After school clubs

[fouroclockrock]

Does your school expect teachers to run after school clubs? I know about union guidelines etc but I’m interested in the reality (in infant and primary schools). Ours produces a grid and tells you which days you are expected to do a club.

No
Some teachers have an interest and do run one and its very welcome if they do. Most clubs are run by paid external providers and the parents pay. Its an affluent area.

We get asked (begged) every term, but I’m afraid I never do. Not now. My workload is too high and working hours too long. If I had a spare hour after school with no urgent work to do (never) then I’d spend it at home with my own children rather than providing what is seen as free childcare by parents who mainly (at my school) don’t work. Just say no.

Yes we have to do a weekly club after school, 10 sessions per term. So 30 per year.
Primary school. (Academy of course!)

A lot of us in my school are on UPS and at the start of every year our Head asks us if we want to run any clubs. When there’s a tumbleweed moment she reminds us we are on UPS and it’s part of our teacher standards to do extra things like this. Where we’re relatively lucky though is, we only have to do a half term at a time so it’s not the worst thing to do.

Interesting set of responses! I didn’t know it was an expectation to do it if you are on ups. It feels like after school, so much time is taken up with meetings and so on. Where’s the time to focus on what you need to do in your own classroom?!

The point relating to UPS is an interesting one- I'm secondary so may be different but those of us that are UPS are expected to do a bit more useful stuff but it's very much contributing to something useful for teaching and learning (curriculum review, coaching/mentoring, that kind of thing) rather than what is effectively child care.

Plus 1265 applies the same to M1 staff and UPS3 staff so it's be worth checking it fits within the calculation.

Yeah I think there’s a lot on the UPS standards about contributing to curriculum and raising standards…leadership and development etc. But I think what she’s referring to, I’m sure there’s one about making a contribution to the wider school and community…making a positive contribution to the whole school, and I think she’s seen that as an opportunity to push us into doing afterschool clubs!

If you're on UPR or applying, you're leaned on heavily to run one.

UPS doesn't mean more directed time so unless it's counted into 1265, it's a no.

No. And I'd refuse if asked. I do a sixty hour week as it is.

No, but Im also at an independent school...and abroad. My current timetable means I tend to leave by lunchtime at the latest. I don't do clubs. I'm happy to do extra sessions within my allocated timetable...or outside of it for extra pay. (I actually do an additional booster one day a week and get compensated very well for it. It's completely voluntary, though...and I'm still leaving at lunch.)

No. I'm not paying for my own two children to be in childcare to provide a club for free for others, especially knowing from experience you often don't get so much as a thank you. It was expected at my old school but I do think things are very different now, with teachers knowing their worth more. I'm UPS3.