After-School Class Size: How Many Kids per Class? (Ep. 27)
Episode 27 · July 6, 2026 · Solo episode
Cap a hands-on after-school class at 12 to 14 kids per instructor when you are starting out. At Journey to STEAM our maximum is 14 for upper grades and 12 for any class that includes younger students. Set the number before registration opens, set it for a beginning instructor, and start smaller when in doubt. A small class that goes well wins you the next school.
Listen or watch: Spotify · YouTube · Apple Podcasts
This is my written companion to How to Start an After-School Business. In the episode I walk through what I would do if I started over today: choose the model, land one school, send a one-pager, set class size, teach the first programs myself, and hire later than feels comfortable. Class size is the decision new operators ask me about most, so it gets the most room here.
How many kids should be in an after-school class?
For hands-on programs with elementary kids, 10 to 14 per instructor is the range I see most. Here is what I hear from operators I talk with, by program type. This is my own informal research, so treat it as a starting point.
| Program type | Typical maximum |
|---|---|
| Individualized skills, like small-group music lessons | 6 to 8 |
| STEAM, arts and performing arts | 10 to 14 |
| General maximum I see for ages 5 to 12 | 14 to 18 |
| Sports, especially with older kids | Often larger |
My own path went in a circle. I started with a maximum of 12. Then I looked left and right at the other providers in my schools. Their caps were 16, 18, even 20, and I figured they knew something I didn't. So I copied them.
A class of 18 older kids was fine with my most experienced instructors. Only with them. That limited who I could schedule where, and it set a beginning instructor up to struggle. In a robotics class one group needs a robot reconnected while another has a bug in their code. That is a lot for one adult. So I went right back to where I started. There was wisdom there.
Am I leaving money on the table with a smaller class?
On paper, yes. I chose the brand promise over the extra seats, and I feel good about it.
Here is the math with example numbers. A 10-week class costs $240. A cap of 18 brings in $4,320. A cap of 14 brings in $3,360. The difference is $960 per class, per term. Now the other side. If only your strongest instructor can run a room of 18, every full class has to go to that one person. I want a beginning instructor set up to succeed in any room I fill. A school partner that renews is worth more to me than $960. For help with the price itself, read how to set camp and class prices.
Should I start mobile or open a studio?
Mobile is cheaper to start and harder to run. A studio lets you stack programs all day and on weekends, and you can see quality with your own eyes. Mobile means many rooms you cannot be in at once.
Mobile is not rent free either. Most schools charge facility fees. If I were starting today I would begin with charter and independent schools, because many are flexible on fees when every dollar counts. I compare the two models in school-based vs studio-based kids programs.
One more thing I would skip: paying for tools built for studios and bending them to fit a mobile business. I lost a lot of time there. Stay scrappy until the tool fits.
How do I get the first school?
Through someone who knows you. It took me months. Emails went unanswered, and a call to a school reaches the front office, never the principal. My first yes came at a community science night. A former colleague, now an elementary principal, walked up to my table. I listed everything I offered: field trips, birthday parties, one-day sessions. He picked after-school programs, and we planned one plus a camp.
So map your network. Who knows a teacher, an aide, anyone inside a school near you? Ask for the introduction. Then use school one to reach schools like it, in the same district or of the same type. The full playbook is in Episode 29, how to get your first school partnership.
What should I settle before registration opens?
Five things, and they all fit on a one-pager you can send the school.
- Length. Most terms run 8 to 9 weeks in fall, winter and spring. Some go to 12 or 13.
- Ages and grades for each program.
- A menu of programs the school can choose from.
- The price, stated plainly, plus your plan for families who need financial help. Schools ask.
- Your class size cap. You have to know when registration closes before it opens.
Should I cancel my first class if only two kids sign up?
No. Teach it. Forget your break-even number for the first program and call it an investment. Showing up builds trust with the school and protects your name from day one. A tiny group is also the best place to work out your curriculum, your behavior management, and how you keep parents and the school in the loop. Later, the math changes. Here is when to cancel a class for low enrollment.
When should I hire my first instructor?
Later than you want to. Your reputation is a seed, and at the start only you can grow it. I taught until my schedule hit four days a week. Then I hired one instructor and used the fifth day to co-teach, guide and support them. Because I had taught every program myself, my tips were useful, and useful support is what keeps an instructor with you. More in when to stop teaching every class.
Last lesson from the episode: reach out to local operators early. The ones who said yes to my first emails are still in my corner. People want to help. You are not an inconvenience.
Listen or watch: Spotify · YouTube · Apple Podcasts
Frequently asked questions
Should I copy the class size other providers use?
It is a fine place to start if you have no other information. Change it as soon as your own classes tell you something different.
Do younger kids need smaller classes?
In our programs, yes. Any class that includes younger students is capped at 12, and upper grades at 14.
Who should listen to this episode?
Anyone who has not launched yet, or is one or two programs in. It runs about 32 minutes. Pair it with how to start an after-school program business.
Do I need everything perfect before I start?
No. Show up and teach. Showing up puts you ahead of most. You get better by getting your reps in.
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Arielle Hammond, Ed.D. is the founder of enrops and host of The Youth Enrichment Leader, presented by enrops.
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