Agenda item

(Delegates from Kent Primary Schools participated in the discussion on this item supported by Miss E Jenkins – Study Support co-ordinator).

 

Q1 – Which activities do your schools offer outside of lesson time?

 

The delegates identified the following activities:-

 

• Breakfast club
• Football 
• Chess
• Sailing
• ICT club
• Ballroom dancing
• Choir
• Gymnastics
• Judo
• Fencing
• Arts and crafts
• Rounder’s
• Homework club.

 

Q2 – Do your schools run holiday clubs?

 

The following feedback was given:-

 

• School organises a holiday club but does run it.
• Schools runs a range of activities in the holidays such as ICT and ceramics.
• Club on a Saturday and also at half term – I normally go and play and make cakes a lot of my friends also go.
• Schools runs some clubs in the summer holidays and half term but I haven’t been.
• Yes but I have not been – some of my friends have been and they liked it.

 

Q3 – what other activities do your schools offer?

 

• Fencing
• Speed stacking
• Sailing at Bewl water on a Monday evening it is facilitated by a pupils father.
• Netball club for years 4 & 5 and if you are good enough you get so go to summer training and can be selected for the Netball squad.
• Swimming club – at Dover Swimming pool – we are taken there by coach. 

 

Q4 – How much do you enjoy your activities?

 

The delegates agreed that they all like the activities that they attended.  However some are not as good as you expected them to be when you turn up.  Also some were full and you do not get a place which is disappointing.

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Q5 – do you have to pay for these activities?  Are the ones that you do have to pay for better than the ones that are free?

 

• Activities that are funded by the school are free and are quite fun.  The ones that are not run by the school are fun and are run people who know about the sport and are reasonably priced.
• You have to pay for breakfast club and after school club but not for others
• Speed stacking is free
• Clubs that we have to pay for are £1.50 upwards and sailing is £17 for the whole course.
• Holiday club is £1 an hour and school clubs are free
• We have had a letter from the school saying that we will have to pay cannot remember how much but have not had to pay yet
• We have to pay for basketball and athletics but do not know how much.

 

It was noted that after school clubs were child care and therefore were chargeable.

 

Q6 – do you have music activities outside of school?  If you are better than others do you have the opportunity to play your instrument with others after school?

 

• If you are better than others you have the chance to go for an audition for a place in the school orchestra.
• There is an opportunity to go for music exams

 

Q7 - Are you good at something and find it difficult because you are better than others.

 

• Play recorder – others learn songs really slowly
• Good at drums – bored in music lessons so drift off.
• Football for girls – have a good and not so good group we are in high group still do same things but high group do harder things.

 

 

Q8 - In your area where are – do you link up with other schools to go to different clubs

 

• Year 5 & 6 do – go in a mini bus get chosen to go there if you are good at something

• Our school link to Valley Park – come from there to do dance and drama and do shows with us.
• We go to other schools for plays, drama and dance

 

Q9 – do your Mums/Dads/Carers take part in activities in school

 

• my mum and dad run growing clubs – others do cookery others teach reading and writing
• there are PA meetings in the evening some adults go– my mum is involved
• school organised things for parents to do like quiz night
• some of parents like to  help school out at summer fare etc
• my friends  mum who is Russiancomes in and teach Russian

 

Q 10  - Did anyone took part in KCC family fun week

·        no

 

Q11 – what additional activities would you would like to do

 

·        more foreign languages after school – e.g.  Russian – lots of Russian children in school.  Italian and Spanish 

·        drama or acting clubs

·        football

·        cooking club

 

 

Q12 – How easy is it to take part in offered by other schools are you welcomed?

 

• If we go to the high school and meet other schools it is fun but scary to meet other people.
• Go by mini bus we are welcome at school go every year. 
• When go to rugby tournaments we are welcomed and welcome others who come to our school to play.

 

 

Q 13 -   some children/young people have to do things at home like looking after ill parent and have to  concentrate on that – are you aware of friends that find it difficult to attend after school activities because of home circumstances?

 

 

• Know of someone who lives on Isle of Sheppey whose mum is deaf and has cancer and she has to look after her mum.

 

Q14 – why did you chose to put your name forward to KPSC? Do you think that you can you make a difference?

 

• If work together we can change things
• Don’t know – I was chosen
• My fiends said I would be good because I talk a lot at school
• I was put forward for it
• Teacher picked 5 people for each class and then Deputy Head chose 3 from there

 

Q15 - Does each school have a school council and are you on it.

 

• Vote in house who should be house captain boy and girl – then from there school councillors chosen
• I am on school council and people who want changes come to us we have to write it in book – then go to a meeting
• Have a school council have a boy and girl per class and every Tuesday  go to a meeting share ideas and then they go to head teacher

 

Q16 - Share anything you have achieved through school council

 

• Ask for ICT suite and we have got that now
• Ideas are put in a suggestion box – we asked for a new library the old one was knocked down and have a new one

 

 Q17 – I am a governor of a primary school and we have a school council – in our school council they devised a means of being able to mentor other pupils – if anyone is disruptive they go in front of school council – do you have anything like this?

 

• We have “Buddies “– we take in turns – if someone has an argument they go the buddies  who sort it out
• Recently we had two people come into school who were in who were mediators and told us what it is about – most of year 5 are now mediators
• In year 6 there are buddies they help to sort out arguments
• 2 people each day in meeting room – if problem go to them and sort it out but you are only allowed to go in two at a time.
• Last time I came here – we had to go in front of whole school and tell them what happened at Primary County Council I will do this again tomorrow and tell them what happened today..

 

Q18 – What if there we no activates outside of school, which could happen if the school runs out of money – how do you feel about it and what would you or parents do about it?

 

• Sad not to have any money – think parents contribute money to the school
• Feel ok – school not do anything about it – some parents might organise cake sales etc so they can get a bit more money
• Bit annoyed – tell mum and dad to get together with others and give school money
• Sad – get together with friends and do a charity fund raiser
• Disappointed if not have any clubs

 

 

The Chairman thanked the representatives from the Primary Schools County Council form coming along to the meeting and for answering questions from the Committee.