Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

Original poster

What childcare do u use for 8yrs+??? Would you use a homework club???

56 replies

MrsMaker88 · 26/12/2018 20:33

I really need to earn some extra cash and for various reasons it’s near on impossible to work right now.

I’m pretty good with most school subjects and I enjoy having a full house. I was thinking of setting up a breakfast club and after school homework club for 4 kids 3 days a week.

What do most people do with their kids over 8years??? Would you use a homework club???

I was planning to charge a couple of pound per session more than our local after school club (which is full) as I will be giving the kids some extra focus.

My kids are 3 and 5 so I’m not sure what age most kids are allowed to walk home alone / stay home alone.. guessing it’s not till at least 10yrs...?

OP posts:
GeorgieTheGorgeousGoat · 26/12/2018 23:02

most kids are. I didn’t say all. I can’t remember the last time I had an enquiry for an 8 yo. Almost always reception aged and stay with me.

Original poster
MrsMaker88 · 26/12/2018 23:03

What activities do they most enjoy?
Did you mean to write £200k btw or was that a typo?!?!?

OP posts:
Original poster
MrsMaker88 · 26/12/2018 23:05

It’s kind of easier when they older tho, it seems easier the more you have in a way?! The kids at DDs school just fall right in line, it’s amazing 🤣

OP posts:

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about these subjects:

Childcare & nursery Families General education
Passthecake30 · 26/12/2018 23:45

I have a 9&10 year old and they would love to go to a setting where they could have some toast, do a bit of hw (reading, spelling) - maybe 15 mins and then just chill - watch tv, use electronics, play Lego. They'd like to go to the park in the summer. Nothing too demanding!

bugaboo218 · 27/12/2018 00:25

If I was going to use your service as a parent I would expect you to be registered on the Ofsted voluntary childcare register. It would concern me if you were not prepared to do this.

It is important to me to know that anyone looking after my children is registered with a regulatory body and has met a minimum bench mark standards to care for my children via an inspection/assessment process.

I would also expect to see a valid enhanced DBS certificate, a current paedatric first aid certificate that is Ofsted approved and up to date safeguarding training.

Do you have a current and up to date knowledge of all subjects in the KS2 curriculum ? Do you feel confident in supporting children of 8_11 years old in their learning?

If your USP is to support homework then I do think you need a good subject knowledge in all areas of the curriculum.

How would you deal with a special needs child? Disabled child? Challenging behaviour?

As a busy parent I would expect you to 'problem solve ' any homework issues. I would not want to have to come along behind you after picking the children up and resolve homework when I got home.

You would also need liability insurance, business car insurance, car seats if children are going to travel in your car and activities and games suitable for age group.

Think you need to work out who your customers would be, start up costs and your USPs.

BackforGood · 27/12/2018 00:39

I too would expect you to be registered and regulated if you were expecting parents to pay you to look after their dc.
I wouldn't expect 8 11 yr olds to have that much homework, but if you are aiming your business idea at 'homework support', what would you do with your 3 and 5 yr old whilst you are teaching / supporting them ?
What do you plan to do with them for the other 2 - 3 hours ?

As a parent, I would need prefer all my dc in the one setting. So if you aren't taking anyone under 8, I think you would limit your market, and - despite protestations from pp, I think you'd find most dc would already be settled with out of school care by 8 . I d realise some peoples circumstances change, or people move into the area, but I'd have thought more will be sorted than won't.

Leeds2 · 27/12/2018 02:18

I agree with bugaboo.

When my DD was at primary, her school based after school club had a separate "quiet" room where DC could do their homework, supervised by one of the after school staff. Some parents loved this, some wanted to supervise the homework themselves. I would've loved someone to manage the building of a fort from straws, or make a Roman artefact, type homework but sadly no-one ever seemed to offer that!

Nedzilla · 27/12/2018 07:11

I think if I were you I would look into fully registering as a childminder if possible.

You can then focus on old children and advertise that you will assist with homework each evening etc. I think many people do need childcare still for 8-12 year olds but don't want anything too babyish.

Something like pick up from school if needed, snack and homework. One a summers day a run in local park first on way home, in winter offer board games etc indoors or you garden play. A hot dinner would be a huge bonus.

Then school holiday all day care. Would need to include taking them places, and outdoors, as well as holiday homework done. So not sure how easy to do with your own small ones.

If I had a 9 year old needing care, I would also want say 6 year old to be able to join also.

I would say 4+ if you wanted to avoid babies. But babies and toddlers will make you daytime money, so its all decisions.

Original poster
MrsMaker88 · 27/12/2018 07:30

Thank you all. This is so helpful. So maybes I could lookmore long term, save up, do the courses and Ofsted but still specialise in school age kids, if the sums make sense to do that. I don’t really want my house full of baby and toddler toys anymore haha. Could keep it simple and say supervising homework is one option.

