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Secondary education

Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

Original poster

Extracurricular activities at secondary

27 replies

gymnasticrobotics · 12/04/2021 15:07

My son is moving up to year 7 in Sept. I am sure it varies generally how often do kids stay after school for extracurricular activities?

OP posts:
UserTwice · 12/04/2021 15:31

At the moment - none running.

Normally - depends on the child. Our school run activities from Monday-Thursday and some children (particularly sporty ones) will stay for a club every evening. Some stay for none.
There are also subject support sessions after school and some children stay to work in the library/computer room as they find it easier than home.

RedGoldAndGreene · 12/04/2021 16:06

Depends on the school. Ours are starting extra sports sessions outdoors from this week. Each year can go to 2 sessions per week.
No idea if lunchtime clubs are currently running.

Original poster
gymnasticrobotics · 12/04/2021 16:27

Thanks. I am planning our logistics so would like to have a better idea of how often my child will be home late!

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MrsTophamHat · 12/04/2021 16:31

Ours usually last around an hour.

MrsTophamHat · 12/04/2021 16:33

I hope we're all back up and running again for your son to have a great Y7 in September! Covid really has spoiled it for children this last year.

AlexaShutUp · 12/04/2021 16:39

Depends on the child and on the school.

My dd did drama, so attended weekly drama club in the earlier years and then had lots of after school rehearsals for productions etc - several times each week before a show. She wasn't interested in any of the other clubs and did most of her extracurricular stuff outside school.

A lot of sporty kids stayed late for team practices etc after school. Same for kids in the school orchestra.

I think a lot of kids chose not to stay for anything at all, so it's quite hard to generalise.

Original poster
gymnasticrobotics · 12/04/2021 16:41

Yes, definitely hope the clubs will be back in time!
Although I do wonder whether he will be very tired at the beginning, I imagine he will have a lot more homework and tests.....

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Hersetta427 · 12/04/2021 16:49

My daughter is currently doing two extra curricular activities (her school started after school sports the week they returned in March). In year 7 she did 3 clubs but she is now back to training 3 times a week for her main sport so can't do anymore than the two sessions she does at school.

UserTwice · 12/04/2021 18:08

Some clubs are variable as well.
DD is into drama, so for the part of the year that they are rehearsing for the big school show, she is in rehearsals twice a week, rising to 3-4 times a week plus Saturday mornings. The other half of the year, she doesn't do anything.

It's also quite common for Year 7s to try a lot of clubs at first and then drop off. In DS's year they had to put on an extra session of KS3 science club in the first half term as it was so popular, but by later in the year it had fallen to only 6-10 regular participants.

Gizlotsmum · 12/04/2021 18:09

Depends on the school. My daughters school has a large percentage of pupils travel on buses so after school is rare but lunchtime clubs were an option instead

RampantIvy · 12/04/2021 18:14

As we are rural and the school buses leave the school ten minutes after the last lesson, there were very few after school activities at DD's school. She stayed behind for an hour once a week when doing art GCSE, so I had to go and collect her. She was also in one of the school productions, and rehearsals were after school. Again I had to collect her.

Silkiescat · 13/04/2021 07:07

Varies with the school and child. Rare for either of mine to go to any but there are evening activities for kids at the school which they go to in non covid times - gym, air cadets, music lessons, youth club. We are rural but very close to school so they walk there. Maybe 3 times a week.

Silkiescat · 13/04/2021 07:08

I mean rare immediately after school. Their ones are evening ones.

CatCup · 13/04/2021 07:09

Maybe twice a week. Usually an hour.

Trinidadandtobago · 13/04/2021 07:29

As others said, it depends on the school and the child. Some schools use external providers you need to pay for, but others don't (sometimes on principle) and just rely on teacher goodwill and availability.

You may be able to find out from the school website what they usually provide and when, but their extra-curricular timetable for September won't be published until September. There may be limits on numbers for activities, and they may be restricted to specific year groups. Then, even if there is a good choice of activities every day, there's no guarantee your child will want to take part and you will have very little control over whether they do. That's the biggest difference to primary - teachers don't shepherd kids to activities at the end of the day. They have to want to go, sign up to go, remember to go, find out where to go, and then have the confidence to walk in through the door (even if they know none of the other kids in the room). They will also need to resist the pull of the herd who will be going straight home to raid the fridge and relax.

