Breakfast club AIBU (Wales one)

[oohlalala]

Can someone please explain in easy English why some schools in Wales give out free breakfasts to the children, irrespective of circumstance, but some choose not to?

For some reason DC's school charge for this service. I wouldn't mind except I have heard friends bragging about sending their kids to them when they are not in work so they can have a nice relaxing breakfast at home, when we have to pay for this privilege just to make it to work on time. The bill really mounts up quickly too.

If theres a reasonable explanation I will concede that its fair enough, but would just like to understand why some do & some don't really.

I think £7 sounds more like "morning childcare" than "breakfast club". Breakfast club here is £1 per child or £1.50 per family, but it's targetted at getting children who would normally arrive to school without breakfast or late into school and fed. It's not really there for the benefit of working parents, whereas at the last school I worked in breakfast club was definately aimed at working parents and cost more.

I imagine for some councils/la's it might be more cost effective to just make it free for everyone and give the schools a budget within their budget than employing someone to deal with the organisation of it all.

£7 per day for breakfast club? That's scandalous. In the schools near me the typical charge seems to be £1.50 per day. If I was you I would definitely politely query the cost with the school.

I am in Wales and DC school doesn't even do breakfast club.

My understanding is that the schools get money from the Welsh Assembly for the cost of the food (cereal, bread, juice) but the school can charge for the childcare element, e.g. drop off at 7:30.

A few schools locally have a system whereby they charge £2 if you drop off before 8:30 but it is free if you drop off at 8:30.

£7 is a lot to charge per day.

Are the staff who run the breakfast club school staff? I'm wondering if the highcost is because they have hired some sessional workers who need paying perhaps?

learning.gov.wales/docs/learningwales/publications/140627-free-breakfast-primary-guidance-en.pdf
m.southwales-eveningpost.co.uk/school-breakfast-club-time-cut-half/story-26326009-detail/story.html

The funding goes to the councils in Wales not schools.
Funding has been cut leading to the clubs closing, charging, cutting hours etc.

Bertha is correct, the funding goes to councils. IME schools have leeway in how they operate and some will just add extra hours to the canteen staff or TAs, some will employ a specific person. They might have other overheads for example a separate fridge and big toasters (which break often?).

Even with all that, seeing the amount of food children are getting, £7 does seem a lot.

Bertha I tried to read that doc but I must be too thick to understand as I don't find it very clear. The club is usually run by a TA and I do occasionally see parents helping, but mostly another TA. I gennuinely don't mind paying, just a bit annoying when people in a similar boat are given this as a freebie and find £7 a bit steep. I mean its not as steep as private nursery and we've been there too, just thought we wouldn't be paying out so much indefinately, but actually with after school club, dinner money and snack money its a close call!

Our school has a free breakfast club that starts at 8.15. We're in a deprived area and it was mainly started because there was a high number of children arriving at school not having had anything to eat.

It's likely that the high cost at your school is due to it starting at 7.30 and you're paying for childcare. Is it staffed by TAs or is it run by a private company?

For contrast the after school childcare at our school is run by a private company on school premises and costs £14 per child per day and the children have to be picked up by 5.30.

Our school breakfast club (in Cardiff) is free.
Kids get one small piece of toast or a bowl of cereal and a drink. It starts at 8.20am. School starts at 8.55am. so not a huge amount of extra time.

It is staffed by the school cook, and two parents are employed to run it.

TAs would need paying from around 7am rather than 8:30/9am for a 7:30am start. You're definitely paying for childcare rather than breakfast club.

Our breakfast club doesn't start till 8:10am and is free. Afterschool club is at another school (children get walked over) and costs £5 per session (till 5:30pm) including a snack (drink plus fruit, yoghurt and or sandwiches or toast/crumpets).

We are in Worcestershire and the Breakfast club is £7 (0730 to 0830) after school club £8 (1515 to 1730)
It's childcare.

