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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To wonder why more schools don’t have this??

147 replies

Easysolution · 13/01/2019 22:30

So I have NC for this but basically I have realized that I have struck gold with my DC’s school. Now we are not in uk but in Ireland so not far.
Basically her school has an attached Montessori and “Afterschool” facility
My DC1 Attends the school and DC2 attends the Montessori.
School starts at 8.40, drop off for Montessori (and school) is from 8.30 onwards (although official hours are 9-12 for Montessori)so technically first half hour free. Children in Ireland have 9-12 per day free childcare from age 3-5 (provided by Montessori) and then after 12 it is €4 per hour for DC2. They get a snack at 11 and I provide a packed lunch also for 12/half12.

My DC1 finishes school hours @ 1.20 (first two years of primary finish an hour earlier than the rest of school) and then is collected at her classroom by one of the Afterschool team who bring her to the Montessori/Afterschool rooms (joined by a big double door) they do homework (except reading) and they have toast at 3oclock, this service is also €4 an hour. The Afterschool team also collects the older children at 2.20 and bring them to Afterschool too. They all do homework and play/chat etc until they are collected. It is open until 5.30.

I am a teacher also but my school starts at 9 (thank god) and finishes at 2.40. I usually get to collect my DC by half 3.

I am in awe of the school and what they provide, it is amazing and the kids love it!! Just wondering why it’s not more common as I think it seems a lot more ppl could do with a service like it.

Also it’s not a booked place so if they don’t attend I don’t pay. It’s only school term obviously but that suits me as I am a teacher.

Anyone else have ANYTHING similar??

OP posts:
Original poster
Easysolution · 13/01/2019 22:31

God that was a long post 😆

OP posts:
starryeyed19 · 13/01/2019 22:31

That sounds FABULOUS

Llareggub · 13/01/2019 22:32

This is the norm at our school. Which bit do you think is unusual?

AlexanderHamilton · 13/01/2019 22:34

Some schools do have wrap around childcare. It’s not free though.

Original poster
Easysolution · 13/01/2019 22:34

@Llareggub
I think basically the fact that they don’t charge when you don’t attend, they are so easy going, I could turn up at the door in the morning and say oh DC is in for lunch today (or not). Everyone I talk to has nothing similar 😬 you are literally the first person to say they have the same!! Yay!! Where are you based?

OP posts:
Original poster
Easysolution · 13/01/2019 22:35

@AlexanderHamilton no ours is not free it’s 4 an hour per child! Which I think is minimal tbh as they feed them snacks and do homework 🙌

OP posts:
ScrumptiousBears · 13/01/2019 22:36

We have very similar at ours. In fact nearly all schools in our area have a breakfast and after school club facility now

Mulberry72 · 13/01/2019 22:37

So, just before and after school club then?

My DS primary school had the same thing? Confused

lostlalaloopsy · 13/01/2019 22:37

We have the same in our school plus a breakfast club from 8am, school starts at 9am.

AlexanderHamilton · 13/01/2019 22:37

Does Ireland have legal childcare ratios? If so how do they know how many staff to rota if they don’t know how many are attending? Also what happens if fewe children attend than expected. They would make a loss which isn’t economically viable long term.

arethereanyleftatall · 13/01/2019 22:38

Eh? Breakfast club and after school club? Absolutely standard at every school I know of.

loubluee · 13/01/2019 22:38

Ds when they were in primary (can’t comment on the nursery as it was set up after ds’s started) they had breakfast club from 7-9am with toast, cereal, fruit, waffles and yoghurts, along with milk and fruit juice. Then school 9-3:30. Then after school was 3:30-6:00pm, where they had a homework club, play station, Xbox, videos, games, arts and crafts etc, and had snacks of toast, toasted sandwiches, sandwiches, fruit, and so on. This cost us £4.50 per hour and again was a paid when attended, and you didn’t have to book a day. This also ran as a holiday club too.
So not as good as yours OP but we found ours very beneficial when we used it.

StickItUpYaJumpa · 13/01/2019 22:38

Do you mean you have a breakfast club and after school club?

We are lucky that we don't have to use both every day but we'd be stuck if we didn't have that option. After school club is expensive though.

Original poster
Easysolution · 13/01/2019 22:38

@Mulberry72 essentially but I find it strange that loads of ppl seem to struggle with after school childcare in here! If most schools provide this in the uk then why the struggle?

OP posts:
Llareggub · 13/01/2019 22:39

I'm in Wales. Breakfast club starts at 7.45. Afterschool club is until 5.30 and is £6.50. My children are older but when they were in nursery it was the same set up as the one you describe.

Original poster
Easysolution · 13/01/2019 22:40

No it’s not a breakfast club, they don’t get breakfast. DC1 gets dropped to the school yard at half 8, and the school hall is open on wet days. DC2 is in Montessori and can be dropped half hour earlier (half8) for free

OP posts:
themartinipolice · 13/01/2019 22:41

No before or after school club in my area (local authority can't afford it) so this does sound amazing OP. Must make life so much easier!

PutYourBackIntoit · 13/01/2019 22:41

Yes, this is the same as our school / preschool set up. It's great! 7.45 to 6pm and £3.90 an hour. We only pay for what we use although they do like to know in advance but not always essential. We in Gloucestershire.

Lucked · 13/01/2019 22:41

Nope we don’t have it here so I have to pay for (more expensive) off site childcare which means two journeys for the children morning and afternoon.

Original poster
Easysolution · 13/01/2019 22:42

@AlexanderHamilton I have no idea how they manage that way to be honest yes they have legal ratios. But they have some part time staff who come and go throughout the week when the are busy. So I guess they must let them know when they get the numbers in the morning.

OP posts:
steppemum · 13/01/2019 22:43

I'm in England.
We have breakfast club from 7:45, costs £1

Afterschool clubs are available in the area, and they all collect from local schools. Don't know th eprice as I haven't had to use them, but certainly they are there

PrivateDoor · 13/01/2019 22:43

We have this, though the afterschool club needs booked on Mondays for that week. Breakfast club is one pound and afterschools is 3 pounds, it closes at 5pm. It is fabulous!

StickItUpYaJumpa · 13/01/2019 22:44

If we had to send DS to breakfast club and after school club everyday that would be about £25 a day so I'm not sure that is a viable option for every day all term for lots of people.

We could drop DS off at 0700hrs and pick him up at 1800hrs which won't suit all working patterns. At my last job I didn't finish until 1800hrs.

The actual club isn't one I would chose if we had a choice. It's of the "stick them in a room playing PEGI 18 games" school of thought. Don't worry we had words aboit the game but I suspect they still have them out when we don't book in.

Don't get me wrong, it's great that it is there but doesn't solve everything.

Mulberry72 · 13/01/2019 22:46

@Easy It’s very common in my area, all our local primary schools have them, it never occurred to me that there were schools that didn’t.

Every day is a school day! Smile

JassyRadlett · 13/01/2019 22:46

Our school does this, run by TAs. £6.50 for the morning, £17.50 for 3.10-6.10 in the afternoon. They use the school kitchens for a hot tea - pasta, fajitas, curries, that sort of thing.

The big difference is that it is prebooked, and is so popular that if you don’t secure a place at the start of the school year, your chances are nil. There are 50 places (determined by staff and available space) for a school of 400, so a lot of kids still need other childcare.