Lack of extra-curricular activities at school

[underboardwalk]

I could do with your advice as I'm umming and ahhhing about whether to send in an email to my daughter's school. I will provide some context first.

I'm a class PTA rep, so I tend to do all the vocal work for my daughter's Reception class. She attends an 'outstanding' school, which is always oversubscribed, and it's generally a very good school. What's really, really lacking is the provision of extra-curricular activities/after school clubs. They have an external provider for their breakfast/after-school club, and an external sports club who provides limited classes - boys and girls football and multi-sports for Y1 upwards. And that's it. I assume they use their external after school provider as an umbrella for various activities, but in my opinion, that's not good enough.

There is absolutely no provision for reception year group. I know it's the summer term now and it's too late to get something in place, but the distinct lack of well-rounded extra-curricular activities is absolutely irking me.

I've done my research into other local schools in the area and their choice of activities is fantastic. Some have external providers for their BC/ASC and some sports clubs, AND also offer a wider range of activities in addition which include provision for reception children such as performing arts, ballet, gymnastics, Spanish, maths clubs, art clubs, etc. The list goes on.

Funnily enough, I saw a FB post over the weekend asking about extra-curricular activities from a parent whose child has been accepted into the school, and as much as I wanted to shout how bad their provision is, I stayed quiet.

Obviously I'm not going to pull my daughter out of the school, I love it for her and so does she. But I suppose, naively, I never thought of this element of her education and thought the after school club will be enough.

Should I put my head about the parapet and send an enquiry as to why there is such a lack of activities? Or am I just being a pain? I just feel that they know they're such a good school in terms of academic achievements, that they've overlooked this part. I also have other major irks with them - their website is lacking in information and really dull, and I feel it links back to them probably being arrogant enough that they feel they don't need to update it. I feel there are a whole load of things lacking in that school that could be improved easily enough. I want to bring it up with them but I don't want to be 'that woman' who complains!

nonsense. Nothing to do with any of that. Young staff without children are likely to be able to volunteer. Mothers probably can't. That is the biggest single reason. Also, some staff have long difficult journeys home and some don't. If staff can afford cars and have parking spaces at school, logistically, a thousand times easier to volunteer for the extra hours compared to someone who has to lug their school bags to a bus stop half an hour away with only two buses a night. And of course, some staff may be more vulnerable to force and bullying. No mystery.

The reason some teachers run clubs and others don't is likely to be for several reasons

1. their own caring responsibilities either of their own children or parents, that hour after school could be used planning and marking leaving less workload for home
2. An unsupportive SLT with unrealistic expectations.

I worked at a secondary, I used to run a club and then we had a change of Head and behaviour went down the drain and expectations on teaching staff was ridiculous and I often spent the day being sworn at with students not dealt with, my breaks on duty, my lunch time writing up safeguarding concerns and sanctions for detentions and credits for the rewards system with no time to eat or use the bathroom, after school time having 1:1s with students in detention and making follow up calls to parents for positive and negative things and writing out reward postcards, and then books and homework to mark there was no way I was running a club.

DDs secondary school have a fantastic after-school programme, homework is set and auto marked online, only assessments are marked not books, the lessons in most areas are pre created and fully differentiated by the academy trust leads and just need a little customising, the SLT are supportive and the school appears a happy environment with seemingly relaxed and happy staff with a low turnover.

Parents run the after school/ lunch time clubs.

Every once in a while they will ask if anyone fancies it. There is a gardening club, volleyball, basketball generally but often you get a terms worth of something. Lego engineering. Arts. Pottery. chess. Book club. Tends to be open to their child’s age group so the more volunteer parents a class have the more options for the kids.

Don't know why you're getting a hard time, seems like a fair enough question to ask.

If you are repeatedly getting asked about this would the best time to bring it up be at the PTA meeting? There must be an AOB or discussion of funds or something where it would be appropriate. You don't have to be argumentative but just say 'I've been the rep for nearly a year and the number 1 thing I get asked is about our lack of extra-curricular activities, particularly compared to other local schools who do x,y,z. I've also seen posts on fb where it seems prospective applicants might be put off by the lack of activities. I'm assuming it's not just my class that are suddenly raising this so just wondered if it's something that's been discussed before, as this is obviously my first year?'

Then you might find out that they are aware but for various, reasons like other pps have posted clubs have never got off the ground. If you don't want to ask at the meeting itself, check with one of the other reps for a different year or whoever. Pose it as you being the new person so just interested in what to feedback to your class parents rather than criticising.

In secondary they pretty much are. I run a gardening club which I enjoy but it puts pressure on the rest of my week.

What has your PTA suggested?
Has your PTA discussed this with the Headteacher?

This will be your first port of call.

Maybe your school is broke and cannot afford external providers.
Maybe your school is a one class intake where teachers are stretched to the limit?

Maybe the default providers of these clubs( often TAs) just want to go home to be with their own children?