We also do 'breakfast snack' for children who come without, at 0830 (school starts 0845). Two slices of toast or one piece of flapjack 50p

Ours is free as I said up thread but it's definetaly not because it's a deprived area - the 2 main villages that most of the kids live in were in the top poshest places to live in the country recently and the school has less than 1% on FSM if any at all.

Our after school club is run by a different TA but she finds it as a business and is £9 including substantial snacks and she pays other people to help staff it. Open until 6pm.

£7 a day is extortionate! Ours is 50p. Am also in Wales and ours starts at 7.45am

£7 seems very expensive! I live in commuter belt south-east England and ours has recently increased to £2.50 per day, starts at 7.45. All pupil premium children get it for free.

I'm in Wales and dc primary school have a free breakfast club doors open at 8:15 and the kids have to be in by 8:30. They are escorted from the club to the yard at 8:45 ready to join the classes lining up, school starts at 8:50.
Fruit, toast and cereal is served.

Not a deprived area (school has 5% free school meal pupils).

When I worked for the council in the welsh valleys, about a decade ago, lots of these schemes were run using EU Objective one funding. This is funding aimed at the most deprived areas in the EU. Apparently, in some areas it's cheaper to provide some benefits universally (e.g. like 2 year old free childcare hours) than it is to means test as almost everyone in the area is entitled to them. I don't know if this is still a thing?

There are two breakfast clubs at my DC school the free one that starts at 8 or 8:15 run by TA's. Its fully subscribed with a waiting list.
Then there's the childcare one which starts at 7:00 it's £7.00 also fully subscribed.

The paid club pays rent to the school and is run privately, they also run the after school and holiday clubs.

The idea behind the free breakfasts is to make sure all children can start the day with a full tummy.

In reality, plenty of parents can afford to feed their children breakfast but use it for the childcare (myself included!!).

Some schools have always charged for the childcare element (either completely or on a sliding scale e.g. charging to attend before a set time).

Funding has now been cut so many schools have been forced to review what they do - including introducing charges.

Personally I would be happy to pay.... although of course I much prefer not to :-)

I am in Scotland and we are £3.50 for breakfast club (8.15-9am) with toast or cereal and fruit plus a drink of milk or water and £10.50 for afterschool (3-5.30pm) including a snack of fruit, crackers and a drink.

I'm in England (London borough) and my local Primary school has a free breakfast club that's funded by the PTA's fundraising and various other local businesses etc.

Apart from the fact some children were turning up to school hungry and unable to focus, the school had a problem with poor punctuality/attendance.

The free breakfast club improved that massively.

I'm not sure why you'd describe parents using a free service designed for them and their children as 'bragging' though?

It's not free for anyone who desperately needs to use it, it's free for anyone who wants to, surely?

I am in southern England and my ds is now in year 9. When he was primary school I paid £5 for his breakfast club - 8-8.45, run by an outside provider.

WorralLiberty a friend of mine, I use this term loosely, was unappolergetic for stating that when DC started school full time she would be sticking them in breakfast club as it was free, and going to the gym then for leisurely breakfast. She doesn't work so I was a bit 😬 as I really have to use it and do work. It just annoyed me that she can do that, but that I have to pay. Her oh is well off so not a financial thing. Just made me wonder about other schools and why some rules for some, different for others

My children are in an independent school in Essex. Breakfast Club is £3.75 per child and open from 7.30am. Breakfasts are amazing, a bit like at a hotel - buffet with bacon, sausages, eggs, toast, tomatoes, mushrooms and hash browns, croissants, toast with a variety of toppings, breakfast cereals (those individual boxes), yoghurt, juice, milk and smoothies.

The best bit is, parents can go as well and pay the same price! My children love it when I go (once or twice a term) and my older one cries on the mornings when I don't have to be at work early and he has to have breakfast at home!

I always thought we were getting a good deal, but reading some PPs I now see just how good it is.