To consider private schools due to the longer school day?

[Workingawayfromhomenow]

It isn’t the only consideration by a long shot but it is a consideration, as we would struggle otherwise. I realise people do manage of course but interested in knowing if this was a factor for anyone else when choosing a school.

Some do @splishsplashsploshsplish which is a pity. It may just end up being the option which suits us best, is all.

Thanks @ThePenOfMyAunt - hope things work out for your DS

I understand. We sent our dd to a prep school locally as a day girl, but they had boarding facilities.
They had clubs after school, from 4.30 to 5.15. If you wanted them to have supper, they could at 6pm.

I once asked 'what would happen if we couldn't collect her?' (Meaning an emergency). They said, probably give her some pj's and find a bed for her.

It felt very like a small 'home from home' - no extra costs for clubs, I think they would charge for supper, and small fee for overnight.

Bonkers place, but she loved it

It was definitely part of our decision OP. In some cases, as mine were day pupils at prep boarding schools, they even stayed for supper. On days it wasn’t needed I picked up at normal time.
It’s a huge bonus and once prep is done they do clubs, sports or just hang out with their friends. It is a long day, but it’s not all work. No different to playing out with your friends after school.

@Workingawayfromhomenow it was a factor for us. DC do 8.30-3.30 as standard but have clubs after school (included in the fees) until 4.15. School has wraparound care 7.45-18.00 that you can book ad hoc and there’s always space. I am in and out of hospital (as a patient) at short notice so it’s a lifesaver for us.

The state schools near us are 9-3.15, limited availability in wraparound care and a couple of clubs after school. Fundamentally we wanted a small class size for DC and that meant private school but the wrap around care was definitely a pro.

If you can get flexible wrap-around care, which is what you need, at the private school then I would say go for it. We have a flexible (week by week or fixed if you need it) after school system ( this is a private school plus homework club (free) on certain days which all helps). The state school was book and pay upfront a term in advance which was very inflexible and didn't suit us.

This was not the reason we moved to private school (many others - though this is not the thread for that discussion!) but as someone said earlier it does make life easier for working parents if you find the right wraparound care which suits you needs.

@Stormyseasallround we are a while off making a permanent decision but I am weighing up various odds. I won’t be making a final decision for some time. I am really not sure why this is a problem.

If you live somewhere where there’s a good school offering reasonably priced and quality wraparound care as well as (perhaps) childminders available then possibly this seems a silly dilemma.

However, our local school does not offer wraparound care. We aren’t in a position to make a regular arrangement with anybody as we don’t want or need regular hours. We could find a school with wraparound care but this would mean going the opposite direction to where I work, and at a school that isn’t great.

So - while private school is an expensive option it may also be the most practical option. This isn’t a slight on state schools and shouldn’t be taken as such.

I personally don't feel insulted, having been to private myself, but I do feel it is a waste of cash in a great many cases. Also I think that a certain group of parents who used to send to private now no longer do (partly financial, partly social reasons) and consequently many of those schools have changed a lot in approach since I went because they are appealing to a different audience.

I don't get your post OP, sorry.

If you can get the same weap round care at a state school why are you willing to pay £000's more for private school, unless your looking for justification to send your DC to private school?

If you can't get wrap round care, then you could get a childminder.

Seriously why are you asking this question? You don't need to justify sending your DC to a private school, if you can afford it, JDI.

Thanks for those posts on this page - I was starting to wonder what on earth was going on here!

You do ‘get it’ @Dibbydoos , so I’m not sure why you’re pretending you don’t.

I wouldn’t have childcare as something to consider when I’m weighing up the pros and cons as like you say you only need it now and then so it’s probably easier to get a babysitter on those odd days.

Do you usually finish in time to pick them up from school?

I completely get what you’re saying and I chose a school which did have after school clubs and wrap around care but I needed it regularly but if you only need it now and then I wouldn’t base my decision on it.

However if you like the private school and you wanted them to go there anyway, then the longer day is a bonus.

Do they have lessons until 4pm?

This would put me off slightly. As I think that’s a long day to be sat in a classroom learning.
With wrap around care they’re often playing, so although it’s in the same building it’s not actually school.

Sounds like it’s a factor to consider.
at my dds (state) school you can book breakfast club and after school club ad hoc up to the night before which is great, and I’ve never had an issue getting a place. Or book a guaranteed session place week but then you do pay whether you use it or not. But I know not all schools are like that and some after school clubs are over subscribed.

@Onwards22 if we went down the state route I would need to stay part time, compressing my hours. That’s not a problem but is a bit of a PITA as I’d really be doing the same work for less money.

Of course, private would eat the financial benefit of working FT! But I would be contributing more to my pension so could retire earlier, I suppose!

What? No idea what subtext this even is!

I'm telling you tp be honest with yourself. Your post is not about childcare is it?

They days really aren't that much longer but the holidays are.

Yes it was a consideration for us. The fees included wrap around care. I could drop DS off at 7.45am and pick him up at 5.45pm. He is an only child and loved the time after school to play out with friends. He built up a number of friends outside of his year who were regulars at after school club. He was also able to attend after school sports clubs.
I I turned up early I would have to wait for him to finish playing.
At senior school he also makes full use of after school sports clubs.
As a result he is pretty independent and has been happy to use the school bus, never worries if I’m running late and very sociable.
I was also able to make use of holiday clubs since it was usually the same children who attended late clubs. It was lovely to watch him with the little ones for whom he had a great deal of patience.

Of course it is about childcare. Sometimes, we would have no one to pick up or drop off and need help with this. Our local school don’t have wraparound care, and so we do need to find a school that does. The only ones that do within catchment distance go the opposite direction to where I work, so not a very practical choice (or great one in other terms) so am thinking outside the box a bit.

We can afford it but will notice it: we aren’t hugely wealthy. So it is a big decision.

Thanks @Angrymum22 - it’s good to hear it was a factor that influenced other peoples choices too.

It seems pretty baffling to choose to live in a small village where you hate the local school provision when you clearly could afford to live somewhere else. Going from private at primary to state at secondary is hard so once you've committed to private, you're locked in for close on half a mill for 2 kids.

Mine stay til 4.30 for £6!!

Yes me. I would have turned down the state school place and gone private had I not got the wraparound place. It is massively over-subscribed (the wraparound) and there are hardly any local childminders who can pick up. Also with a longer school day you may be able to get away with less wraparound when they are a bit older and can entertain themselves for an hour after school.

@Clymene we love our house. I don’t ‘hate’ the local school but am aware that very small schools can sometimes bring with them their own problems - and wraparound is an issue.

I certainly wasn’t thinking of changing to state at secondary: I think that would be very unsettling.

Thanks @vera16 - it does seem it’s a factor then, even if bizarre to some!

Our private school has registration at 8.30 and finishes at 4.30 as the core hours. After school clubs go to either 5.30 pm or 6 pm. Our local state school is 8.45 to 2.45 core hours. Not sure about afterschool arrangments though.

Lots of parents at my dd's private school like the idea of the wrap around care. It's given by the same staff who are there everyday, including holiday clubs too.