SE13Mummy · 13/04/2021 19:29

One of the things about moving up to secondary is that many more of the logistics have to be organised by the children themselves e.g. deciding which clubs to go along to, applying for them if numbers are limited/choosing between clubs that clash, getting themselves there etc. etc. Not all clubs will be open to Y7, especially if the current Y7s have missed out completely on the opportunity to try things out so it may be that things run differently in September anyway. I would advise trying to plan for your DS to be as independent as possible in September so that he has the flexibility to try out as many clubs as he fancies.

My DC1 went to after school clubs 3/4 nights each week in the first term of Y7. DC2 is currently in Y7 and has had no opportunity to do any school clubs but is hoping that will change soon.

Original poster
gymnasticrobotics · 14/04/2021 08:39

Thank you for all your replies! Are children normally free to drop a club if they find that their schedule is too full or they get too tired? I would like to encourage DS to try as many as possible (hope the clubs can return by then!), but it gets cold and dark pretty quickly in Autumn term, and there will be more homework/tests I expect.

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SE13Mummy · 14/04/2021 10:37

Unlike in primary school, secondary school clubs don't tend to involve signing up for a term at a time, lots are more of a drop in thing. If a child is playing in a team for a match, is the solo oboe in the orchestra concert etc. then there's an expectation of commitment but trying out different clubs in Y7 is encouraged and it would be an unusual school that would force an 11-yr-old to continue if they didn't want to/had over committed.

UserTwice · 14/04/2021 10:41

It depends on the club. If they make a commitment for something like a sports team or a school show, then they are usually asked to agree to going to all practices. Other clubs tend to be more drop in. My DC have been known to text me after school and say they've just decided to go to x club. Or decide they are tired and can't be bothered with y club that day.

Original poster
gymnasticrobotics · 14/04/2021 12:36

That's great to know! Having the opportunity to try different activities out with flexibility is great.

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SJaneS49 · 15/04/2021 10:34

As others have said, it’s very child led. DD’s school have a large amount of of clubs for a State (mainly Performing Arts related, they have 6 choirs for example).

DD now Year 8 has dropped virtually everything as she wants to be with her friends at lunchtime. We also had the problem of her getting home from after school clubs - they finished at 4.30 and she then had an hours bus journey. I understand you want him to try as much as possible but do figure in the additional homework. DD has one or two pieces every night. When she was getting in at nigh on 6pm, doing an hours worth of homework and then having dinner it did really make a long day for her with the 6am start.

Part of me wishes she still did all the activities she used to do (it’s only Scouts at the moment).However as they get older it’s far more about their choice rather than your choices. On reflection, quite a lot of the activities she did were what we wanted her to do and experience rather than it being led by her. So I would recommend letting him take the lead, there will be more ‘buy in’.

Moominmammacat · 15/04/2021 17:11

Mine did every day until Y12. Languages. sport and music. Excellent childcare.

Silkiescat · 16/04/2021 01:26

Depends on the club. Things like music lessons by us you pay by term, they don't have to turn up but you need a term's notice. Gym is go when you like pay £1. Youth club is free go when you like, pay £1 if you want noodles. Air cadets you'ld be expected to go unless a reason rather than you can't be bothered. School teams you would need to go if you want to stay in them unless there's a shortage. Free after school clubs run by teachers are generally turn up when you want here though can also get cancelled and obviously if numbers are very low may well shut.

It does depend on commute time as well - first year DD was in a grammar and 0.5 hours longer day and 45 mins commute each day plus homework heavy so didn't do many. Then moved 5 mins walk to local comp and she's got about 2 hours a day of her life back to do these things / meet with friends. There's quite a bit of trying out in year 7. My DS is ASD and won't do any, he's just home at the speed of light and off to be with his chickens and his indoor rabbit and us.

LolaSmiles · 17/04/2021 20:22

As others have said, it depends on the school and the child.
Once a student has settled, it's typical for students to be involved with 1 or 2 clubs a week, with commitment levels varying depending on the level of talent/schedule of the club. For example a musician in an ensemble will be expected to attend much more than a Year 7 attending art club, during show term the drama students will have extra rehearsals, during the hockey season any sportspeople will have to factor in fixtures.

Original poster
gymnasticrobotics · 17/04/2021 20:46

Thanks everyone! Hopefully DS will find something he enjoys. He plays a brass instrument (grade 3), I wonder if that is a good enough level to join the school band / orchestra?

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