After school clubs

[HereBeFuckery]

Once again, primary school cancel a pre-arranged after school activity with 27 mins notice before the end of the school day. Last week, they notified us 12 minutes AFTER the end of the day that the club was cancelled and to collect children from the school office 'immediately'.

I get that clubs aren't childcare or guaranteed, but essentially, if you work (y'know, like most parents) you have to say 'no darling, you can't do X fun after school activity' because you, as a parent, would have to be free, not in a meeting and within five mins drive of school just in case they cancel at zero notice AGAIN.

Even a couple of hours would mean I could sort something out. In 20 mins I have no chance.

WIBU to make a formal complaint to governors about the piss poor communication?

@BetterBeGryffinphwoar I don't know where you live but it's not unusual at all in London. Plus I never said it was the rule but likewise it's not the rule that all clubs are run by staff who aren't paid. That's all.

Considering several have great jobs and one at uni I be would say they have turned out just fine.

we believe you 🤣🤣

When did I assume this?

@BetterBeGryffinphwoar - I don't understand why you're so convinced that you know how all schools run these things. I haven't heard of any free run by teacher clubs in our local schools, except for "homework club" which is basically for kids who are behind to get extra help. Actually our school charges a token amount for that even!

"If there's bad weather there is limited space inside. Therefore paid for clubs are given priority."

Did you not post this?

I already posted that you pay for both types in the schools I know.

I gave you the example of my school. When did I say that all schools run free clubs?

My kids know I'm always there for them, and will be there to pick them up. Very sorry the same carnt be said for your kids.

I also gave other reasons why paid for clubs may be more likely to be cancelled than others.

In schools I’ve worked in, breakfast clubs are run by TAs (paid), internal after school clubs run by teachers are unpaid and external clubs (usually sport) are run by paid service providers.

After school childcare is different-it doesn’t have a particular focus like football/craft/Lego-its purpose is childcare and it’s open till 6. Those running it are paid-either TAs or an external provider. This is run by more than one person and won’t be cancelled due to illness etc.

I gave you the example of my school. When did I say that all schools run free clubs?

You literally replied to my post telling me paid for clubs get priority.

In my school.

@Plumbear2 you have absolutely no reason to feel sorry for my dc but if it helps you feel better about your life than it's nearly Christmas & I feel charitable!

I think YANBU

I'm really curious about the number of people saying if you need childcare you should get childcare.

I feel like if you're paying for something, you can reasonably expect that it will take place except in incredibly rare circumstances. And on the infrequent occasion that a situation arises where there's a cancellation, especially a short notice one, that school has shared a back up plan. There are lots of working parents where we live (SE) who might be an hour or more away so 10 minutes notice is not sufficient to make it back for normal school collection times. If there's a wrap around alternative, then unless it's oversubscribed, can they just go in to that until parents can arrive?

We pay quite a bit for after school clubs (run by external organisations) and for wrap around care (provided by school staff). Our children do a mixture of both depending on what is available. The costs are variable. Generally the external / specific activity clubs cost more than the wrap around care. Both types of clubs/care finish at the same time and then there is a later wrap around that you can pay for separately. We also pay for breakfast club.
No one is doing it for free at our school.

I wonder if the differences of opinion reflect that in some schools the clubs are free so people think you should consider yourself lucky and pipe down if they muck you about

Afterschool clubs are not childcare - fair enough.
but even so, parents are unlikely to all be within 5 mins of the school to pick up a child earlier than expected, so if they cancel without notice they have to be prepared that not all parents are able to get there asap.
we use a wraparound care that picks up after club. And if club is cancelled - after school.

God some people really love to martyr themselves!!

No free clubs here in my bit of Sussex. Even the one that’s run by DofE volunteers from DH’s school (who were mildly scandalised to discover there was a charge). When it was cancelled they just kept DC until someone could get there…our childminder was in the park with DS2 and didn’t have phone reception even though they were 10 minutes away!

I'm really curious about the number of people saying if you need childcare you should get childcare.

It's bizarre!

& strange that it's a judgement on your parenting too.

Because an after school club is not childcare.

We have after school care (childcare) and then clubs. You can book both and children go to a club and then to after school care. If a club gets cancelled they would just go to after school care.

YANBU. It’s fine that ASCs are cancelled at times but 30 hour (or as you say, 15 minutes AFTER school has finished) is not sufficient for all parents and they should expect that not all parents can be there in mere seconds.

So I book & pay for my child to go to coding, that's not childcare.

I book & pay for my child to go asc where he plays minecraft & that is childcare.

Ok..

After-school clubs are not childcare, the same that rainbows or karate clubs aren't childcare. They are enrichment activities and if you need to collect them you do so. If all parents had the attitude that these clubs are childcare nobody would be prepared to run them

Yes, that's right. ASC is childcare. Coding club isn't.

I book both on days when DCs want to do an activity club and I have to work. It isn't rocket science