After school club - how much does yours cost?

[DarthVader]

Ours is £8 for any length of time until 6pm but the charge is due to rise in September.

I think it is a lot - how does this compare with yours?

[TheCheeseAlarm]

£2 until 5pm or £5 until 6pm.

[DarthVader]

blimey that is far cheaper - is that for a primary school?

[Collision]

£3.50 til 4.30pm

£5 til 6pm.

[Collision]

mine is primary.

£2.50 for breakfast club - 8-9am

[heronsfly]

£1.50 from 3 till 4.15,but thats the latest it runs.

[yorkshirepudding]

Message withdrawn

[keevamum]

ours is £12.00!!!!! I think they think we are made of money here but I'm not!

[NormaStanleyFletcher]

£5 flat fee, closes at 5.30

Wish it was 'til 6

[DarthVader]

Ok so for care until 5pm the range is £2 to £12

How can it vary so much?

[DarthVader]

Our breakfast club is £3.50

[findtheriver]

£8 up until 6 pm to look after your precious child? A bargain!

[DarthVader]

£8 until 5pm is £40 a week from your earnings, that is a lot of money to find imo

[KatyMac]

It varies so much for a variety of reasons, some of which are:

1. subsidised by the school/PTA/LEA
   
2. run by volunteers
   
3. started with a surestart grant which normally lasts 3/5 years before they have to sustainable (at which point 75% close tbh)
   
4. run at a loss with fund raising to cover costs

[DarthVader]

oh that is v interesting, thank you KatyMac

[TheCheeseAlarm]

Yes, that's Primary. Our breakfast club is 50p.

[findtheriver]

Think about staffing costs... staffing ratios... recruitment costs.... hire of premises.....equipment...insurance.... I think £8 is a damn good deal.

[KatyMac]

Work out the costs

Minimum wage is £5.52 minimum staffing is 2 (1 adult to 8 children - but there must always be 2 staff on duty) plus holiday/sickness/maternity etc/NI usually an extra 20% of the wage costs

NVQ qualified staff get more (lots more)

Rent (maybe/maybe not) rates/elec/water

Consumables

Remember if it is a drop it it will cost more than a book termly sort

[DarthVader]

£8 is hardly a good deal compared to £2, that is my point!

[findtheriver]

X posts there Katy!!
I haven't run a childcare facility, but have used CM/Day nursery/ and then was involved in setting up an after school club at Primary when my kids were younger. (Out of desperation as no other child care available!!). My biggest gripe was the parents who complained that the cost was too high. The club never made a profit - it struggled to cover costs. This was a few years ago (I've since moved) and I gather the club has now closed.I take my hat off to anyone setting up or running such facilities. It's a hell of a lot of work.

[rosealbie]

Ours was £6 until 6pm and has just increased to £6.30

[DoubleBluff]

God i wish my school did an after school club!

[bozza]

We don't have one but I pay my childminder £6 until 5.30. When I used to pay for until 6 it was £7.50 (ie £3/hour). I also pay £3 for the morning hour. So currently £9/day.

[pinkteddy]

As Katy says some schools subsidise them - eg: don't charge rental, provide free staffing etc, some of them obtained grant monies to start them off (which will eventually run out). Also some provide snacks or a hot meal which increases costs - some don't provide any refreshments, kids have to bring it.

[KatyMac]

The £2 will either close or is running subsidised

2 members of staff at minimum wages cost about £45 a night (including on costs)

so at 16 children (for 2 staff) there is a loss of £13 a night

[pinkteddy]

£2 one probably in a deprived area so got sure start or extended schools monies. But as you say Katy, money will run out eventually. Some of them are much higher quality than others too - if structured activities or sports provided then you will pay more eg: for planning time or staff ratios greater.