Do you use any sort of wraparound care for school age children? And how much?

And as I'm handing over at the end of the day, I know these childeen aren't going to childminders either. It's a mix of mums, dads and grandparents.

I'm a teacher and have always been surprised at how few children use wrap around. Everyone I knew went back to work after maternity (and their husbands still worked 0.8-full time) but somehow the vast majority of primary children use minimal wrap around. I've never had a class when more than a quarter use it on even a semi regular basis (say a couple of sessions a week, either before or after school). Usually it is considerably less than that. The number of children who attend every day before and after school has never been more than 0 or 1 per class. This is in a few different schools and at my own child's school, all of which have differing demographics.

ALso childminders where we are are all full. So I can't work. Can't afford wrap around care. No family to help. Othercare full.

I pay £6/hour for 3 hours a day x 4 days a week for my Y6 DD. That plus some holiday club at £40/day costs me around £2500/year. Gov tops it up by 20%.

(£4 per child for breakfast care, £9 for afterschool care per child)

Wrap around care is too expensive for us as we have three kids. A lot of my youngest class are one child families and they can afford it easily, morning and after school.

Three days a week ds3 goes to breakfast club at 7.50 (£1 cost) and then Afterschool Club until 5.30pm (£8.50).

So £9.50 a day for us. We both work full time compressed so get a weekday off - different days, so we have two covered.

Part time doesn't make sense but could be not request a fixed schedule? I bet the mothers in his role are factored into their families' childcare arrangements, it's only ever men who couldn't possibly.

I don't because the little childminders that there are are full so I can't 😞

My daughter goes every morning and after school. I work full time and couldn’t manage without school wrap around care. She loves it, gets to play with friends for an hour or two after school, gets a snack. Much less screen time as she’s in club for about 2 1/2 hours a day and is running around or colouring in etc
I’m not sure why you seem to be implying wrap around is a bad choice?

Since reception my DD has done breakfast club 4 days a week, starts at 7.50 and afterschool club 3 days a week until 5.30/6 latest. I felt so guilty that she had such long days from so little but she actually took to it fine. Although she's not a fan of the early starts (nor am I)! She's in year 3 now and is annoyed I'll be going on maternity leave soon and so she won't be going for the rest of year 3.

I was going to say the same about your DH, he should put in a flexible working request and ask for set days (or at least a set schedule on your working days). Working parents have to work around their kids' drop off and pickup times, that's just how it is.

We both work 5 days in flexible jobs. Youngest is still in nursery 5 days so that's easy. Eldest is in school, she goes to breakfast club on the days we're both in the office. After school she's picked up by the after school club associated with youngest's nursery. They do homework, play, give them a hot meal and then bring her to youngest's nursery so we only have one pickup. There's an after school club at school too, it's not as good but it's now half the price so I imagine we'll use that once both DC are in school.

We each work one shorter day a week and pick dd1 up from school, and then work late on the other's short day.

She loves after school club, it's not a negative thing at all, they do loads with them.

Yes this. It's really ok to say, he has drop off responsibilities on a Monday & Weds or whatever days suit you. More men need to make this happen and more women need to not accept being default every day.

Why is it ok for you to rush around every day and him continue his flexible schedule??

Our provision is poor unfortunately. There are no childminders/breakfast clubs and the school's own breakfast club starts at 8.30 which is almost entirely pointless. After school club is £12.50 to cover until 5.30. I have to use flexi time to cover school runs as my husband leaves at 7am 4 days a week.

It's much more common for family to do school runs in our area, or parents not to be working.

Quite a few seem to have an after school club. I don't really have anything only snack and chat after school till 16.30 it's absolutely no use cost £1.

Are you sure wrap around (and nursery, but I guess you already know that one) will open early enough for you?
We rejected practically every childcare round here, as they didn't open til 8 - the time DH started work!

I changed jobs in march to work set days/hours that fit around my childcare. Both my DC go to my village school which helpfully has a preschool from age 2 on site. DS2 is at preschool 3 days a week (my working days) including breakfast club and tea club so 8-4.30. DD4 Has just started reception so is now in t days a week but breakfast and tea club on my working days. I moved jobs so I could take them both out of nursery and put them into preschool/school without too much disruption and saving a huge amount on nursery in the process. We are lucky in terms of holidays as MIL works in a school so is off during holidays and will have DC 2 days a week while I take a days annual leave every Thursday in the holidays so she doesn't have to have them 3 days!!

Agree with others - I’m not sure why you’re seeing wraparound care as a negative thing.

DD has been going to ASC 3 days since she started school - 4 years now. She loves it and asks for to me pick her up as late as possible. She’s made friends with kids from other years too.

But she used to do 8-6 at nursery 4 days a week before school so it’s never felt like a big deal to us.

Me and DH both work full time. DD goes to breakfast club 4 mornings and after school club 2 evenings. We both have quite flexible working arrangements so can juggle the drop offs and pick ups between us no problem. We do only live a few mins walk round the corner though which definitely helps!

DD loves wraparound care and having extra time to play with her friends. I'm not sure why you are seeing it as a negative thing? I see it more of a social activity for her that also helps us out! They do loads of fun stuff crafts, colouring, playing outside, PE equipment etc and she says it's great!

Could you DH make his working hours/place more consistent? I know he'll say he can't, but what if he had to? It's not fair that you're responsible for everything.

I work 4 days but do 2 long days and 2 short days.
The kids do wraparound on my long days and I do pick up and drop off on my short days and my non working day.
I used to do 3 long days but the kids found it a bit much in club and I could afford to drop a couple of hours without an issue.

We've got DC in Y1 and Y4 and I work 4 days a week. Until this month, they've always been in breakfast club and after school club on the 4 days that I work, so they started at 7.45 and we're picked up around 5.30.

It cost £6 each for the morning and £13 for the afternoon.

It did make for long days and both of them were tired in in Year R. They love the wraparound care though!

In fact, DH now works from home so he walks them to school most days now and they only go to breakfast club if he's away. Every day so far they've complained that they want to go to breakfast club! Apparently it's much more fun having breakfast with their friends!

Haha, my kids are exactly the same with the white toast

Ours are in wraparound 3 days a week - they love it and have made friends in different years. They would be happy to go 5 days a week. I wouldn't assume your kids will hate it or approach it in a negative way with them.

Would be tempted to stick to your current pattern and then see how it goes.