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Secondary education

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

Original poster

Private school and extra activities

27 replies

SamPoodle123 · 23/04/2023 07:14

This may be a silly question, so please bear with me. My dd is due to start private school in September and she comes from a state school. Atm she does many activities outside of school, because her school does not offer them (and she wants to do them). I do not want to waste money signing up to all for next term, as I assume they have many at her school? Or do people in private continue to also do loads of activities outside school? We are always asked to sign up for the next term at the end of the current one.

Please could someone with dc in private secondary school let me know? My dd currently does tennis, ballet, netball, gymnastics, choir, art, gymnastics.

I also assume she will get a lot more homework when she starts secondary, so I am not sure what activities to keep, which ones she will do at school. Of course she wants to continue all....but it gets expensive with 3 dc plus now private school fees. And I do not want her to have too much on her plate.

OP posts:
itsgettingweird · 23/04/2023 07:17

Private schools vary as much as state with regards to their timetables and what they do.

You'll need to ask the school.

But surely you have a prospectus or something from when you made the decision about where to send her with all this information?

Rollinghill · 23/04/2023 07:18

That's quite a lot. Can you look at the school's club list in the website to see what kind of activities she'd be able to do?

I was in a similar position - DD wanted to continue with her choir anyway and I do think it's a good idea to have friends/clubs outside of school too.

Fudgewomble · 23/04/2023 07:21

It really depends on the school - ask them (and look on the extra curricular pages on the website). At my DC school she would be able to do all of that at school - either before, during lunch or after school (at some point during the school’s 8am - 6pm opening hours) apart from the ballet.

Fudgewomble · 23/04/2023 07:22

*Oh and school sport fixtures on a Saturday

Original poster
SamPoodle123 · 23/04/2023 07:22

Many thanks for the responses. Her school has everything, except ballet. I will ask the school what children normally do, if they carry on some activities outside. I guess it also depends on the level they do that activity.

OP posts:
Unexpecteddrivinginstructor · 23/04/2023 07:22

It does sound like a lot of extra curriculars. All mine were really worn out in first term of secondary. As pp says you would need to check with the school but I would maybe encourage her to choose one which isn't offered at the same level at the new school and which fits in with timetable/ new commute. Continue that with a promise to review after first term if all homework is done and she wants to go back.

GiltEdges · 23/04/2023 07:27

All of the ones you mention would be offered at DS's school. Sports based clubs are after school between 4-6. No idea when choir runs.

Moonlaserbearwolf · 23/04/2023 07:49

Presumably her day will be longer at the new school which will rule out some of her current activities?
Definitely ask the school what is on offer and at what level. We continued with ballet outside school because the class was a higher level than the ballet class offered in school. If there is a particular hobby that she is particularly passionate about, it might make sense to continue outside school unless the provision in school is particularly good.

redrobin75 · 23/04/2023 07:57

@SamPoodle123 , have you shown your dd the sport/drama/clubs section of the G&L website? It's all clearly laid out.

LIZS · 23/04/2023 08:10

Dc school used to have cocurricular timetables on its website. It would not have offered all those, especially at the same level, and many also attended out of school clubs even where school offered it. Suggest you continue with them for a term or two and see how it fits together.

raspberriesblueberries · 23/04/2023 08:17

I would expect a private school to offer all of those except gymnastics although some like tennis may be seasonal rather than all year round.
For gymnastics, I think it depends on your daughter's standard. If she's doing 15 hours a week in a proper gym, I doubt the school will offer anything similar. If it's a couple of hours in a more basic facility, there may be something similar.
You could probably look on the school's website as they may have a timetable published & you can see what clubs they offer and if there are any clashes.
If one of her clubs is particularly sociable and she has good friends there, it may be worth continuing that so she has some continuity. It may be possible to keep up with more than that - DD and three of her good friends all spend between 8 & 18 hours a week doing sort outside of school (different sports). As they hit secondary age, the training sessions moved to no earlier than a 6pm start so it's possible to do an after school club (finishes at 5pm) and an external club provided your organised. Tuesday is DD's pinch night as she doesn't get home until 5.15 and we leave home again at 6.50 and she doesn't get home from training until 9pm so she has no time for homework but that's never been a problem. She just had to make sure she does anything with a Wednesday deadline over the weekend/on a Monday

Disco123456 · 23/04/2023 08:42

My children's school would offer all of those as a club. I think they suggest four clubs max. There is a heavy commitment if they are picked for the top sports teams for the termly sport as well so we just stick to the school activities. Totally depends on the school though.

Original poster
SamPoodle123 · 23/04/2023 08:43

Unexpecteddrivinginstructor · 23/04/2023 07:22

It does sound like a lot of extra curriculars. All mine were really worn out in first term of secondary. As pp says you would need to check with the school but I would maybe encourage her to choose one which isn't offered at the same level at the new school and which fits in with timetable/ new commute. Continue that with a promise to review after first term if all homework is done and she wants to go back.

