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Original poster

No hourly rate for after school club

143 replies

Mackonadragos · 08/11/2022 10:38

Hello everyone,

We are new to Oxfordshire, and I have just found out that I can only book an entire after school club session per day in our primary school. As opposed to book let's say an hour per day. Our school charges £13 per session and it runs between 3 and 6. I would need only 1 hour per day, between 3 and 4. I looked around nearby schools in town, and it seems that it is the common practice here, except one primary (further away), that has got short and long sessions with different rate (£7 and £ 12.95).

We've moved from Bedfordshire, where in our old school we could pay hourly rate and could book one hour per day if we wanted.

I am very annoyed by this, that I would need to pay for something that I will not use.

I am going to raise this with the headteacher, but curious to see how other people think about it. In my opinion it is very inflexible.

Thank you for your answers.

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treadcarefully · 08/11/2022 12:41

Going to buck the trend here. I managed an after school club up until I retired 3 years ago. We operated on 3 sessions per afternoon and it worked just fine. Flexibility for parents. We always kept to strict ratios but saved on staffing costs if vast numbers of children only needed one session and suited staff who didn't want to work till 6pm.
It's still run that way now.

Thiswayorthatway · 08/11/2022 12:41

East Cheshire here, £11 for after school to 6 however long you are there. As PP’s have said, your child for 1 hour would take the same resource as a child for the full period. They’re not going to get staff for just 1 hour 3-4.

ping78 · 08/11/2022 12:40

Oh I miss being able to have a 3-6 session, our school does 2 separate hours but if the second hour isn't sufficiently full they cancel it which is SO inconvenient and stressful.

Original poster
Mackonadragos · 08/11/2022 12:39

wibblewobbleboard · 08/11/2022 12:33

Are you claiming any benefits you may be entitled to such as help with childcare?

No. We never claimed anything, as I have a husband, and I never worked so we would not have been entitled. now, that I start or want to start to work I might claim, we haven't looked into it yet.

(And that husband of mine works in London, and comes home late.)

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Original poster
Mackonadragos · 08/11/2022 12:36

wibblewobbleboard · 08/11/2022 12:34

I have no teenaged children.

My youngest is 21 😂😂😂😂

Good. Than you know what they are at the age of 13-14. Surely they are independent and even have some responsibilities.

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Original poster
Mackonadragos · 08/11/2022 12:34

Sux2buthen · 08/11/2022 12:28

When you're actually old enough...

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I am talking about 30 minutes - up to 1 hour per day. Not long hours.

OP posts:
wibblewobbleboard · 08/11/2022 12:34

I have no teenaged children.

My youngest is 21 😂😂😂😂

wibblewobbleboard · 08/11/2022 12:33

Are you claiming any benefits you may be entitled to such as help with childcare?

Oblomov22 · 08/11/2022 12:33

"I wonder how many of you have teenage children. " Grin

Whilst obviously there is continually a large proportion of Mn posters with newborns and young ones, many of us have been here for 20 years, have uni children and young adults.

Surely you know that?

TheYearOfSmallThings · 08/11/2022 12:32

I have never heard of an after school club that offers an hourly rate - I think it would have to be a very high rate to break even. These provisions are barely profitable and already struggle to attract staff.

Original poster
Mackonadragos · 08/11/2022 12:32

wibblewobbleboard · 08/11/2022 12:23

Why can't you pay for the ASC and collect your kids at closing time? Or is it that it's then uneconomic for you to return to work?

Yes. I will do a boring and low paid job (and I am even grateful for getting that job) and I will work one whole day for covering childcare. I'm on the verge of unemployability (despite being reasonably schooled, but a totally unsuccessful carrier).

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Chomolungma · 08/11/2022 12:30

Flat fee here as well, sorry OP.

Sux2buthen · 08/11/2022 12:28

Mackonadragos · 08/11/2022 12:00

Thank you for all the answers and all your concerns regarding the safety of my children.

I wonder how many of you have teenage children. Or perhaps you can remember how were you when you were at that age. If you cannot look after for a 5 year old sibling for 30 min / 1 hour per day, just staying in the house, at the age of 13 (nearly 14, just for the record) when can you? You know, some girls are paid to do babysitting from age 14? 15?

However, children and independence , interesting as it is, was not the my question, so I do not want to divert into it.

When you're actually old enough...

