Am I overthinking After School Club?

[WorriedAboutASC]

Dc is 8, Y4.

Has always done breakfast club 3 or 4 times per week.

Now I need After School Club once or twice a week (depending on shifts).

I’m a single parent so I have no other options.

Wraparound co-ordinator told me that they can have 60 until 5pm then it drops to 45 for 5pm-6.15pm.

I asked what happens if they have more than 45 at 5pm, and the reply was “we manage”.

I will need to pick up around 5.30pm, and worrying they’ll be calling me to pick DC up at 5pm as they’re over ratio.

Am I overthinking this? Are they for example allowed to count the number of adults with DBS checks on site in their ratios? As I know the headteacher is often in school until around 5.30pm so if so that’s less of a worry.

Wraparound is run by 1 lady but then all the TAs from the school help as part of their job (on a rota I assume).

Do you know any other parents who have children in AFC that you could ask about practicalities?

My guess is we manage means unofficially they just carry on with too many kids, but it's not ideal if you can come back sooner.

@Wildlyboring Sadly I don't I asked on the class whatsapp but no-one uses the schools wraparound so couldn't tell me

@Thehonestybox Surely thats not allowed? I can't get back sooner, I literally can't, the train from work is at 4.45 and gets in to the station about 5.15 then I need to walk to the school.

It probably happens very rarely and is just one or two kids. No it is not allowed. But who is going to be the one to dob them in? You're all in the same boat. Maybe they ask a member of staff to stay a bit longer.

I agree, it sounds as if they just have too many children, maybe they know they will be collected shortly after the change over time.

This.

”We manage” is absolutely that they just do it anyway.

@handydandynotebook You've given me some questions to ask wraparound co-ordinator now and I feel more at ease with it.

I think it's probably staffing why they go to 45 or they just don't have the uptake after 5pm to stay open for 60.

Yes I imagine so. Its very unlikely that they have 60 kids still when their limit is 45.

They probably mean if parents are late to pick up at 5.00. Its years since mine were in asc but they had a plan for every eventuality, including if there were road accidents that caused widescale disruption and multiple parents unable to collect.

Yes, they count other staff on site as part of the ratio (school governor here!) so they’re legally covered although it’s not ideal.

OP if you are dead set on needing this after school care then I think it’s not going to do you any favours asking more questions. It sounds like they are happy to take your son and they haven’t mentioned anything like “yes he can come but you have to pick him up by 5”. So why are you worried? If you push them on what happens at 5pm and how do they manage etc then they’re going to think that you might grass them up for occasionally going over ratio and they’ll tell you there’s not space.

You’re overthinking it - my experience is very few kids were typically there post 5 and by 530, even fewer. I’d wait and see how my dc found it rather than looking for issues that might never happen.

Yes a few over or a few under numbers isn't as important as competent staff who intervene when someone is doing something unsafe or unkind to another child. You can have plenty of within numbers rules settings that aren’t safe due to poor staff.

Thanks everyone, nerves calmed. I think it'll be fine. Never had an issue with breakfast club at all, so assuming it'll be the same for after school I just panicked a bit when she said "we go down to 45 at 5pm" and thought "but what if my DC is child 46?"

Good luck - never easy changing childcare arrangements