School wrap-around - what do we do ?

[Oneanddone88]

Hi,
DD (4) just started reception. I chose the school based on local reputation plus the availability of breakfast club and after school club to facilitate us still working. The school explained to us in a meeting that the after school club runs daily.
Fast forward to a week before term in September and the club (who are a private company hired by the school), says they aren't running due to a lack of staff.
Panic stations as we have no local family and not huge flexibility with our jobs. Partner WFH twice a week so collects then and I work 4 days. So we needed after school club for two afternoons.
The schools response was 'that's a shame but nothing we do'.
We've had to juggle it with another local parent who collects on the two days we needed and we take her DS to school every day. Workable in the very short term but not long term as she is having to leave work super early those days and meet important meetings.
I've emailed the school a few times asking for updates and it's all very 'no nothing sorry '.

I'm at the point where I'm wondering do we move schools to one where they have nursery wraparound.
Also one childminder serves the school we chose, and she's full with a waiting list.

What has also annoyed me is that when we went to info afternoon with the school where they told us the club runs daily , that it wasn't even true. The after-school club told us they ran for two days a week last academic year , and not even the days we needed.

Has anyone else experienced similar before? I feel very stressed. I changed my job of 12 years due to DD starting school and wonder now why I bothered as we're in a worse logistical situation thanks to this.

There's nothing from the club or school about when this is going to be resolved.

In my town in the North East, it's desperate. Teachers and TAs have been subject to redundancy left,right and centre. Most schools are now relying on agency to fill the gaps as, though they have to pay agency a higher rate, the LA doesn't have to contribute to our pensions and we are only paid when we are at work. No sick or holiday. The amount of qualified teachers I have met through the agency doing supply TA work because that is all they can get is depressing.
The school I work at as supply currently has just laid off a load of staff, but is woefully understaffed. We have a high quotient of severe special needs in EYFS and are struggling to cope.
Most teachers round here are lucky to get a year contract covering maternity leave, ditto TAs. But it's the same in many fields. Every admin type jod here has 200 applicants. When one of the big supermarkets advertises for workers, it's like locusts.

As a side note OP if you are near London PM me as I know someone who is looking for this type of work.

Why on earth should the responsibility lie with la's when they no longer look after schools and both labour and conservatives agree that la oversight should be replaced by large multi academy trusts that have ceo's to manage them and the la is only ever involved for pan (admission numbers), agreeing changes to admissions code that are within the law (la can't just say no) and lado (safeguarding so serious ie sexual links between teacher and child or abuse).

If they can move they should, there are literally hundreds of teacher vacancies we are thousands down. So there are definitely teaching jobs but maybe less locally?

There are hundreds of teaching jobs round here as well-because teachers are leaving in their droves and going into other sectors. They don’t want to work in schools on a professional wage, let alone work on minimum wage in an after school club.

We can’t hire TAs for love nor money either as similar wages can be found with much less stress/violence.

It's not a good idea to make any one body, whether that's a school or a local authority, responsible for providing a type of childcare that may or may not be viable in an area.

Apologies if someone has said this, but if you're otherwise happy with the school, talk to your employer. I did that this year, turns out there are now lots of people in the same situation and needing to take their lunch around 3pm-ish so they can collect kids.

your child is only in reception. I would change schools sooner rather than later when they have developed deep friendships.

Wrap around care is important to your family and necessary. The current school does not sound like it can be depended on for the care. It may well get another provider but who is to say they won’t leave at some point as well.

also think of holiday clubs care which will be needed

I don’t think op needs to change schools. There are as I say the nanny and childminder options

She’s already said there isn’t a childminder available, only 1 for the whole school and she’s full (same situation at my school - 400+ pupils and one only childminder!) Nannies are extremely expensive and not many want to work 2-3 hours a day twice a week, they want full time or at least every day after school.

Not sure what youre actually asking or expecting to be honest. The ASC has now closed, it isnt the schools problem its yours so now you have to make some decisions. Get help from other people, change your hours OR move DD to a different school. Im not sure what help you expect from the school or posters on here to be honest

I explained this above in the thread. Great idea but never going to happen under the Tories.

