Why do we offer clubs? (Our intent)

At St Mary’s, we seek to offer a wide range of clubs with the aim of:

1. increasing opportunity for children to attend a breadth of sporting, creative and academic activities to:
   • broaden their experiences and try new activities
   • take up active lifestyles
   • engage & socialize with other children and adults and learn to cooperate & compete
   • learn and achieve skills not offered elsewhere in our curriculum
   • gain knowledge and develop healthy attitudes towards participation
2. enabling children of lower income families (disadvantaged/ PPG) to access these opportunities as a priority

How do we teach it? (Our implementation)

Our wide-ranging clubs for Key Stage 1 and 2 are delivered by school staff and/or external providers. Club sizes vary, depending on the age of the children, the supervising adults, the available space or the nature of the activity.

What is the benefit? (Our impact)

Every child has the chance to enjoy activities not on offer in the taught curriculum, building upon our sport, cultural, arts and music curriculum. Children experience less familiar sports and are physically active, explore creative skills, work together with children in other classes and year groups, share and develop social skills and techniques and sometimes take these into their home-lives and leisure time. We encourage all children to share their clubs and activities outside school with us back in school, such as martial arts, ice-hockey, Polish school, cricket, badminton, dance etc.