In a regular week, Walter Johnson and his wife Kärt, from south east London, spend 11 hours ferrying their children to and from sports clubs every day after school. Plus, they have six hours to kill while their children participate in jiu jitsu, athletics, swimming, cheerleading and gymnastics sessions. If they aren’t watching and encouraging their children, they pass the time by fitting in their own exercise or grocery shopping or stealing a march on work for the following day.
There’s no rest for the wicked on weekends either. Walter spends eight hours on a Saturday and Sunday volunteer coaching the two football teams that his children Clarence, 11 and Henrietta, eight, each play for. Clarence also plays guitar, while Henrietta is learning piano. So, on a Monday, Clarence does guitar before jiu jitsu, while on a Thursday Henrietta learns piano and then goes onto gymnastics.
In total, the Johnsons spend £651 a month on their children’s extracurricular clubs. “It’s a lot less than the private school Clarence very nearly went to for secondary, which worked out at £150 a day,” says Walter, who works as a manager in digital health for the NHS.
Clarence started year seven last week and his family shortlisted three schools: the local academy secondary school, a grammar school further away and a private school. Clarence tried a day at each and was given the choice of where he’d most like to go. He chose the grammar school.
