Primary School Extracurricular activities

[mjones2006]

First of all apologies if this is the wrong section i could not find a schools one.

 

My sister has 2 children that attend the same school. She has recently been informed that they must attend extracurricular activities. The problem is that the school have given them both different days meaning my my sister single mother to 3 children now had to make 2 separate trips to and from school on 2 nights a week.

 

The older of the 2 also is not interested in the specific subject he has been given and not only that the cold dark nights is not a good time for anyone let alone mother an child to be walking alone at night.

 

She phone the local council to see if they have to attend to which they say is the school choice and is not controlled by them. She has told the school they will not be attending and is near impossible for her to make the journeys, to which the school said they will have to inform the welfare officers if they do not attend.

 

Can the school make this compulsory? any links to the law on extracurricular activities will be helpful as i cannot seem to find any.

 

 

Thanks

[padja]

no they cant make them compulsory any activities undertaken after school are extra to the curriculum and therefore voluntary. I would make an appointment to see headteacher explain the situation and see what happens. If they are awkward about it the next would be a letter of complaint to the governors of school and copy in local councillors and education dept.

[mjones2006]

Thanks for your reply. The head teacher refused to speak to my sister over the phone he did however send him home with a letter that read:

 

Further to our telephone conversation this morning I can fully confirm the position of the school.

 

The enrichment programme and the need for your child to stay at school for one evening per week until 4.30pm is part of the formal school week. It is not an optional activity.

 

If you, as a parent, choose not to send your child you are in breach of the law relating to school attendance.

 

 

I fully understand your situation and if you would like to complain further please send it in writing to the school addressed to the chair of governors.

 

Yours sincerely

[mjones2006]

Oops Double Post

[padja]

seems abit of a prat to me I would now go to local councillor and ask about it. Is every school in LEA doing it or just this one? If its just this one then from my view it is an extra to normal curriculum perhaps its the headteachers little project and he wants it to be a success and is 'forcing' participation. Councillor will hopefully resolve it if not I would write to governors and complain also Ofsted are very good contact