Looking out into the playground I can see a group of our Year 5s playing tag. They’re screaming with delight and, at times, indignation as they’re caught by one another. It’s a blustery October day and their cheeks have a rosy glow about them as they shake off the morning’s lessons and get a good dose of fresh air and free play.
Inside, our design technology club is meeting in its weekly lunchtime slot. Mr Smales is teaching the children how to make a bird house and they listen animatedly as he describes how to get the best finish on their product.
We’re lucky enough to have many extra curricular activities at Clock House and the teachers who generously give up their time to run them. Our clubs cover sport, arts and crafts, from dance and gardening to a rock band and swimming. It’s good for pupils because it takes them out of the schoolroom environment and broadens their experiences of school life. It allows children to pursue their talents. If they’re musical, they can join the orchestra, and if they’ve never studied music before there’s the opportunity to try a different club, such as ukulele. Some of the children studying A Level music now started off in a music club in Clock House.
We’ve just started a Minecraft club because the children asked if they could put one on. For many of our children, when they come back to Junior School in years to come it’s the clubs they remember, and I love to see their faces light up when they reminisce.
But while we have these amazing clubs, you can also have too much of a good thing. We feel it’s just as important that our children get enough downtime. By giving the brain downtime, it improves mental health and it can also allow ideas to germinate.
According to the Mental Health Foundation, having the freedom to play outdoors ranks as highly as taking part in activities for young people when it comes to keeping our youngsters mentally well. That’s why we keep a close eye on our pupils and track their participation in extra curricular clubs. It’s about the whole package here at Clock House and we want our young people to have a mixture of learning and play.
For me, that means a game of tag outside with your friends is just as important as making something creative in our design technology club.
“But while we have these amazing clubs, you can also have too much of a good thing. We feel it’s just as important that our children get enough downtime. By giving the brain downtime, it improves mental health and it can also allow ideas to germinate.
It’s about the whole package here at Clock House and we want our young people to have a mixture of learning and play. For me, that means a game of tag outside with your friends is just as important as making something creative in our design technology club.”
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