What are after-school clubs and why start one?
After-school clubs take place outside of the school curriculum and after the school day. Some schools may have set times and requirements for after-school clubs whilst others may have more flexibility with them. The length of after-school clubs may also vary depending on the ‘subject’ of the after-school club and typically can range anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour.
After-school clubs provide children with a wealth of benefits including experiencing new opportunities, supporting learning and development beyond the school curriculum, developing team working skills, emotional intelligence and soft skills.
Where to start
So, you’ve been asked to run an after-school club, and you’re stuck wondering where to start. Here are our top tips to get your ‘inspo’ list started:
Choose something you enjoy and consider how much time you have – it may be tempting to think ‘what is the coolest club I can think of running?’ but a good place to start is with your set criteria:
- What do you enjoy doing and think your students would have an interest in?
Now this one may seem obvious but choosing something you enjoy doing will also have benefits for your students - they’ll be more engaged, you’ll feel more confident running the club and most importantly, you’ll have a good idea of where to start with the practical aspects. - How long will your club be running?
If you have the choice of how long your club will be running for or what day your club will be running on, you may want to start by thinking about the broader amount of time. Are you running it for a half term, a whole term or will your club run throughout the year? A good tip here is to remember to account for half-term breaks, twilight CPD sessions and Inset days. If your school has a set schedule and you already know how long your club will be running for and on what day – it’s good to start thinking about mapping out your club sessions. - How long do you have for each session?
Once you’ve worked out how many sessions you’ll be running, consider how long your after-school club will be. Again, all schools are different, so you may already know your allotted amount of time but if you don’t there are a few things to keep in mind. Your club type may dictate the minimum amount of time you need. For example, a sports club may need to be longer to include a full game, whereas board game clubs (depending on the board games) could be a quick 30 minutes. It’s also worth considering ‘wider’ timings, if you’re doing a baking club, remember to account for set up time, reading the method, baking and cooling – some recipes could catch you out with preparation timings, baking timings and cooling timings. Finally, if you do have flexibility, consider if your session time will remain the same for the duration of your club, or whether you may need a few longer sessions - this tip is especially useful for performance clubs if you’re showcasing your performances to a wider audience at the end of term.
If you’re stuck with what to choose, keep reading on for our list of after-school club ideas.
Now you know roughly what you want to do, it’s time to start with your basic idea and build interest before going all-in - as a teacher you’ll know how to start with an intended outcome and build your lessons around that. Starting a school club follows the same principle but remember to keep your outcome and objectives simple to start with. It may be tempting to want to build the biggest Lego car ever recorded in an after-school club in the space of 5 weeks, but you should consider whether that’s a realistic outcome with the time and resources available. Most after-school clubs require some amount of resourcing. It’s good to consider whether you can use materials that are already owned by your school or whether you have a school set budget for your after-school club. In the case of building the world’s biggest ever Lego car recorded in an after-school club, you’d need to think about how many Lego pieces you have and get sign off from your head teacher that the school hall is a perfectly logical place to ‘park’ the new Lego car.
Get the school council involved - a great way to encourage participation in after-school clubs is by asking pupils what they want to try. Ask the school council to run a ballot or provide an open forum for students to make club suggestions.
Find a member of staff to collaborate with – so now you’ve decided on your club, it’s time to consider whether you’ll need an extra pair of supportive hands to share the time commitment or for health and safety. Whether your club is going to be 30 minutes every week for a half-term or an hour every week for a whole term, it’s useful to find a member of staff to collaborate early on to get your club up and running.
Popular types of after school clubs
Academic clubs - academic clubs offer a way of extending learning beyond the curriculum in fun, hands-on ways. There are several types of popular academic clubs including:
Language clubs:
- French club
- Spanish club
- Italian club
- German club
- Latin club
Stem clubs:
- Robotics club
- Coding club
- Science club
- Maths club
- Engineering club
- Design and technology club
Literature and Humanities:
- History club
- Geology club
- Creative writing club
- Poetry club
- Book club
- Journalism club
- Debate club
- Film/media club
Sports clubs – sports clubs are a way to promote physical health, teamwork and collaboration. Here are some different sports clubs you could try in your school:
- Football club
- Netball club
- Basketball club
- Rounders club
- Athletics club
- Tennis club
- Badminton club
- Gymnastics club
- Dance club
- Swimming club
- Rowing club
- Yoga club
Top Tip: rotate sports each term to keep interest fresh.
Creative clubs – encourage creativity, imagination and self-expression with a creative after school club. Here are some popular clubs to spark ideas:
Art clubs
- Fine art club
- Art and design club
- Ceramics club
- Sculpting club
- Photography club
- Animation club
Music and performance clubs
- Orchestral clubs
- Instrument clubs
- Singing clubs
- Drama club (or performing arts club)
More creative clubs:
- Textiles club
- Sewing club
- Cooking/baking club
- Origami club
Top Tip: showcase work in an exhibition or performance.
Hobby clubs – hobby clubs provide students with a way to explore interests and try something new. Here is a list of common hobby clubs:
- Games club (or board games club)
- Chess club
- Comic book club
- Quiz club
- Lego club
- Gardening club
- Orienteering club
Top Tip: Let pupils vote for themes or projects to boost engagement.
Don’t forget, with any club you can keep them fresh and relevant throughout the year by adding seasonal twists!
