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!

“I assume they use their external after school provider as an umbrella for various activities, but in my opinion, that's not good enough.”

Can I ask why it isn’t good enough?

It’s obviously much more cost effective to have one ASC provider run a club in the hall and playground/field with areas for art, chess, cake decoration, a game of rounders or whatever and the children do the bits they want on whichever days they are in.

Your child is rexeption age and doing ballet, gymnastics and performing arts. She must be very tired, OP. Downtime at home probably more beneficial than yet another activity.

I used to run clubs. It was thankless. An hour and a half extra one night a week.
It's a massive job to set up, run and organise. Plus even though they finished at 4.30 there were always parents arriving at 4.45 then insisting I went searching for missing gloves etc.

To come back to the classroom at 4.45 to begin my evening work that I would then take an hour and a half from my evening to complete, meaning time from my own children was also hard.

But I used to do it as I could see the children really enjoyed them.

Not now however, my children come first. The attitudes of the parents, the inability to thank me for my time were the nail in the coffin.

We have external providers in to do clubs but I still have to dismiss the children to make sure they go home safely afterwards.

I'm tired of the expectations that teachers' time is worth nothing.

Some kids enjoy that though. I have twins and they always want to pick up more activities. We do ballet , rugby, swimming, musical theatre as a core. But often end up picking up
other stuff and do a ten week course skiing, curling, ice skating, pottery, chatterbooks over last year.

@Sherrystrull I can assure you most parents are very thankful to teachers who run a club, although there is no expectation for you to do this. I can still remember a teacher who ran a dance club after school, which my DD loved. I was in awe of this teacher. She was immaculate had a class of Year 2 and then still had enough energy to do this too!

I am sure many parents WILL remember the effort you put into these clubs - I still do 10 years later!

Yes, not all children in reception are exhausted by school.

My summer born in reception does some activities - swimming and dance and after school club 3x week. He is absolutely not tired, he is full of beans.

if the school has a 'childcare wraparound provision it is usually in the hall, which would be the only place to run dance , badminton gymnastics or whatever club

Thank you for this. It's getting harder to remember the thankful and positive parents and I know there are many. It's sad that a few rude and entitled people ruin things for everyone.

I haven’t read the whole thread but have skimmed OPs replies. Firstly I get what you are saying OP. I do after school and out of school clubs and after school ends at 4.15 while out of school end 5pm at the earliest, and it feels like the night has gone.

My DCs school is a brilliant one form entry school and really punches with it’s extra curricular offerings. There are breakfast and afterschool wrap around but also breakfast clubs (3xs a week mainly for KS2) and afterschool clubs (some days there are several on the same night) all by external providers (and not just sports clubs, I mean professional cricket coaches, tennis coaches, art school teachers etc) the only teacher led one is a homework club for 1 hour.

I will say though that there is really only a couple of clubs for reception and this builds until KS2 when there is something everyday. Also not all clubs are as good as out of school. Dance for example is year 1-6 and let’s just say it’s about having fun rather than learning anything. But, as a large 3 form school I struggle to understand, if the parent cohort is well off, why there isn’t some offerings.

There must be a reason so I’d tread carefully. You need to discuss it as a PTA and not go solo on this. Maybe, as a PTA, gently discuss with school about sending out a parent survey about interest in after school offerings and if there is interest offer to set up a trial of a few clubs. I disagree with PP who say teachers need to be on site. They don’t, only the caretaker. Many schools rent out to other clubs on a weekend the caretaker opens and closes the school.

Good luck, I think it’s worth asking, but maybe as group rather than on your own.

I am often adked to run afters hool clubs because I run a kids sports club as a business. They cap the amount I can charge at £5 to make it inclusive. Why would I want to work for half my normal rate

Schools rarely have teachers running clubs anymore. Usually external providers, big chain companies, are brought in and parents pay a fee either via school or directly to the company.

Its really not that much work for school to put in place - which is why loads of schools do manage to put a few clubs in place!
And absolutely schools are expected to pay some attention to extra curricular, and Ofsted do look at it - school local to me the range of ex curricular clubs on offer was praised.

So OP is right to be a touch disappointed. Its not that much to expect, plenty of schools do manage it.