Running an Extra-Curricular Club

Running an Extra-Curricular Club

Part of the teaching standards section 8 is to “Fulfil wider professional responsibilities” this includes but is not limited to contributing to the wider life and ethos of the school. Part of this responsibility could include running a club. This may be a daunting prospect if it is something you have not done previously or if you are unsure what kind of skills you have to offer but this is something that has proven to help benefit children and will form great evidence of meeting part of the teaching standards.  

Some teachers may have chosen a specialism while training or come from a different degree background that could help to inform the type of club you run. While some clubs may be run by specialist staff from outside school or coaches, hobbies and interests that you may have outside of school can also present a great foundation for a purposeful club. Studies by the child poverty action group have found that attending these extracurricular activities not only benefits children but also supports parent in being able to take up more work opportunities. While different schools have different methods to select children to take part in the club it is worth considering how this club may benefit pupil premium children and give them experiences they may otherwise miss out on.  

This blog aims to support you in running an effective and efficient club while promoting a good work life balance.  

Steps to success for setting up a club: 

Scheduling  - Try to take time at the beginning of the year to decide when you will run your club. Think about the commitments you have and schedule your club for a term where you have the most capacity. For example: if you are teaching in a statutory assessment year group, running an extracurricular club at this time could increase your workload if you are supporting children through exam season. Also, if you let staff know near the beginning of the year when you wish to run your club you lessen the chances that you are asked to reschedule due to  

Planning -  Take some time to create a brief overview of each session. Some teachers may prefer to map out complete activities ahead of time so that they then do not have to worry about preparing things during the term. Think about what the club’s purpose is and how much time you have to fill. It is always better to have too much to do than too little. As time goes on you may grow in confidence and be able to draw on a bank of activities but while you are still learning and developing, preparation will support the running of an effective club. There are many resources out there to support teachers in running clubs and utilising these will reduce workload but also provide great ideas.  

Communication -  Both in school with staff, the office and site staff as well as with parents, there is a need for clear communication when running a club. Keeping a register and ensuring this information is given to the office is vital. Not only is it key to support the safety of the children but it is also a good tool for assessing the effectiveness and impact of your club. Similarly, keeping regular communication with parents is important – make the effort to tell them about some of the amazing things the children have done as this will help grow the child’s confidence and build a positive relationship with the parents. If, for whatever reason, the club is not able to run the office and parents will need to be informed and in good time. This is to ensure that parents have adequate time to arrange child care and the office have up to date information to give parents.  

Finding a club to run may be a difficult feat for some as you may have your own hobbies but these are not always something that will translate easily to teaching pupils. 

Below are a few ideas of easy to run clubs that are effective and impactful. 

Wellbeing/friendship club – mindful colouring, circle games and yoga/journaling are all activities you could run as part of this club. These activities are simple, do not require many resources but will help foster good habits among young people to support their mental health and wellbeing. 

Just Dance – Many Just Dance videos are now widely available on YouTube or if your school does have a games console you can use this. You could run a Just Dance competition or dance group as some children may not have access to this at home and it is a good way to exercise and entertain young ones.  

Board Game club – Many schools will have wet play games or could ask parents to donate unwanted games to run a board game club. Chess is making a come back and having a space to play this would support critical thinking and good sportsmanship. 

Crafts – There are many tutorials online to support making cards, origami, and ornaments. If you are particularly artistic, you could work with your group to create a larger piece of artwork for display in the school. Click here for Twinkl's Art Club Guidance and Teaching ideas. 

Film Club – Some pupils will not get to experience a cinema as it is becoming increasingly more expensive. Having a club where they get that similar experience could be really beneficial. This doesn’t mean your club has to run for 2 hours but can be run in instalments and may support children with limited attention spans. 

Looking for more support in setting up an after school club? Have a look at Twinkl's After School Club Resource Pack. If sport is more your skill set, use their templates to help run a Hocky Tournament! Sign up for a free trial today to help resource your lessons and clubs.