Injection into the primary schools' leisure activities

Professional leisure activities and a creative working environment

Great emphasis is placed on professional and effective leisure activities for all age groups within the primary schools of Hafnarfjörður. The City of Hafnarfjörður runs after-school clubs and youth centres in all nine of the municipality's primary schools, and these two units are collectively known as leisure centres.

An injection of new part-time and increased part-time roles within each school will take place from autumn 2024. The aim is simple – to provide an enhanced service that better reflects the needs and interests of the pupils, based on their age, interests and developmental stage.

Leisure centres operating outside of normal school hours

Children in Years 1-4 have the opportunity to take part in a wide range of activities at the after-school clubs at their local primary school, from the end of the school day until 16:30 every weekday, on half-days and during INSET days. The after-school club then transitions into the youth club, which is for all children and young people in Years 5 to 10.

The work of the youth clubs takes place in the late afternoon and evenings every weekday, and the standard is for active social activities to be held for each year group at least three times a week. After-school clubs operate outside of normal school hours within the premises of the primary schools in all of the council's school catchment areas, but in recent years they have also been trialling offering the service during school hours.

Professional services tailored to needs and interests on each occasion.

The managers of the leisure centres are part of the schools' management team, thus ensuring a good and regular flow of information and projects between the regular and statutory school curriculum and the leisure activities. To this end, the department heads have had one manager assisting them with the planning of the diverse activities for all age groups.

From next autumn, the management team will be significantly strengthened with the addition of project managers for the youth clubs. The aim is to strengthen professional practice within the leisure centres and youth clubs, prevention, specialisation, and to bolster a service that is even better attuned to the needs and interests of the children and young people who use it.

In professional leisure activities, child democracy is worked with purposefully, and thus with the ideas of the children themselves.

Important work in shaping the models of the future

It is hoped that even more professionally qualified people will apply for the vacancies at the leisure centres, and that their work will fulfil the hopes and expectations of most children and young people, and not least those of the staff themselves, while providing them with valuable experience.

We offer a constructive, creative, fun and rewarding working environment where staff, children and young people share their ideas, knowledge and experience, and create a community together characterised by diversity, creative thinking and joy. The work has a preventative, educational and developmental value, with an emphasis on encouragement and active participation through positive guidance.

Information page on the opportunities and facilities at the recreational centres of Hafnarfjörður municipality.