Extra Curricular Activities

After School Activities and Co-Curricular Activities

Participation in extracurricular activities is a privilege earned through compliance with all applicable rules and regulations. This policy is intended to be a positive statement in support of our students as they strive to remain free of all drugs, alcohol and tobacco, as required by state law. This policy also encourages a student to maintain good attendance, abide by all school rules, and to be a good citizen.
At Riyadh Najed Schools we believe that extracurricular activities are an integral part of the school setting. After school activities provide students with opportunities to explore new areas of interest, build skills, assume leadership roles, and establish meaningful connections with other students. Participation in these activities also promotes the development of core values such as responsibility, honesty, perseverance, and teamwork. We are committed to offering a wide variety of activities designed to broaden the experiences and education of those students who choose to participate.
Riyadh Najed Schools offers many activities, including sports and clubs for school students. There are clubs and committees that meet during the school day; some activities take place after school and others involve a onetime performance. Students must be in attendance on a given day in order to participate in co-curricular activities on the same day. All activities are dependent on the enthusiasm, appropriate behavior, attendance, and good will of the students. Each activity has an adult advisor who provides supervisory leadership to the group. However, ongoing support of the activity is the responsibility of the students. Clubs and sports activities are organized depending on the availability of student interest. In order to take part, students must meet minimum academic and/or behavioral criteria. Students may be excluded if their grades or performance at school is unsatisfactory. If a student is earning an F in any class, he/she will not be eligible to participate in after-school activities until the grade improves. The grading period immediately preceding the start date of the activity will be used for eligibility. Questions regarding participation may also arise if a student is involved in academic dishonesty or misconduct.

Policy Statement

Riyadh Najed Schools strives to be a welcoming school, inclusive in intake, comprehensive in curriculum, fair and just in its structure and behavior management strategies, and consultative in decision making. Within this holistic approach to the provision of education, an important element in a comprehensive curriculum is the provision of a wide range of Extra Curricular Activities (E.C.A.). These activities form an essential part of the school’s objective of enhancing the full development of the student. They supplement and complement in-school learning and provide opportunities for students to broaden their horizons in ways that would not be possible within the confines of the formal curriculum alone.

Policy Goals

• To plan and implement a programme of Extra Curricular Activities
• To provide the school community with a clear understanding of the role of E.C.A. in the school.
• To enable students to take full advantage of E.C.A. with a view to achieving a rounded education.
• To encourage parents to take an interest in and share responsibility for their children’s overall development through support of the school’s E.C.A. programme.
• Ensure consistent approaches to the planning and implementation of ECA in the school.

Role of E.C.A. Coordinator and Committee

An E.C.A. Coordinator and has been established. The main role of the coordinator is:

• To draw up a yearly plan.
• To assist management regarding the use of finances, allocation of resources and equipment for E.C.A.
• To recruit personnel for the implementation of E.C.A.
• To promote behaviour and safety guidelines among teachers and students.
• To develop an evaluation and appraisal system to assess various E.C.A. Programmes.

Parental Involvement and Consent

As holistic education is dependent on a cooperative approach between parents and the school, it is vital that parents are fully aware of and committed to the success of the school’s ECA and ECA policy. In relation to individual ECA, it is important that any policy mandate the delivery of a letter or form to the parents of students that might include the following:

• A description of the activity, including date, place, time, duration, and means of transport.
• The purpose of the activity and how it relates to the overall curriculum.
• The total cost per student.
• A permission and release form that allows the student to participate in the activity and must be returned to the school in order for a student to participate.
• Levels of adult supervision.
• A medical form highlighting any illnesses that a pupil may have or medication that he is taking and granting authority to the school to act in an emergency medical situation in the event that a parent cannot be contacted (a separate form for the latter covering the whole year might be an alternative solution).

Health and Safety

The following are in place to ensure compliance with health and safety requirements:

• Availability of First Aid Boxes.
• Adequate levels of Supervision.
• Compliance with Child Safety Guidelines.
• There is a responsibility on parents and pupils to inform the organisers of an extracurricular activity of any relevant medical concerns.

Supervision

Adequate levels of supervision are in place for each extra-curricular activity. Levels of supervision will vary according to the ECA being undertaken, its duration and the ages of the students taking part. Recognizing that teachers and other staff members give up a large portion of their own time voluntarily to ensure the success of ECA, any ECA Policy should strive to provide teachers with assistance and guidance in their supervisory duties associated with activities. Clearly, teachers have to be extra vigilant when taking children out of the school, having to pay attention to such things as road safety, behaviour on the bus, risks posed by particular venues, and the health and safety of the students at all times. To this end, the policy might address:

• Setting levels for supervisor/student ratios. These levels will vary according to the activity being undertaken, its duration, and the ages to the students taking part.
• Providing teachers with such equipment as mobile phones, First-Aid kits, and emergency contact details.

Behavior and Discipline

The school’s Code of Behaviour applies to all extra -curricular activities. The school has the right to withdraw a student or group of students from an activity for any breach of the school’s code of behavior. The success of the school’s ECA program is dependent on the good behaviour of the students involved. As a general rule, the school’s existing policy on student behaviour should apply to ECA, as the students are representative of the school at such activities. The behavioural issues that should be highlighted might include:

• Wearing of full school uniform unless instructed otherwise by the school.
• No smoking during ECA.
• Compliance with all instructions of bus drivers and other outside authorities with responsibility for ECA, such as instructors or guides.
• No leaving the tour group, for any reason, without permission.
• Strict adherence to any safety and health precautions associated with a particular activity.
• Agreement to take a prescribed action, such as waiting at a particular location or contacting a teacher by phone, if a student becomes separate d from a group.
• The utmost respect to be shown to the public, ECA organizers, and property of others when on ECA.