Please note that schools aren't there to provide for your children after school hours. That's up to parents. Your school is lucky to have an after school club( usually provided by TAs for minimum age.)
Maybe look at private providers for your children eg ballet, lacrosse, Tiddlywinks, invertebrate hunting.
I dunno, just maybe sort your own kids out.

Thank you! I think some posters are missing my point but you've nailed it.
I'm talking about external providers coming in to do these clubs and parents paying these companies/providers. I never mentioned or expected teachers or parents to run and fund these clubs.

I'm merely wondering why our school only really offers wraparound care and a couple of multi-sports options to Year 1 upwards, when other schools in the area can and do a lot more which also includes reception too.

@veraforever If you've bothered to read my previous posts, my daughter already goes to private providers for 3 different activities. They're well sorted out and looked after.

Also, this school is a 3 form entry, a pretty big building with plenty of space. There's no reason external providers can't come in to offer various activities. No cost to staff whatsoever.

Staff still need to be around when outside providers are in

What do you do for a living OP? Perhaps we can offer some improvements to your job?

Teachers were on strike - they don’t need the extra hassle of these clubs and certainly not for reception kids - and moaning about picking her up and dropping her off? Maybe the school should offer to cook her tea before sending her home?

Like you said your husband is over worked - why create more?

What does PTA usually fund?

I was speaking generally, as your post indicated and apologies if you’ve mis understood.
That your own children are provided for us great but you posted from the viewpoint of your class status on the PTA.

Apologies if you didn’t understand but my points still stand.

My kids’ primary school used to do eg cooking after school until 1630 but you then had to transfer to the ASC for the usual 1800 pick up. So we had to pay for both on that day. If money had been tight, we would have just done ASC as that was the one that meant we could work and commute.

A possible reason, OP?

Thank you @SpringBunnies. This is exactly the point I've been trying to make.

I pick my DD up at 3:15pm, having left the house at 2:40pm just to get parking. I'm then out and about until nearly 5pm at various clubs dropping off and waiting. That means I have to stop work, although I manage work emails on my phone or bring my laptop with me. Or just go back to it in the evening. My question is, why can't the school offer their space to external providers to run various classes? It would make many parents' life so much easier as there are so many of us doing the same thing. If I don't bring her to these myself, then she, like many other kids in her school, would miss out.

I'm not talking about teacher-run clubs offering their services for free (before I get anyone criticising me thinking I was 'suggesting' this).

No, because I'm too busy ferrying my kids around to after school clubs not provided at school.

But school staff still need to stay when outside providers are in. We can’t just walk away when they’re on school premises

Most of these clubs finish at 4pm, probably 4:15pm which gives the maximum of an hour. I'm not talking 6pm here.

There would be some admin that the school would have to do in order to facilitate after school activities. Perhaps they don't have the resources for this and maybe the school admin team are so stretched that extra curricular activities are not deemed a priority. Perhaps the school have asked parents about extra curricular activities in the past and parents haven't been interested perhaps because of the costs involved?
The only way you'll find our OP is by asking the school yourself if you want to do that. I would be gentle in my approach with this though as you have said yourself you are aware of the pressure teaching staff are under as your DH is a HT. I'm actually surprised that you are being so critical of your child's school (website, activities etc) when you have a good idea of the demands on schools or perhaps your DH works in an independent? I'd be grateful and thankful that my child loves it and is doing well and I'd let them crack on with it!

And also if the school has a wraparound offer which you said it did, some staff are on site anyway.

At my son's school - the externally run clubs don't require any additional school staff above and beyond those that are on site because of the wraparound anyway

Anyone else here from Scotland or elsewhere?

My eldest is in primary one Scotland, I don't know of any clubs ran in a school locally. Certainly not afterwards. There is very occasionally a trial session for a club within school time with info given to parents. But any extra curricular is up to us, in this area.

Is that the same elsewhere here?

so for the staff, getting home is pushed back by an hour - you don't seem to have any idea what that means. I am on the premises by 6.45 in my current school. In my previous school it was an hour before that. I am often still on the premises 2 hours after school finishes. And you think I should be volunteering to push that back by a further hour?

And what if staff are not free after school. I do interventions then, Every day. (when there is no staff meeting) Voluntarily. So I am not available for supervising outside providers coming on site to run after school clubs.

I used to run after school activities in schools as a business. Actually very difficult to make it profitable unless you charge a lot eg. £6+ per hour. And unless the school is large and in a well to do area, you won’t get enough take up.

teachers do after school activities once a week at ours, from what I can tell it’s on an entirely voluntary basis so not realistic to offer more.

There's no reason external providers can't come in to offer various activities. No cost to staff whatsoever.

there might be a reason and in this context I’d say it’s perfectly reasonable to ask. You might be able to persuade private providers to come and do some kind of taster session. School doesn’t have to provide anything other than a room.

But you’re still expecting staff to stay behind ?