After school activities - how many does your school provide??

[lexie01]

My DD has just moved to a new school (Yr2). I was really shocked to find out that there were only 2 after school clubs available - football and a yoga based club. From what I can gather there are only 20 places available in this latter activity for over 100 children. Her previous school had LOTs of after school clubs but maybe this has spoiled us. How many extra curricular activities does your school provide?

About 20 clubs for KS1 and 20 for KS2. But they've just merged onto one, big site, so have more resources to run them.

When they were on separate sites there were about 8 clubs for KS1.

DS's infants school provides about 6-8 (varies over the year). Some of those are only open to KS1 (ie not Reception).

After school sports club - alternate weeks for KS1/KS2
Cook it club - Y4/5 only, alternate weeks
Young Engineers - Y4/5 alternate weeks to Cook it
Adran, alternate weeks, spring term only.

Hard for a small school to provide much I would have thought.

Loads - this year's list is not out yet, but there will be at least 20. And they are all run on a voluntary basis by teachers, TAs and parents who give up their own free time. I run one. Why don't you volunteer to set something up?

none for ks1 - ks2 there's a bit more, but mostly sports-based and they tend only to run in the summer - last year there was volleyball on alternate weeks and football - but only certain years can do certain things - so the y4s could do volleyball but not football or cricket

it's rubbish on that front, good on others

At DD's primary school they offer the following:

Monday
Lunchtime Dance Club P1 - P4
4-5.15pm Art Club PP2 - P4
4-5.15pm Speech & Drama P3 & 4
4-5.15pm Playball Pre-Prep

Tuesday
Lunchtime String Group Prep
Lunchtime Playball Pre-Prep
4-5.15pm Art Club PP2 - P4
4-5.15pm Cookery Pre-Prep
4-5.15pm Speech & Drama PP, P1 & 2
4-5.15pm Gymnastics PP3 - P4

Wednesday
Lunchtime Flute Choir Prep
4-5.15pm Art & Craft Pre-Prep
4-5.15pm Cookery P2 - P4
4-5.15pm Mandarin Prep

Thursday
4-5.15pm Gymnastics Prep

Friday
4-5.15pm Art & Craft Prep 1 - 4

There is also breakfast club and after school club every day.

Preprep = infants
Prep = juniors

DD1 is at a small school (100 children). They offer:

French Club (Yr 1 & 2)
Drama Club (1 term Y 5/6, 1 term Y 3/4, 1 term Y 1/2)
Recorder Club (Y 4, 5 & 6)
Football / multi-sports (Yrs 3-6)
They also offer Chess Club at lunchtime for Yrs 4-6

There might be more in the juniors I guess (she's only in Yr 2). I think there will always be less after school clubs in a small school because there are less staff to run & co-ordinate them.

DD's school is also small - about 90 children inthe school.

Staffing is often an issue in schools as they have to be run voluntary generally.

The new lists haven't gone out yet but there are usually:

Football
Multi-sports
Spanish
Recorders
Choir
Drama
Computers

They're run by the staff so it depends on what their particular skills and interests are. The more musical teachers will go for things like choir and learning an instrument. Arty ones will volunteer for art clubs. If a teacher is a fan of cricket or rugby they will offer those.

It can also depend on the needs of the children. Some might need help with learning English or developing social skills and so the school will offer them a place at a lunchtime/after-school club to support them with that.

that doesn't sound very much lexie I agree. Usually there is something arty. I think you'll have to ask around. Maybe there is a lot of interesting stuff offered nearby (church?) and you just haven't found out about it yet.

DS's school only offers 4 atm and they have limited spaces or yr2 have priority. He wants to join football I applied asap and fingers crossed he gets in he'll be so upset if he can do it.

Thanks for all your replies - have only just had chance to reply!

My DD's school is big (just under 600 children) so size doesn't seem to be the determining factor when looking at the number of after school activities - in fact it seems that some of the smaller schools offer more rather than less. As I said my DD has only just joined the school so there may be more clubs in KS2 which I am not aware of but I still think that 2 clubs until Christmas is quite poor (this school by the way is classified as outstanding by ofsted).

I did a rough calculation today and the 2nd of the clubs which have been offered (yoga) has appprox 20 places available for Rec, Yr1 & 2. With 3 classes each year group I think the chances of getting in this club are fairly slim....

Hulababy - your schools acivities look great but I am assuming it is an independent school?

Smithagain - you say that your school offers approx. 20 activities for KS1. Can you give me some examples? Are they run by teachers or outside providers? Do they run after school or over lunchtime. Would like some examples to see if I can make any suggestions to the school...

We have a football club run by an outside agency and an environmental/gardening club.

2 clubs for nearly 200 junior school children.
Not very impressive, is it?

Sounds like we are in the same position. Isn't is annoying to hear (read) what some schools offer! There should be at least some consistency!

our school is 300 junior school pupils
this term we have
football
netball
cricket
rugby
hockey
Gardening/Eco
Art
Council
Choir
Drama
Bike it
Recorder
Fun Science
Homework
Good eh?

You are unlikely to get consistency if you are relying on voluntary labour, people will do what they are comfortable with.
Our school offers a mixture of lunchtime, after-school, paid for and free. My school has around 400 pupils, most teachers who are not NQTs run a club, I run two and help with another.
I love the idea of parent power, the club I help with is run by a couple of parents and they are fantastic.

Fantastic. Are all these available to children in Y2?

The Y2 have two general sports, one country dance, recorder, baseball, French, art, chess, gardening/Eco, choir and um can't remember the other one.

ok sorry you need specific examples. Our (smallish) school has this lot, not all for all age groups (pottery just y3 and 4 for example). Some (riding, sailing) you have to pay for and it involves parental involvement with transportation to the facilities. Yoga and drama involve a fee because a teacher is brought in to do it. (Girls only shcool so not many traditionally boyish activities)

hockey, tennis, swimming - diff groups for diff ages
choir
chess club
pottery (shaping by hand, firing,painting, no wheel)
origami

riding, sailing, drama club, yoga

monitored homework time

looking at some of the other posts I think a baking/cooking club sounds really nice, also pottering about in a herb garden, planting flower beds around the school would be nice in a gardening club

That would involve some preparation but willing dp could well do those kind of activities

Then I suppose something like sewing/quilting. I am hopeless at that kind of thing personally or generally painting and doing crafts.

How about badminton if the school has a gym available and some nets etc. That might be nice for primary?

We got the list for the children to choose from today. There are 22 clubs on offer this term for a school of 450 children. DD2 has decided to do Choir, Orchestra and Latin, DD3 Art, Cookery and Craft.

Smithagain that sound like the school my DD could be working at. She is in a school that has just merged.

State

KS1
craft
cross country / athletics
multisports
football
dance
recorders (y2)
drama
french

KS2
recorders (beginners/advanced)
orchestra
tag rugby / athletics
football / cross country
netball
tai kwan do
choir (general)
choir (Y5/6)
drama
modern dance/ countray dance
maypole
french
drama
maths in motion (Y6 G+T)
gardening
hand chimes