Starting Your Club

Science and Engineering Clubs run in a wide variety of formats, from teacher-run to student-led. In some clubs all the students work on a single project, in others several projects of varying complexity run at the same time. Tailor your club to suit your students and the resources you have available.

• First you need to identify a group of pupils who would enjoy a challenge. They could all be from the same age-group or from a range of age-groups. One age-group may be easier to manage at the outset, but a wide age-range has the benefit of older established club members mentoring younger students.  
• A maximum of 20-25 students is a good number to start the club with. Club members may need a lot of help in the early stages.
• The club can run before school, after school or at lunchtime, whichever is most convenient. A good guide is to start with sessions lasting approximately one hour.
• Invite members of the senior management team to attend one or more sessions. Clubs with the support and backing from senior management continue far longer than clubs without.
• Clubs that are part of the LEP have a budget allocated to them for provide activity packs, resources, visits and support. Schools may offer extra funding when they see the positive impact on learning afforded by the clubs.
• Follow the recommended good practice guide for advertising and recruiting club members.
• Once you have a good response from your students they will need to complete a membership form so we can process your clubs registration.
• The registration will be completed by the club fieldworkers so all you need to do is provide information about yourself the school and the completed student membership forms.
• Keep a club register of your club sessions to monitor
• Ask members that attend regularly, and those that do not, for feedback to find out what they really enjoy.
• Remember your club fieldworkers are always on hand to assist and advise, so please always feel welcome to contact the LEP.