But Local Government budgets are being slashed by this Conservative Government. My LA has to save £5.5million on Children’s Services alone, again this year.
LA’s are struggling to meet their statutory requirements ( safeguarding children, school transport, provision for children and young people with SEND and vulnerable children) due to funding cuts.
^^
Look at how many LA’s are having facing ‘bankruptcy’ and having the right to manage their own finances removed by central government. Decision making taken away.
^^
We have had redundancies reducing from 120 staff to 15 in just one of our Children’s Service’s department, supporting schools.
^^
With not enough money to pay for statutory services, there is no money to support/subsidise non statutory services such as after school care.

I know people who have managed successfully to find someone through bubble childcare or koru kids. Either childcare students or those wanting to supplement their income. Something to think about OP x

Nanny share

Have a look into a local childminder who offers wrap around care. It’s not the schools responsibility to offer wraparound childcare, and annoyingly things change.

The schools struggle to find people who want to work these (rubbish and very low paid) hours, they or agencies advertise for months on end with little to no takers. Its really hard work, rubbish times to have to work especially if you have your own family and you go home with a pittance at the end of the month. Every school I know in my local area struggle to staff it; they have resorted to employing sixth formers who some are great and others sit on their phones and don’t interact with the kids . Cost of living people need to earn more money, same as support staff in NhS and Schools, people need more money now.

I have to say I wouldn’t want that job and take my hat off to people that do.

🙄Yes, because after 8 pages of comments, no one has suggested a wrap around childminder.

RTFT

It's part of the reason i am a SAHM. Litrerally 0 ofsted registered CM would do drop off to DD school, ASC full and you had to reapply every term. I did have a nanny but was too £££ as she would only work a full day shift. Neither DH or i could WFH. Im lucky i can SAH, it would be a nightmare if i needed to work as we would need it 7am-7;30pm. And i am outer london too!!!! (Tbf there are extenuating circs in my case but stil!)

@gemma19846

Not sure what youre actually asking or expecting to be honest. The ASC has now closed, it isnt the schools problem its yours so now you have to make some decisions. Get help from other people, change your hours OR move DD to a different school. Im not sure what help you expect from the school or posters on here to be honest

What the OP is communicating is that she made the decision to move her job, and select a school, to accommodate her family's needs - because the school had said that wraparound care would be available.

It isn't now, and she is left completely stranded. This means there is no provision for her child, other than care provided as a favour, which is unsustainable.

I think she said she is a teacher, and will be subject to a three-month notice period.

This leaves her in an impossible situation.

We should all care about this.

The OP is signalling to the Mumsnet community that the current situation is unfair, damaging to young children, and damaging to the whole of society.

How is it good for the rest of us, or our children, if we are losing highly-qualified teachers from the state system because there is no childcare infrastructure?

Women are leaving the labour market in droves, and not because they actively want to. Leaving because there is no care infrastructure damages our long-term earning capacity, and will reduce their pensions further down the line.

This needs a system-level fix and some public investment - parents cannot simply manage their calendars better to be in two places at once.

The OP deserves sympathy - and also our thanks for taking the time to tell us what it's like for parents of early years children.

When my dds were at primary school a local nursery used to pick up children including dds in a minibus from all 4 local primaries and took them to the secondary school which had an area they rented for the purpose. There was not enough call then for each school to have their own afterschool care.

OP is a teacher. Your suggestion won't work for her.

Well said

The afteschools who ran in our area before covid found that after covid they couldn't get the staff or the numbers - as staff had found other jobs while afc were closed during covid and many parents stopped using breakfast club and afc as they were working from home

@potterycorner well said.

It's in nobodies interest for women (or men) to be leaving the workforce due to a lack of suitable wrap around childcare.

It's definitely not just a 'woman' problem some men it will be them who end up either giving up work or putting their career at risk trying to juggle the 3pm school run and wfh.

Where I am one went bust with lack of numbers. The remaining is over subscribed as more people return to the office and 'hybrid' working has become a thing.

It probably doesn't help that afterschools are competing with councils early year provision for staff. And lots and lots of other employment opportunities that pay better and give better hours. Especially once people's kids are up and they nolonger benefit from 'free childcare' as a Benefit in Kind.

Looks like you'll have to employ a childminder, nanny or get an aupair. They are very hard to find where I am especially since brexit. It is awful our after school club runs every day but has a 2 year waiting list!