OP posts:
anniehm · 27/12/2018 07:58

Unless it's a full tutoring programme you will need other activities eg board games, Lego, tv/movie after 5pm perhaps but I would also suggest as a usp you offer once or twice a week an educational activity that's not homework eg a science project like building a volcano, making a solar system etc, getting them to read (and put on for the parents) an age appropriate play, get them to do s research project then a trip to the local museum (most towns have one). If priced at a premium from standard childcare I would expect no more than 8 kids and a good variety of activities plus healthy snacks.

I didn't work outside of school hours due to lack of provision - my dd is autistic and hated the really noisy after school clubs, an educational quiet setting would have been perfect.

Bluewidow · 27/12/2018 08:16

I really struggle for childcare for my older primary aged children. They find after school club boring and I didn’t blMe them from what I saw of it. They would not like going to homework
Club either.

If someone came along with an after school sports club for older children or music they would be there.

5fivestar · 27/12/2018 08:20

anniehm - you’d be looking at £80 a day for that, that was my ideal scenario, I costed it all out and nobody would pay 🤷‍♀️

5fivestar · 27/12/2018 08:24

BackforGood - when I opened my doors we took a heck of a lot of business off local childminders. And the after school clubs, I set the business up because my son was basically left to rot in his ... he didn’t like the food so never ate didn’t want to play in the games so they just left him sat there by the coats every day waiting for me

Frazzled2207 · 27/12/2018 08:41

I think if you tailor it as a childminder for older kids only with some homework support it could work.
However I have 3 and 5 year olds and I struggle to see how you would keep them entertained
and not fighting each other while you're doing stuff with the older children, without sticking them in front of the tv. You know your own kids though.

Original poster
MrsMaker88 · 27/12/2018 08:58

5fivestar do you have a big house, is it just you or additional minders with you?

Yeah my 3 yo will be tricky at times but he loved being at his childminder and was good as gold there (apart from trying to run off when out but she nipped in bud!!). My 5 yo really misses her after school club which I had to stop when I left my last job

OP posts:
Original poster
MrsMaker88 · 27/12/2018 08:59

Anniehm love the sound of that! There are parents with money here.. not sure whether they’d pay a premium for childcare but can investigate

OP posts:
Original poster
MrsMaker88 · 27/12/2018 09:00

Thanks frazzled and blue widow :-)

OP posts:
Original poster
MrsMaker88 · 27/12/2018 09:01

So my 5 yo will play with the others here, I’ve seen it can work great with the one minder we do have locally!!

OP posts:
Thehogfatherstolemycurry · 27/12/2018 09:19

I don't really see how you can child mind specifically for older children with a 3 and 5 year old there also taking up your time. Also the 3 year old will reduce the amount of children you can have.
I would need to see how you entertain the other children while you are helping 1 with homework that might need more help. If you are say explaining fractions to a struggling 10 year old are you expecting the others to play quietly? Can you see them all? At they all in the same room? Who is supervising the children when you are preparing /getting out food? If you have 1 child having a meltdown or medical problem what are the other children doing, who is supervising them at this point?
You would need to pick up from school, maybe ore than 1 school? What is your plan for this taking into account 3+5 year olds.
Also I would need you to be trained In childcare, paediatric first aid and be ofsted registered .

These are the questions that I would need answering if I were to use you.

5fivestar · 27/12/2018 09:28

MrsMaker88 - huge house rented specifically for the children - I don’t live there, employ three assistants and a cleaner, cook and gardener. It cost me £90,000 to start up but on a smaller scale you could do the same, if you’re not hear me I’ll pm you ☺️

Original poster
MrsMaker88 · 27/12/2018 09:30

Yes please 5fivestar as I have approx £80k tied up in something that I could get hold of next year

OP posts:
Original poster
MrsMaker88 · 27/12/2018 09:32

I’m in Sussex

OP posts:
5fivestar · 27/12/2018 09:36

Good lol I’ve pm’d you

5fivestar · 27/12/2018 09:39

I invested £30,000 in our garden, I found after being cooped up in a classroom all day they just wanted to tear around the garden for an hour in all weathers. I have an extensive collection of gender neutral wellies and around 5pm they come in, eat a hot meal, then practice piano, read to us or do their homework, some watch TV.
I started out wanting STEM projects, sign language lessons etc. the parents wouldn’t pay and gah the kids weren’t that keen.

LetsSplashMummy · 27/12/2018 09:43

We have a parent council run homework club, so based in a classroom at the school. Basically a parent came and said "I want to organise a homework club," and it fell under our umbrella of clubs. The tutor needs a PVG (which we pay for) and they are covered by our insurance, we do the admin etc. The tutor is payed around £25ph.

It sounds like a much easier option for you, ours is always oversubscribed.