Overview

I am writing to share with you some important changes to our Thursday Pursuits programme, which will take effect from the start of the new academic year in September. These adjustments aim to ensure that we can continue to offer a structured, high-quality set of activities on Thursday afternoons, while making sure that we have the staffing and resources in place to support them effectively. 

From September, Thursday Pursuits will run fortnightly from 2.45 pm to 3.35 pm and will offer students a choice between two types of activity. Each of these options is designed to give students who are unable to leave site at 3.35pm a purposeful end to their school day, whether they wish to take part in physical activity or use the time for study. 

The options will be: 

• Sporting Option: We will be running two sporting groups during this session, each led by one of our trained games coaches. These sessions are intended to provide structured physical activity and skills development in a safe, supervised environment. The cost will be £5 per week, payable in advance for the year (£90 total). 

• Study Session: This will be a quiet, supervised session staffed by a member of KE Aston School staff. It will provide students with a focused environment for independent study, homework, or revision. The cost for this session will be £3 per week, payable in advance for the year (£54 total). 

Payment for the whole year will be collected in July/August (due by 1st September). Please note that these payments secure a student’s place in the chosen session for the year. If a session is cancelled by the school for any reason, a refund will be issued for that session. However, if a student is unable to attend on a particular Thursday – for example, due to illness, a medical appointment, or a change in personal circumstances – the payment for that session will still need to be made, and no refund will be given. This approach helps us to plan staffing, secure coaching provision, and keep costs as low as possible for families overall. 

Places for these sessions will be limited in order to ensure the quality and safety of provision. There will be a maximum of 35 places across the two sporting groups, and 20 places for the study session offered on a first come-first-served basis. We encourage parents and carers to discuss these options with their child in advance so they can choose the session that will suit them best. 

We believe that these changes will help us to maintain a consistent, purposeful Thursday afternoon programme that benefits all students. Thank you for your understanding and support as we make this adjustment. If you have any questions or concerns in the meantime, please do not hesitate to contact the school office. 

Information on how to sign up for these sessions using the Arbor app (see below) and how to make payments (via Parent Pay) were emailed to parents on Friday 11th July and are shown below. 

Instructions on how to sign your child up for one of the two Thursday Pursuits options available during the next academic year:

1. Sports

2. Study Session

Please discuss the options with your child before making a selection, and take note of the following:

• Spaces are limited and allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.
• Choose one of the two options using the Parent Arbor app/portal. (Click the following link for a step-by-step guide):
  Signing my child up for a Club on the Parent Portal or Parent App
• If you have not yet registered for Arbor, please refer to: A quick introduction to Arbor for guardians and parents
• Once a course is full, you will not be able to reserve a place. Instead, your child will be placed on a waiting list.
• After reserving your child’s place, you will be asked to make the payment via Parent Pay by 1st September to secure the place.
• If payment is not received by 1st September, the place will be offered to the next student on the waiting list.

If you have any queries, please email Ms Noreen on t.noreen@ast.kevibham.org

Thank you for your continued support.