to expect a standard of care at breakfast club?

[anchovies]

Before I send a polite email to the head I was wondering whether you think I am being unreasonable...

Took 4 year old dd to breakfast club this morning. She started school last week and breakfast club was talked about as a viable option for reception children to ensure that both the children can get fed and parents can get to work. Great.

The reality was that there is no acknowledgement of our arrival. We bought some food and then sat down. There were no staff other than serving food so there was no-one to talk to the children, break up a scuffle etc. At 8.40 all the children got up and left to go out to the (open) playground. No one told them to go and no record was kept of who had arrived/gone out to play so no one would no if they safely got to class, no staff went outside with them.

The reception children were then told to stay inside. There was literally nothing to do once they had eaten so the other mum and I chatted with them until the bell went. Not sure they will be capable of 20 mins of conversation when we're not there?

Is this normal? I suppose it is free childcare (other than the cost of the breakfast) but even so it doesn't seem like a great start to their day?

It isn't the norm at my DC's school, no. They are all checked off a register upon arrival and there are supervisory staff alongside the catering staff.

Only the juniors are allowed out onto the yard after breakfast, the infants/ foundation phase remain in the hall where they have various activities, colouring etc and DVDs to watch. The very small ones are then escorted to class.

I'd absolutely raise your concerns with the school, the lack of register alone is appalling!

Is it breakfast club or before school club? At the school my dc go to, they are very different things. Breakfast club is from 8.30am, you pay for cereal/toast/fruit/drink (about 50p iirc) and you're expected to stay with them and get them to their line to go into class. Before school club you pay for a session and the children are signed in, ratios met, etc. just like they would be at a nursery type of thing.

Not the case at DD's old school's breakfast club. The staff would individually greet and mark off the children, there were a variety of activities out for them to do, or they could sit and read, or eat breakfast. One staff member served breakfast and the other 2 generally interacted with the children.

Not the norm at our after school either - there are activities such as colouring and drawing, reading, board games, jigsaws and construction. There is 1-2 catering staff serving food then two staff (a HLTA and a TA from school) employed to supervise and look after/engage the children. They are signed in and out. All are escorted to their classroom by staff.

Seems a bit strange. It might not have anything to do with the head though, ours isn't. In my dc breakfast club they mark them in when they come though the door. The kids queue up for breakfast when they arrive with trays, they have a choice of cereal, plus juice and toast. After the child has eaten they are allowed over to the 'games' side of the Hall where they have jigsaws, board games, colouring stuff etc. at 8.50. The playground supervisor is out so years 1 plus can go out and play. Reception children aren't allowed until next term, so their teacher comes to the hall to Fetch them. They have about 4 breakfast club supervisors in the hall to help the children (about 50). I would def raise it with the school, they should be well supervised.

Ours doesn't have a register, but there is a TA at the door monitoring who comes in/out, and staff supervising the children. At 8:40ish the juniors go out to play and the younger ones are guided to their classrooms. I've seen the TAs counting to check they leave the hall and arrive at the classroom with the same number of children . Ours is very informal though, we don't prebook or anything and it's free

Sounds terrible,

I dislike ours as it has computer games(I don't think that a great idea before school), but they do provide endless food(toast,cereals and fruit), juice,and make sure the children have eaten, lots of games they have a massive walk in cupboard, and they use the hall with balls and mats, it's in the school hall, with a side room, and a kitchen,

The two women who run it are TA in the school (but they run the breakfast club as a separate business, and pay rent for the space to the school), they make the children clear up at the end, carefully pack them up with bags and send them off to classrooms, but take the younger ones themselves.

the children are closely supervised and behaviour monitored, I often sit in the side room as my child has music lessons before school, and have to say it is value for money, and run well,(apart from computer games)

Sounds awful. Even if every poster on here came on and said it WAS normal it wouldn't be good enough for any child in my opinion. You need to make an appointment to discuss it with the head asap...not an email. You should write down your concerns too so you don't forget.

Don't be bullied or talked over but obviously remain polite....these are very small children and they need constant supervision.

This is exactly like our breakfast club, its more to ensure kids get breakfast rather than childacre. My DS goes to a CM instead.

Our school operates a breakfast club along the lines that AllThatGlistens outlines. I would not be happy with what you describe - it sounds like a canteen.

