases in DD’s school (private) and so from this week all after school activities have been cancelled

fishywaters · 23/09/2020 10:29

Schools have individually risk assessed and made decisions re clubs accordingly. DS2(ks1) state primary is operating before and after school club and external music teachers only. All other external providers cancelled. Ds1 independent (ks2) is operating most clubs with certain exceptions (eg no swimming). Have friends whose independent schools are operating their swimming clubs. Dds secondary has cancelled all school fixtures and limited external providers too but some clubs are running. However, parents pay a fortune to usually have up to 100 different clubs available, especially at lunch, and a really diverse lunch menu which is also currently limited. School fees have not gone down as the school obviously has other extra costs. We probably pay an extra 3k a year for clubs which aren’t running so private school parents are not all happy either. We all have to adapt and work with our schools and trust them to some extent. Trust that our teachers are trying their best.

Purpledaisychain · 23/09/2020 10:31

It depends on the club. I work in a secondary school and clubs that involve mixing year groups cannot go ahead. The clubs where year groups ar kept separate can be. (E.g. year 10 football).

Original poster
notevenat20 · 23/09/2020 11:34

It depends on the club. I work in a secondary school and clubs that involve mixing year groups cannot go ahead.

I was particularly struck by how the local private school had kept the school orchestra going by physically grouping the players by year in the hall. So this is an example of a mixed year group that is still running by some smart adjustment.

Really interesting that some state schools are running after school clubs and some not. Anyone know any state school orchestral music that is still happening?

OP posts:
ineedaholidaynow · 23/09/2020 11:57

@notevenat20 complaining about schools again!

Original poster
notevenat20 · 23/09/2020 11:59

notevenat20 complaining about schools again!

You are off topic :)

OP posts:
winterisstillcoming · 23/09/2020 14:42

At our Childrens' state school, all clubs wwere run by teachers, unpaid pre Covid. Also we don't have many externals coming in, and there's little manpower to do the extra risk assessments and cleaning afterwards. It will drop end on faculties and extra manpower needed. Plus the way things are one minute you can do an activity, the next you can't.

It's likely that private schools build extracurricular activities into their teachers pay package, and as part of the the paid offer to parents, so there's an obligation to offer at least something.

I'd seek extracurricular yourself outside of school.