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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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Original poster
Mackonadragos · 08/11/2022 12:05

FlickyCrumble · 08/11/2022 11:53

If you’re intending your older children to pick up younger ones from ASC it might be worth checking that they allow this? Mine doesn’t.

Yes, definitely. I've already asked them, whether my y5 child can pick up my reception child. They said no. I would not want to do that either, despite living only 4-5 in from the school, but too much traffic (and no zebra crossing anywhere).

My older kids can only pick him up at 4. Not sure they would allow that either.

OP posts:
WhoopItUp · 08/11/2022 12:05

Flat rate here in Yorkshire and it’s entirely reasonable for the reasons others have stated.

CarpeDiem83 · 08/11/2022 12:05

I am also in Oxfordshire and ASC is £8 until 4.30 or £11 until 6. I assume they have fewer staff to pay after 4.30 if less children. Its on the school site but run by a third party.

Jijithecat · 08/11/2022 12:04

It's really difficult to find staff to run after school clubs too. I'm really not sure there is much profit to be made from it.
If you're intent on your eldest children collecting the youngest from school you need to check the school policies or else risk being flagged up to Social Services.

ClocksGoingBackwards · 08/11/2022 12:04

This is the way my school has to do it because it’s just not viable to run otherwise. It might be worth running for the first hour, but after that it wouldn’t, and then we wouldn’t be able to benefit working families.

We also wouldn’t allow a five year old to be dismissed into the care of a 13 year old.

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.

wibblewobbleboard · 08/11/2022 12:02

It's not just one sibling. And you're not expecting them to look after them in the house? You're expecting them to get multiple children home from school and look after them? How are they getting them home? Is it every day? How long is it for?

And I say that as someone who got a 17 year old to pick up two younger siblings two days a week and drive them home as soon as they were able.

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?

Original poster
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.

OP posts:
NKFell · 08/11/2022 11:59

Flat fee here too. I think it's reasonable.

SleepingStandingUp · 08/11/2022 11:58

Thing is say they have 10 places. £12 a session of £4 an hour. Your kid goes in 3-4along with 9 other kids so they need 3 staff. Half the kids go at 4 so they lose £8 per kid per session but are still having to pay staffing costs.

Or they prioritise the waiting list for full time care, and you never get a look in.

It's run as a business, not for your convenience.

Can you look at condensing your work hours so you work late twice a week, pick up at 6 and finish early twice a week so dint need it?

PatchworkElmer · 08/11/2022 11:58

Ours is run by the school and is non profit. There are 2 session times, and the later one includes food.

Jmaho · 08/11/2022 11:56

I think its normal. Its the way our after school club operates. Flat fee for both before and after school care. You pay from 7.30 to school start and then up until 6 even if you drop them later and pick them up earlier
Same as private nursery. We were charged a full day's fees from 7.30 to 6.00 51 weeks a year even though we dropped them at about 8.45 and collected at 5 and only sent them in 45 ish weeks of the year
They need to always have the correct ratios of staff to children and they are able to stay until they shut. We choose to collect them earlier
Have you considered a childminder who may charge by the hour?

singlemomof3 · 08/11/2022 11:55

I'd rather places go to parents who need it for the full 3 hours TBH

It doesn't really matter what other schools do - yours doesn't do it and I'd have probably checked that before signing up for school places

tenbob · 08/11/2022 11:55

Why do you assume it hasn’t already been looked into?

It is exactly the sort of system a piss taker would lean into and be 5/10/15 mins late for the early pick up, meaning the staff have to stay on, but then refuse to pay the extended rate

So I can see why they wouldn’t want the hassle and admin burden of sending out various bills

If you’re not a natural complainer, for gods sake don’t get yourself marked as ‘that parent’ in the first term

wibblewobbleboard · 08/11/2022 11:54

A lot of schools won't allow anyone U18 or U16 to pick up young children.

FlickyCrumble · 08/11/2022 11:53

If you’re intending your older children to pick up younger ones from ASC it might be worth checking that they allow this? Mine doesn’t.

Original poster
Mackonadragos · 08/11/2022 11:53

NCHammer2022 · 08/11/2022 11:47

I don’t know anywhere near here that offers an hourly rate. And that’s fair enough, it’s not like anyone is going to need an hour from 5-6 for example. If you only need an hour what about extracurricular clubs? Reception aged DD has 3 days where she could do something after school e.g. dancing, football, and there are more options as they move higher up the school.

Thank you for the ideas. I clearly have to find some sort of alternative.

OP posts:
Original poster
Mackonadragos · 08/11/2022 11:51

GappyValley · 08/11/2022 11:43

The poor headteacher having their time wasted on this.

Youve been at the school for 5 mins and ‘can’t understand’ why a system that is the same up and down the country is being used here

It is exactly these whinging parents that get things like optional clubs and residential trips cancelled
They complain when they don’t get things exactly their way, and then act surprised when the school realises it’s more trouble than it is worth to keep these things on - talk about no good deed goes unpunished!

My point is, that there are other systems in work in the same town - and perhaps it would worth looking into it.

I can happily say to you that I am normally no trouble, as I wasn't even in the country for some years, let alone being in a school stirring trouble.

OP posts:
FlickyCrumble · 08/11/2022 11:50

It’s normal. They won’t be able to find someone else to use the 2 hours you don’t want so you pay for the lot.

wibblewobbleboard · 08/11/2022 11:49

You're expecting a 13 year old to mind two younger children from 4pm until you get there?

NCHammer2022 · 08/11/2022 11:47

I don’t know anywhere near here that offers an hourly rate. And that’s fair enough, it’s not like anyone is going to need an hour from 5-6 for example. If you only need an hour what about extracurricular clubs? Reception aged DD has 3 days where she could do something after school e.g. dancing, football, and there are more options as they move higher up the school.

IhearyouClemFandango · 08/11/2022 11:47

You're not planning on having your 13 yr old be responsible for your 5 yr old are you?

Original poster
Mackonadragos · 08/11/2022 11:46

I thought - now I can see wrongly - that these clubs are run by state schools and that they are non-profit.

OP posts:
Rockbird · 08/11/2022 11:45

They're not going to trial anything. Don't you think all of the options have been thought of? How insulting to think you can swan in and claim to have a better system. But feel free to come along to my school and manage it. It's a royal pain in the arse as it is without parents picking and choosing when they want to turn up.