Many thanks. This is exactly what I am thinking. Of course my dd is headstrong and thinks she can do it all. But I think she will be tired with the new commute and more academic school. I would much rather her lighten her load and see how it is the first term. I will also ask the school for feedback.

OP posts:
Original poster
SamPoodle123 · 23/04/2023 08:45

Moonlaserbearwolf · 23/04/2023 07:49

Presumably her day will be longer at the new school which will rule out some of her current activities?
Definitely ask the school what is on offer and at what level. We continued with ballet outside school because the class was a higher level than the ballet class offered in school. If there is a particular hobby that she is particularly passionate about, it might make sense to continue outside school unless the provision in school is particularly good.

Her day is not that much longer, but the commute goes from 8 minute walk to 40 mins bus ride. I think her school day would be longer if she has a club after school. I think some clubs are during lunch too.

OP posts:
Original poster
SamPoodle123 · 23/04/2023 08:48

redrobin75 · 23/04/2023 07:57

@SamPoodle123 , have you shown your dd the sport/drama/clubs section of the G&L website? It's all clearly laid out.

Yes, of course. My dd has looked at this section for all the schools she applied to :) But she seems to think she does it in the school and wants to continue out of the school as well. I thought this would be too much. So I wanted to ask feedback from others.

OP posts:
HawaiiWake · 23/04/2023 09:03

Do ballet outside since the standard would be higher and if she is at a good ballet school those spaces get taken up and harder to get back in without audition etc.
Tennis is seasonal at most school but do check on time for clubs.
Art can be done in school clubs etc.
Netball the school have extra training clubs but is she at regional club etc? School fixtures takes preference.
Gymnastics, depends on interest level. If not choose better ballet vs gymnastics.
Homework, it is the amount and the level of weekly tests or end of topics tests.
Choir, use the school choir options.
DC have lots of outside school activities and inside school clubs a few been dropped or replaced with new interest. Of course as GCSES and A levels come up it will change or get reduced.

snoopyscarpy · 23/04/2023 09:03

My sons school has so many clubs, it's amazing. Even scuba diving 😂 and all included in fees apart from I think sailing... but ds doesn't do that anyway.

He doesn't do anything outside of school now. Also, he has a lot of homework!!

LIZS · 23/04/2023 09:05

It will differ as to whether she does an activity for leisure or is progressing or competitive. Activities like dance may be inclusive rather than technical , sports training fairly basic initially as some may not have had the opportunity to play before and need time to catch up, gymnastics similar. She may get picked for teams or training squads if she has experience but that may change as others gain skill and confidence.

Original poster
SamPoodle123 · 23/04/2023 09:20

Many thanks for the feedback everyone. I am going to lighten her load of outside activities as much as I can and get her to sign up at school and see how it goes, with the promise to review at the end of the first term.

OP posts:
mondaytosunday · 23/04/2023 09:30

I have found this to be a myth - private schools do not have loads of after school activities, though they may have a few more clubs but these are quite niche (chess club etc). But at secondary these fall way off.
My daughter does piano outside of school and my son played rugby with school and outside, plus did rowing outside. The school did offer sailing and horse riding though.
Just ring the school and ask. You may find the school day is much longer with more homework so not so much time for out of school activities - my daughter's school doesn't get out til 4.30 and she often stays a bit to do work, getting home about 6pm.

whathaveyoudonelately · 23/04/2023 10:34

I would just carry on with the ballet after school and possibly the netball if it is more of a social thing ( Friday night Rocks Lane type thing etc) otherwise I'm sure she can get her fix of Art, Choir, gymnastics etc at G&L. She will be tired and have more homework and there may be other clubs she wants to try instead.

pupple · 23/04/2023 19:51

You'll have to ask the school ours has many many free at activities that run until 7pm. Hardly anyone does the paid ones unless it's things like graded ballet.
We don't have time for outside activities except on weekends but in our case it suits us as the main reason we put our dc in private school was because we both finish work late and needed the extended wrap around care.
You should get at least an idea online as well?

pupple · 23/04/2023 19:54

@mondaytosunday ours has lots of activities! My dc struggle to choose every term. All schools are different. That's why OP should check her own and go from there.

Wenfy · 23/04/2023 19:55

From Reception (FY1):
One sports activity
One music / arts activity
One logic / gaming activity

From Year 1
I tend to add more sports and arts activities.

MomFromSE · 23/04/2023 20:37

It really varies but I would say most kids to activities outside of school though these are focused on areas of serious interest.

So if you are at county level in a sport, school is unlikely to replace that level. If she does them all as fun activities then what she'll do in school will be fine. If she's seriously pursuing any of those hobbies then she should continue with them outside of school but the list probably should be trimmed down either way.