Popular Peasedown After-School Club gets OFSTED approval

A children’s After-School Club in Peasedown St John is celebrating this week after receiving the stamp of approval from OFSTED. The SJ’s After School Club, held two afternoons a week at St John’s Church, was set up last Autumn following on from the success of the church-run Breakfast Club –which sees almost 30 children fed every morning before school.

Revd Matthew Street, Vicar at St John’s Church, said:

“Three years ago we stepped out in faith to provide breakfast for hungry school children five mornings a week. It was so popular that parents told us they wanted an After School Club too.

 Run two afternoons every week, the club provides a safe and comfortable space for primary-school aged children to take part in a range of activities such as craft, baking, reading and sport.”

 The church applied to the national regulator for education, OFSTED earlier in the year asking for the club to be recognized as a government-approved initiative.

 Sarah Carney, a qualified Art and Design Teacher, runs the After School Club. She added:

 “To get the formal stamp of approval from OFSTED is fantastic news. It shows parents, children and the wider public that we’re running a professional service, and are committed to the educational work we do.

 If you’re a parent and looking for something beneficial for your child to do after school, do feel free to send them along.”

 The St SJs Church After School Club runs Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 3.15pm to 5.45pm, in the Church Hall, Church Road (BA2 8AA). For more details visit

www.stjsgroup.church/afterschoolclubFor more details about children’s work at St John’s Church visit the St J’s Group website, www.stjsgroup.church, which includes details of future events, the church’s work in the community, activities going on during the week and live recordings of Sunday sermons.

St John’s Church is part of the ‘St J’s Group’ Anglican benefice, which covers the parish churches of St John's Peasedown, St Julian's Wellow, St James' Foxcote and St Julian's Shoscombe and is named after our three patron saints.