After-school clubs aren’t just great at helping kids use up some of their excess energy at the end of the day.
A growing body of research over the last ten years proves they also give children a boost in confidence and motivation while learning soft skills such as better communication and working with others.
But perhaps the biggest boost of all is an increase in children’s educational attainment.
Rising attainment
In 2016, researchers analysed information on more than 6,400 children in England taking part in the Millennium Cohort Study, which has been following children born in 2000-01 from birth.
The research, funded by the Nuffield Society, revealed that poorer primary schoolchildren who took part in after-school clubs attained better results at the age of 11 than peers from similar homes who didn’t take part in activities after the school day ended.
This is because children from disadvantaged backgrounds often don’t have the same opportunities to try art, drama, music and different sports than their better off peers.
An increase in attainment amongst poorer families is a win-win for everyone in society as it boosts a child’s potential economic contribution as well as the wider economy at the same time as improving the school’s overall exam performance.
Trying new skills and hobbies and keeping out of trouble
Giving children from all backgrounds access to new skills and hobbies like drama, gardening, music and sports widens their horizons and may even guide them into a future career.
A direct effect is that children learn to be more independent, solve problems, learn to fit in with peers and teamwork and socialise with children of different ages, helping them to communicate better.
But, perhaps, most important of all is children simply have fun trying out new activities away from the school curriculum.
Keeping children safe and out of trouble
Providing children with a structured and safe environment to learn new skills also helps to keep them out of trouble and away from more malign influences in society.
This is especially the case when you consider funding to youth services by local authorities in England and Wales saw a real terms decline of 70 per cent between 2010/11 and 2018/19.
In fact,1,243 council-run youth centres have been closed since 2010 which includes two-thirds of council run centres in England and Wales including 30 per cent provision in London, according to research by Unison in 2024.
A financial boost to parents
Many parents, especially single parents, are often forced to give up work because it is so difficult to juggle childcare. And even if childcare is available, affordability is a huge issue.
Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) and Magic Breakfast argued in 2022 that affordable after-school club could hugely boost income at home by allowing parents, especially women, who often take on most of the caring responsibilities, to increase their hours.
But, despite the major benefits of after-school clubs, not all schools are able to provide them. Lack of budget and staffing are two of the main challenges followed by a dearth of available dedicated space to host after-school activities.
Extra dedicated space with a canopy
One cost-effective way of providing extra space for after-school clubs is to install a canopy tailored to your exact needs.
Our low-maintenance Spaceshade aluminum-framed canopies are three times cheaper than building an extension and allow children access to after-school activities such as art, gardening and drama.
We have installed a wide range of weather-proof Spaceshade canopies in schools, providing extra teaching space, perfect for after-school clubs and dining areas, helping to bring children outside whatever the weather or time of year.
Spaceshade canopies can be open or closed and solar panels can also be retrofitted, invaluable for teaching children how solar energy works.
If you’d like to find out more, our experts can talk you through all the different options and advise on the best positions for a canopy.
