After School Clubs

After School Clubs offer reliable and stable forms of educating our children outside of the school environment and with the emphasis on social interaction. Most schools now offer a multitude of different after school activities designed to stimulate our children's creativity and sense of fun. This is - in a subconscious manner - a form of teaching which allows the children to learn without the pressures of being taught using textbooks and pre-planned lessons.

In addition children can interact with other children whom they might not have the opportunity to interact with during the course of the school day. These activities range from football, tennis, cricket, hockey, ICT activities, badminton and book clubs.

Benefits of After School Clubs

These clubs also act as a cushion for parents who - for one reason or another - may not be able to pick their children up from school at the time the school finishes. This can be in a lot of cases because the parents work in locales which are some distance away from the school and can make collection difficult.

Funding

Many schools now operate after school clubs with the assistance of their Local Education Authority who may provide them with additional financial assistance or provide them with the use of additional facilities that can be called upon such as the use of leisure centres, sports grounds etc.

Again not only do after school clubs rely heavily on the school's teachers to volunteer their time to help run them but they are also reliant on the help and support of the local community in particular parents who have children at the school - or the grandparents of children at the school.

It is with their help that the after school clubs can be operated as although Local Education Authorities (LEAs) will give finances for equipment and the hire of certain venues, finances for staff and casual help are normally thin on the ground.

Helping Out

With this in mind after school clubs - usually with the assistance of the Parent Teacher's Association - will look to the general public in their school's vicinity to provide volunteer help and support where possible.

This may include spending time with the children within the confines of the after school club (normally held within the school building) or attending school outings to provide valuable back-up support for the teachers.

Parents and volunteers alike are often also encouraged to try and assist with the raising of funds so that the after school clubs can continue to flourish and offer new and exciting pastimes for the attending children.

Bringing education, leisure activities and social interaction together under the auspices of an after school club is an important way in which to help children learn without them actually being conscious of the fact that they are learning while they play and socialise with others. It also allows them to become familiar with subjects not normally included on the syllabus and also helps their communicative skills.

It is worth mentioning again that these schools are helping parents overcome the logistical nightmares that are sometimes encountered when sending one's child to a school outside of their normal catchment area. These after school clubs act a a buffer for parents who want their children to attend a particular school but cannot always be present at the end of the school day to pick them up.

If you are interested in becoming part of the volunteer group that helps with your local after school club then you should make your interest known by contacting the school's headteacher.

You should be aware that you will be required by law to provide the school with a Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) disclosure the cost of which can be paid by you or possibly reimbursed by the school but it is nonetheless important to know that this check - for reasons of security and individual security - is a legal requirement.