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
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:
Deadringer · 14/01/2019 00:30

You should be in bed, think of the children!!!!

hickerydickerydockmouse · 14/01/2019 00:36

I'm in London and my daughter goes to a public nursery school here. We have the same facilities and price structure as you and it's a fabulous school. We have really lucked out here and are gutted that it's not a primary school. Hopefully her primary school will be as good as this one.

Original poster
Easysolution · 14/01/2019 07:35

Seems like it’s more common than I thought then. 🤷‍♀️ Yet lots don’t find it useful or an option??

OP posts:
Canibuildasnowman · 14/01/2019 07:38

Every school in our area has wrap around care from 8-6! Either the breakfast or after school club or you can choose activity clubs before and after school with varying hours...

Mygirlpoppy · 14/01/2019 07:47

It works for you because you’re a teacher and it aligns with your working day / work year.

If you’re not off for mid terms and summer holidays, it makes those periods very stressful, as alternative care has to be sourced.

Also many people start work at 8am to finish at half 4. So again, it wouldn’t work.

Holidayshopping · 14/01/2019 07:56

It works for you because you’re a teacher and it aligns with your working day / work year.

Exactly. Is there provision there during the school holidays and inset days? If not, it’s not much good to many working people.

As a teacher as well, your hours are unusual. I’m in school by 7.30 and out at 5.30/6 and also have my children all at different schools some distance away.

RedSkyLastNight · 14/01/2019 08:00

I agree that it's the norm for every school round here. But it seems to be very area dependent. My friend would have liked to have used her school's after school club - but it finished at 5pm which is too early for most working parents. Schools in an area where there is a high proportion of SAHPs again may find that they don't get enough take up to cover the cost.

Wallywobbles · 14/01/2019 08:00

Same deal in France. Mostly all the way through to 15.

CigarsofthePharoahs · 14/01/2019 08:06

My children's school has breakfast club and after school club.
If I wanted them to attend I should have put them on the waiting list about a year before they actually started school.
There just aren't enough places to meet the demand and its expensive, with two children it would add up to more than I could earn. I believe most schools in my area offer similar, but also expensive care.
If it came to the crunch, we'd have to look for a childminder, which again would probably leave me out of pocket and I was rather put off childminders due to the behaviour of several I met at toddler group. Sorry if childminders are reading, but they sure gave your profession a bad name!

treaclesoda · 14/01/2019 08:12

I'm in the UK and there is no breakfast or after school club at my kids primary or at any other primaries in my area.

And P1 to P3 finish at 2pm whilst the rest of the school finish at 3pm, so most parents spend at least some of their time having two school runs an hour apart.

And to top it all off, when you need a childminder for before and after school you end up having to pay for a full day of childcare, because you're preventing the childminder from taking another child, so it's not viable for them. People are very reliant on grandparents, but in my case I didn't have that option so I was forced into being a sahm when my children were younger.

The set up that most people are describing as normal sounds like unimaginable luxury for me.

treaclesoda · 14/01/2019 08:13

Or in other words, I think after school club sounds like a wonderful idea, as long as the children enjoy it. Smile

Racecardriver · 14/01/2019 08:14

Do this has been the case at every school I’ve attended and every school we toured for our children/they attended (bating the one eldest is currently attending which doesn’t have a nursery but it has an after school facility). Surely it’s standard?

Yura · 14/01/2019 08:15

Our school has on demand breakfast (from 7:30) and after school club (4 different length for sfter school : 4:30, 5:30, 6:00 and 6:30 pm). its a bit cheaper if you book for the whole term, but not that much. otherwise you can book 1 day in advance

Yura · 14/01/2019 08:17

we are in the uk

ErictheGuineaPig · 14/01/2019 08:22

Breakfast club is standard in Wales as its subsidised so very cheap or free. Or maybe that's just my area?! After school club is definitely less common in my area although my school offer it. Wrap around for nursery kids is even less common, although again my school offer it.

After school club is very popular and books up fast. They finish exactly 2 hours after school finishes so they get round childcare legislation thay would mean they'd have to be registered. This means they're cheap as chips. The downside is, there are plenty of parents who can't finish work early enough to take advantage of it.

Littlecaf · 14/01/2019 08:27

Prettty much all schools round here have breakfast & after school clubs. About £15 a day for both (8-9am the 3-6pm).

eosmum · 14/01/2019 08:28

In ireland also and the only schools around my area which provide all this are DEIS schools. They also get free school lunches, sandwiches etc. and subsidised trips. Should be for all of them.

hibbledibble · 14/01/2019 08:32

Most schools in London offer this (breakfast and after-school club and nursery class).

What you are paying actually sounds expensive compared to London costs. Here it is £2 for breakfast club, and £10-12 for after-school club, so £12-14 for wrap around childcare from 7.45am to 6pm

Pinkblanket · 14/01/2019 08:40

At our school you can drop off at 8.30 for breakfast for a nominal fee. Obviously that's not early enough for a lot of people, there is an adjacent nursery school that offers a breakfast club. You have to book in advance, but they are flexible and they offer and after school club too.

Montsti · 14/01/2019 08:48

We have this but we’re not in the U.K. and it’s a private school. Also siblings have a “holding” system which is free for an hour before and after school so you don’t have to do multiple drops offs/collections...if you’re late or require a later collection then an assistant takes the kids to an aftercare facility on campus that provides lunch etc...we do pay extra for the aftercare but, as long as we sign a consent form at the beginning of the school year then you can go in as and when. So if I’m running late or something comes up then I can call reception and tell them to take my child straight to aftercare...

Whitelisbon · 14/01/2019 08:52

When some people say "we have no childcare", they actually mean, we have no childcare.
There is no wrap around care at any school round here. Our catchment primary has a breakfast club from 8.15 which is free, and there is one childminder in the village. The school has approx 200 children.
The catchment Catholic school (where my dts go) has free breakfast club from 8.30, and that's it.
If you don't have a helpful grandparent, there is literally no childcare here. And, from talking to various friends over the years, most of the villages round about are the same.

babysharkah · 14/01/2019 09:03

I'm in London we have breakfast club from 730, £5 a session and after school club until 1800, £15 per session. You have to book and pay termite in advance though.

Jebuschristchocolatebar · 14/01/2019 09:14

Erm not unusual. I’m in Dublin and my school offers breakfast club and afterschool until 6 if required. You book in the day by text message and it’s 5e an hour.

senua · 14/01/2019 09:15

this has been the case at every school I’ve attended and every school we toured for our children/they attended ... Surely it’s standard?

It's so standard these days that some can't imagine life without it but you can see from the posters where it is not standard that absence of provision makes life a nightmare. That is what it used to be like back in ye olde days - you know, when baby boomers had life sooooo easy. No free childcare back then, either.
Just saying.

DippyAvocado · 14/01/2019 09:16

Surely it’s standard?

There are many examples on this thread that show it isn't standard. It is very variable. There is no obligation for schools to provide wrap-around care. For small schools in particular, it isn't always viable. As posted upthread, my DC's school have looked into it but there weren't sufficient numbers to fund paying staff members. I work in a one-form entry primary school. We do have an after-school club but only between 4-6 children per day attend so we may have to close it. It also runs with only one staff-member which I think has its own issues.