ST KIERAN’S Primary School in Poleglass have been welcoming younger pupils back to school in the evenings in a bid to make up for the social interaction lost during the pandemic.
The school's youth club programme allows Primary 2 pupils to come back to the school on a Monday evening from half four to half six where they undertake a number of fun activities including cooking, art and having some interesting visitors.
Explaining the project, principal Philip Fusco said that it forms part of their extended schools programme.
“The area has got lots of things for the older children but there is not a lot happening in the evening time for the younger age groups.
“We thought we would run this as a pilot project and it has worked very successfully. We have had good numbers but unfortunately the bubble structure has got in our way to some extent but it is really there for the children to get their socialisation and get them used to being back in school again after the long lockdowns.
“It allows them to have a bit of fun and view school as something different. It is not always about the intense learning and they can come and have a lot of fun.
“The project is helping us in terms of attendance. When the kids come to school they are looking forward to coming back in the evening but even if they have been off they can still come in that evening.”
Mr Fusco said that the kids have had a wealth of visitors and that they are enjoying it.
“We have a magician here this evening and we’ve had a visit from an animal man,” he continued. “We also had some sport and fitness nights and then the kids have also been spending some nights working with their teachers doing arts and crafts, cooking and so on.”
“It has been pretty innovative and busy. I have to say that our teachers have embraced it very well and they are doing a great job.
“The kids have also responded very positively and we are getting great feedback from the parents. I think they just want us to keep them a bit longer in the evening time,” he joked.
The project is funded by the Extended Schools programme which is provided by the Education Authority.
“Very often after schools programmes happen directly after school from three to four o’clock,” Mr Fusco added.
“Even having them coming back that little bit later adds to the mystique of what we are doing. It is a pilot project but due to popular demand we have planned to extend it after Christmas to our primary three pupils and it is something that we will look to possibly extend further to our primary one’s in the future,” he said.