The lack of a register suggests that this is not a 'drop and run' facility but if it isn't, then what's it for? I know some schools provide a free breakfast to ensure children are fed in the mornings but that's not what you are describing either.

Our breakfast club is nothing like you describe. They offer breaksfast to the children, ie cereal and toast and the TAs do look after the children until its time to go to lessons. If the children go out to play after breakfast then a TA watches them as that is what the parents have paid for. The children have some board games, jigsaws and TV to keep them amused before school. We pay £3.50 a session for breakfast club.

My DD is at breakfast club. She is met at the door. They are all in one room and are fed and then play until they are taken to the playground when the bell goes. I would expect them to be supervised by a member of staff if it is somewhere you are supposed to leave them and you are paying.

Ours is outsourced so not actually part of e school, but is an ofsted registered provider. Thy have ratios to meet, activities etc and a register. It is a paid service though.

Find out who runs it, it sounds awful.

Our breakfast club is supervised , they colour or watch a DVD or play football etc all for 20 pence a day

BarbarianMum The one at the school my dc go to isn't a drop and run one. I think the idea was that dc could come into school (with their parent(s)) and have breakfast with some members of staff available to sort of promote home/school interaction. I think they also wanted to avoid it taking business away from the before school club.

Tbh I used to occasionally take DD1 to it after I'd dropped dd2 at nursery as nursery started at the same time as breakfast club started but DD1 started later - it kept us dry if it was raining.

As I mentioned above, ours is the same as the OP. You pay 30p for breakfast. It's not childcare, it is run by 2 older/retired volunteers, who serve breakfast canteen style. Children can come & go as they please.

Ours isn't anything like this. We are always greeted by the staff, made to sign in and then we can talk to them about any concerns or just anything they need to know about DD. They then either have the option to stay in draw etc or go outside in the playground, supervised. It's really friendly. It does, however, cost £4 a session which isn't a huge amount but it's definitely not a freebie.

That's shocking! At DS's breakfast club, they have one person serving food, one person supervising. She also has a register. She greets DS by name when he arrives. There are lots of toys and books out to play with. Reception children are taken to their classroom at registration, everyone else has to make their own way (it's not part of the school, but on the same site so they just walk across to the main school building)

It costs £1 a day, which is a total bargain, in my opinion.

Who runs your club? If they are touting is as childcare then it needs to be just that!

If it's free and not childcare, then I don't see a problem other than they obviously haven't made it clear to you that you remain responsible for your DC until they go to class.

DS1 goes to Kids Club in the mornings - they serve him breakfast if he wants it, but it is very clearly childcare, and obviously I pay for it accordingly. They sign him in and have the appropriate ratios etc. He is year 2 so is released to go and line up but the reception and year 1 children are taken to their class by a key worker.

Yes, this was the same at my son's school. No register, just the kitchen staff supervising (from behind the counter) with the headmaster popping in. I cried the first time I left him there. It also wasn't explained he HAD to buy food, although I was told this a few weeks later. It is free though apart from the food which was very cheap - 20p for toast I think. They then went out at 8.40.

He did get the hang of it eventually and liked going in the end, but it was another example of the school not communicating very well.

Well I sent an email and this was the response:
"Thank you for your email. The way breakfast club is run re supervision is generally what you experienced this morning. The three staff members provide the food etc and monitor activity in the dining room from the kitchen hatch. If any child needs attention, something is spilt or any other issue arises they are in a position to respond.
I usually [but not always] attend every day except Wednesday. Mrs * escorts the young children to class at 8.55am. I can confirm she did this today.
The Breakfast Club has run for many years in this format, and many of the older children have been attending since Reception class. We find all children?s independence builds quickly, new friendship groups develop. There is a high level of socialisation and levels of self - discipline are very good.

Today was a challenge because we were reopening the kitchen after major refurbishment and we were in at 7 o?clock to get prepared for 8.00am. Normally there are some toys and games available but they were not out due to time constraints.

I hope this answers your enquiries and you continue to support Breakfast Club."

Don't think he plans to use my constructive criticism to make any changes!

Perhaps a childmoinder is more for you? I send my DS to one, its £4 for her to drop him off at school & give him a spot of breakfast.

Interesting!

What are you going to do? I can say that in the end my DS did get used to it.