STATE schools will be able to charge parents hundreds of pounds a month to send their children to out-of-hours clubs that are currently free.

Government guidance on the extended schools programme suggests that schools could charge as much as £70 a week during term time and £200 a week during the holidays for after-school activities. The fees will come into force with the introduction of an extended schools programme, which will offer all children under 14 “dawn-to-dusk” care in school from 2010.

Many schools already charge for activities such as breakfast and homework clubs. But teachers’ unions are concerned that the emphasis in the guidance on charging for non-academic activities could spell an end to music and sports clubs, which many teachers traditionally have run free of charge.

The guidance states that schools may not charge for an activity that is part of the national curriculum or that leads to examinations, but that they may charge for additional sport, drama, music, clubs and courses such as first aid.

Mick Brookes, the general secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers, said that drawing a distinction would not always be easy. “A schoolgirl could be charged for staying on for the after-school football club. But if she went directly to the reading club afterwards, she would not be charged. Foreign language classes could be charged for, but not maths. It’s going to be an administrative nightmare.”

He added that most primary schools had a long tradition of offering free out-of-hours clubs and activities. “I spent 34 years taking an after-school football club. Why should anyone continue to do that if their colleague is being paid to take another club that charges a fee?” he said.

He said that the charges in the guidance worked out at an average of £4 to £4.50 an hour.

John Dunford, the general secretary of the Secondary Heads Association, said: “It could be extremely difficult if you end up with a situation in which children in one room are doing one extracurricular activity free, while children in the next room doing something else are paying for it. It would be sad, for example, if you had to pay to play for the school football team.”

He expressed concern that the guidance suggested that schools could use their budgets to subsidise activities for pupils of parents on low incomes.

Chris Keates, the general secretary of the National Association of Schoolmasters and Union of Women Teachers, said she was disappointed that the guidance allowed schools to make a profit.

“Local authorities should set out benchmark costs so that schools know what it is reasonable to charge and so they do not use these activities to supplement their income,” she said. “Our concern is that if you are allowed to charge for an activity and make a profit, it could end up that the activity becomes a distraction from the focus on learning.”

The extended schools programme is part of a government drive to help working parents and to boost pupil attainment. Under the £680 million scheme, pupils could stay at school from 8am until 6pm, attending breakfast clubs and after-hours activities.

While parents on low incomes will be able to claim tax credits, others will be charged.

The Department for Education and Skills said: “If a school doesn’t currently charge for an activity we would hope that it will continue to fund it in the same spirit.” The department said that it did not expect schools to start charging children to play for school teams.

WHAT’S FREE AND WHAT’S NOT

TO BE CHARGED AT FULL COST:

CHARGES IMPOSED TO COVER COSTS:

TO BE OFFERED FREE OF CHARGE:

Extra science tuition for underperforming children

Extra lessons for underachieving groups, such as children in care

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