Original poster
Mackonadragos · 08/11/2022 12:28

EllieQ · 08/11/2022 12:22

In what way does it make it impossible to get back to work? There is after-school provision; if it’s open until 6 that gives you time to leave work at 5 and collect DC (depending on your commute) - what is the issue?

It’s a flat fee here as well (Yorkshire). The ASC is run on the school site but is run by a private company, which seems to be the usual set-up for most ASC.

My SIL lives in the SE and the ASC she used charged by the hour, which was the first time I’d heard of hourly charges. Always felt I was getting a better deal with my £11 per session compared to her £8 per hour!

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The issue is here, that I am about to start a badly paid job (warehouse, that I have never done before) and I will work for an entire day for childcare which I do not wish to use.

OP posts:
Jmaho · 08/11/2022 12:27

Surely if you just use the asc and pay up until 6 even if you collect earlier, you will be better off financially? If you're not currently working and haven't for ten years, whilst it is quite a cost if you're going back into work then you'd be better off?
I only use our ASC on an ad hoc basis but know they wouldn't allow older siblings to collect the children

Original poster
Mackonadragos · 08/11/2022 12:26

arethereanyleftatall · 08/11/2022 12:13

Well - you could set up a business looking after children from 3pm -4pm

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😉It would be a niche job. I can picture myself walking home with 20 "from 3 to 4" children.

OP posts:
wibblewobbleboard · 08/11/2022 12:23

Why can't you pay for the ASC and collect your kids at closing time? Or is it that it's then uneconomic for you to return to work?

EllieQ · 08/11/2022 12:22

Mackonadragos · 08/11/2022 12:07

It makes it nearly impossible to me to get back to work, very difficult. I have been at home for well, for over a decade.

In what way does it make it impossible to get back to work? There is after-school provision; if it’s open until 6 that gives you time to leave work at 5 and collect DC (depending on your commute) - what is the issue?

It’s a flat fee here as well (Yorkshire). The ASC is run on the school site but is run by a private company, which seems to be the usual set-up for most ASC.

My SIL lives in the SE and the ASC she used charged by the hour, which was the first time I’d heard of hourly charges. Always felt I was getting a better deal with my £11 per session compared to her £8 per hour!

Original poster
Mackonadragos · 08/11/2022 12:19

Zib · 08/11/2022 12:04

I sympathise OP as you've found yourself in a worse situation than before with ASC and you weren't expecting it, so it's pretty natural to feel peeved.

The problem that ASCs have is the financial model often doesn't work if you provide a short option: if the clubs have staff on a 3-6pm contract then they just lose revenue for the second hour. This is the case whether it's a school club or a private provider.

At my dc's school the club ran to 5pm and did have a shorter option, but this was because it was supervised by the head and the TA (tiny school) who would be there until 5 anyway. It was also a source of revenue for the school which helped the tiny budget and provided enrichment activities for all the children as well as for the children attending the club.

Thank you for the insight of how it works.

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arethereanyleftatall · 08/11/2022 12:13

Mackonadragos · 08/11/2022 12:07

It makes it nearly impossible to me to get back to work, very difficult. I have been at home for well, for over a decade.

Well - you could set up a business looking after children from 3pm -4pm

Original poster
Mackonadragos · 08/11/2022 12:13

PetitP · 08/11/2022 12:02

Would your younger child be collected by your older ones? Why not then just use the extra two hours in the after school club?

I really do not want him to be at school for such long hours. 9-6. It feels just too long. But, as I have no options, I will consider that too.

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arethereanyleftatall · 08/11/2022 12:12

I'm afraid op that my dds school also don't allow anyone under the age of 16 to pick up children. You might not be able to do it.

Tdcp · 08/11/2022 12:10

The after school club and private out of school club I use are the same, you pay the same if you're there for 20 minutes or 6 hours.

peanutbutterontoast7 · 08/11/2022 12:08

I love in the north west and it's a flat out fee per session too.
At our ASC only adults can collect the children for safety reasons.

I get that it's frustrating but really why should the asc change their hours? Let's say you pay for 1 hour and use one slot, they can't fill the remaining 2 hour slot can they?

That is just what they offer and if you don't like to them you need to explore other options.

Original poster
Mackonadragos · 08/11/2022 12:07

It makes it nearly impossible to me to get back to work, very difficult. I have been at home for well, for over a decade.

OP posts: