To be annoyed with the school (again!)

[extremepie]

Ds1&2 (ds2 has ASD) attend after school club 2 days a week while I attend college. My third day at college is a half day so technically I don't need to use after school club but I asked the school if they would be happy to take the dc's on the third day as well to give me more time to use the library/facilities at the college & get my work done. They agreed, and even managed to find another person who would do the third day as ds2's usual 1:1 couldn't (or didn't want to) do the third day.

Went to pick them up last week and they have now told me they have had a 'management meeting' and they are refusing to take them on the third day. They have also refused to take them on one additional day next week which I requested as a one off (and will pay for as extra ) as I am booked in to do a one day course which will enable me to drive a bike and dramatically reduce my travelling time between college & home.

They didn't actually give a reason why, just that it was a 'management decision'.

They have also said that they will not take the dc's for any more days after school until they have a payment for the after school club - I have applied for and been awarded assistance with childcare from the college. When I did so I had to fill out a form stating the days/hours I needed care paid for so, since the school initially agreed, I filled the form out for 3 days. So essentially when the month comes through they will be being paid for 3 days but have said they will only take them for 2. The payments are paid from the college directly to the school so I have nothing to do with the money now!

Aibu to think:

The school should stick to it's agreed times re 3 days not 2, especially since they will receive additional payment off doing so!

They are being pretty unfair refusing to do the additional day considering that the whole point of me doing this course is so I can get back from college and pick dc's up earlier, thus cutting down the amount of time they spend in after school club?

They are being really U to demand payment from me when they know I have been awarded payments from the college & that said payments get paid every 4 weeks in arrears?

Getting so fed up with them, feels like they are being deliberately difficult - I suspect a large part of it is they don't want to deal with ds2 as he is more work (have had major issues with this in the past with them!)

Sorry so long :/

Youare, yes it is supposed to be £4ph or £10 for the whole session per child but they charge me £40 for the session for both - plus the 8 for the breakfast club in the morning. I thought that too that is should be £12 instead of £16 but I'm just so tired of fighting with them in all honesty I'm struggling :/

This is in a rural school too so not exactly inner London prices or anything.

Float, I know that SN is probably the best place to get advice but I don't want to be put off posting in Aibu as it's the best for traffic and since I need to try and get this resolved by middle of next week I needed some advice quickly :) I don't really have any friends or family to advise either so I just try to take the good bits from here and ignore the not so good. Sometimes I can't though!

Well the school have not done themselves any favours by not giving a proper explanation and having that ('management decision' explanation) delivered by a TA, who did not make the decision. Not very transparent.

I'm afraid I have a tendency to be cynical, concerning such matters, due to personal experience. My posts undoubtedly reflect this, although I only have talked in terms of this appearing to be a case of discrimination. However the school still have a chance to deliver a more reasonable explanation to the OP, when she meets with them.

Would your local Parent Partnership be able to send a representative to attend a meeting with you, to resolve this, extreme?

It's an awful situation for you with lots of stress. The school are moving the boundaries which isn't fair BUT I can understand them getting nervous about the arrears in payments. I would contact your college ASAP and request a letter be faxed to the school stipulating when payments are starting and the amount.

I'm sorry if this has been said before but would something like this help:

www.snapchildcare.co.uk

An actual nanny or perhaps advertise for someone who has sen experience to cover childcare - outside the normal childminder route

Daisyflowerchain, have you read the OP's posts at all? First you assert that she's only paid for one or two sessions when she has, with difficulty, paid for two months' sessions. In your latest post, you say that the school has said "no more attendance till arrears are paid" when, if you look at the first post, they've said nothing of the sort.

It may not have been your attention, but it does look as if you were so keen to criticise that you couldn't be bothered to check the facts first.

Shame you can't use the money to hire your own TA with sen experience to work with him in the afterschool setting

Just ask the head direct why he/she has pulled the provision if its just a TA passing the message on but find a sitter in the meantime for the bike test. Can't nobody from your family or your OH have them for the few hours after school?

Ice ok, it says in the first post the school have said they cannot attend after school until payment is made. I took it as fact given the OP posted it

Daisy, OP also explains in her 15:41 post that she has no family available to help out. It is why she uses childcare....

daisy the OP has already answered your previous question about family/father availability..

Capsicum, the OP has a sister that has picked her children up from school when ill so must live pretty close and whilst the childrens dad is miles away the new partner must be local given the posting history re sex five times a week last month. Still, easier to blame the school for them not providing care when not being paid.

Is it actually the school who are running the ASC, or an independent group using the schools' premises? Not sure if it even makes any difference, but I do not see how they can refuse to have your child there otherwise. I am also staggered that they can get away with charging you an extortionate amount compared with their 'normal' rate, and yet insist you collect an hour early.

And as someone else said, your reasons for wanting this after-school care are nothing to do with them. Funding aside, you could be off to eat chocolate while you have your nails done, for all it has to do with them.

Daisy I am just reiterating what the OP said. I do not think her personal life has any bearing, upon how unfair the school are acting in this situation, either.

The school are being paid too, through an established funding scheme. Yes, this in arrears, but schools do accept funding grants such as this. Otherwise it would not exist in the form it does now.

Why the embarrassingly, harsh, degrading, comments towards the OP, regarding her personal life?

extremepie apologies if I've missed this but do both your children need 1-1 care? I'd assumed it was one child so bill per session was 1 child at £10 plus 1 child at £20 so £30 not £40 ??

I plan to Daisy :D Hopefully I will get to meet with him tomorrow and will get some answers.

I don't have an OH unfortunately, I have one friend and my sister and they both work full time, both are working on that day :/

Purple is that snap place just for London?

Daisy and if we are talking of posting history I noticed you posted this on another thread.

You can work as well, why do you get to not too? Childcare is more readily available then ever. Even those with partners who work away for months on end can hold down a job...

Except when there are SN, eh?

No myrtle, ds1 is NT, not sure why they are charging that much but I will query that as well.

Whoa, hang on Daisy, I haven't posted about sex 5 times a day or whatever it is, you must have me confused with someone else!

Does your student union have a solicitor? Some do for free advice. might be worth checking out.

Daisy do you and Coolas meet up for coffee a lot?

If they've overcharged you from the beginning.... You are probably in minimal arrears anyway so further undermining they're decision making process, and I'm being generous calling it a process.. Unless they're cgarging you extra because you're a sexpot

Daisy I don't know what kind if search you did???

My previous comment was a joking reference to Daisy's. Hope no offence caused.

HappyMummyOfOne had a very twatty noticeable theme and tone to all her posts, didn't she... I thought MNHQ had asked her to tone it down and stop being such an arsehole but maybe not.

Anyway. OP. You do need to ask on the SN board for better quality advice regarding the apparent discrimination towards your DS. This isn't right at all.

The only possible reason I can think of for the school insisting on the children being picked up early is that they are over their numbers and there is not enough staff after 5.00. But that wouldn't explain why you still have to pay until 6.00. Bizarre.