Making arts, sports and other school clubs accessible to every student
Why does accessibility matter?
Studies have found young people who attend school clubs and extracurricular activities are more likely to progress to higher education and be employed later in life.
Similarly, research from the UK’s Social Mobility Commission reported that school clubs and extracurriculars are valuable “in ways that are not quantifiable”, including boosting confidence, extending social networks and offering space for relaxation and fun – all of which improve young people's wellbeing and develop soft skills, such as communication and teamwork.
The nature of international schools means students often move schools more than in other settings – making it even more important for them to form connections with peers and feel like part of your school community.
Before or after-school clubs can also provide essential childcare for many working parents, so it’s important these are accessible to all students, including those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).
SEND accessibility
School clubs and extracurricular activities help students relate to and connect with their peers, building a sense of belonging at school.
This is often especially vital for students with SEND, who are more likely to be physically and emotionally ‘othered’ and separated from their peers at school, for example being taken out of lessons to learn separately.
How can a school club be accessible for SEND?
For a club to be accessible and inclusive of students with SEND, a student should be able to join in regardless of their needs.
You can include young people with educational needs or disabilities by differentiating tasks – for example:
-
In a sports club, provide multiple options for warm-up exercises, so students with different physical abilities can join in
-
In arts clubs, allow members to opt out of performing or giving presentations
-
In book clubs or history clubs, use literature and sources written by disabled and neurodiverse people that centre their experiences
All young people are different and there’s no one-size-fits-all solution – it’s important to focus on an individual young person and their strengths and from there explore different ways you can support them to do what they enjoy.
Simplifying club management to focus on accessibility
Extracurriculars and school clubs come with lots of admin that often takes up lots of time, making it hard to find the time to focus on accessibility.
You can more easily manage school clubs, events and trips by using electronic software that automates time-consuming processes and keeps everything in one place.
Platforms like Tes Clubs and Events ensure all your records are correct, secure and easily accessible. They collect payments, send payment reminders and can be used to record cash payments, as well as making it easier than ever to record and report on attendance at clubs and extracurricular activities.
Tes Clubs and Events collects all the information you need during booking, so there’s no need to manually set up your own forms – and the option to customise questions gives you flexibility for any kind of club, trip or extracurricular activity.
Simplifying club management means you can spend less time on admin and more time exploring ways you can improve accessibility and support students.
Fair place allocation
Accessing a club or extracurricular begins with being allocated a place – but managing place allocation can be tricky when your club is oversubscribed.
With software like Tes Clubs and Events, you can ask parents to submit a numbered preference for your club compared to others, making it easier to choose which students get a place and taking pressure off decision makers.
Make club management easier with Tes
School clubs have an important impact on outcomes – from improving academic performance to building soft skills and supporting students’ wellbeing.
Tes Clubs and Events streamlines club management, so you have more time to spend supporting accessibility and can ensure no student is excluded from the benefits of attending your school club.