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.

It's really shit that you were given incorrect information, obviously you need additional out of hours cover. I would be worried you'll have 6 years sourcing extra childcare, so would move schools rather than face that constant challenge.

Not everyone can afford a nanny or even a nanny share.

The OP chose the school (as others may have too) specifically because of the wraparound childcare the school said they had.

I have family help so don’t rely on wraparound care but have colleagues who do and it is really stressful for them when schools decide often at very short notice that clubs won’t be running. This country is ridiculous, there is such pressure for parents to be working full time but not much help is provided.

Ahh I know how you feel OP. DS's school cancelled their after school club, this year and it's been really difficult. Thankfully my DM doesn't work so she has been able to help, but she's often unwell so it's not always a given. DHs work have been really resistant to offering the flexibility to WFH that they promised when he first started and I can't WFH doing my job.

I know some of the local nurseries do offer pick up from the school, but DS is a flight risk so they aren't much help to us.

We've considered changing schools but due to DSs additional needs it would be difficult. He's due to start junior school next year and DS2 is due to start reception so I'll definitely be looking at another school that offers breakfast and after school clubs.

Sorry I don't have any helpful suggestions, just offering solidarity in what is an utterly shit situation.

This

Plus the school wasn't honest. There was no need to lie, and yet they did. Probably in a quest to fill classes for funding purposes, but that isn't your issue. It's theirs. And you can't trust them going forward.

I'd contact your local authority as well. Tell them the school deliberately misled you, and likely other parents, and that after school care is needed. Some local authorities will help try to get provision into schools where there is need.

I'd change school. They misled you and don't give a damn about working parents. You can bet this will be reflected in other aspects of the school life.

They'd need to pay somebody a significantly higher salary to be in charge - somebody with DSL training/a senior member of staff. Probably somebody to train school leavers as they're the most likely to be available at that time of day.

There's paying site staff to stay later.

It's not standard educational activity. There would need to be ways of keeping kids and parents away from the majority of the school premises. Somebody controlling the gate when the office staff have finished for the day. Working around parents' evenings, open evenings, parts used as polling stations, INSET days.

Depending upon the school itself (maintained or academy), the financial procedures could require it to be run as a separate entity, at which point the law requires them to not provide use for free or at a reduced cost.

Separate insurance. Variations to contracts and the associated increase in employer's contributions.

The implications for somebody expected to do breakfast club, lunch cover and after school on their maximum working periods, especially if they're also working throughout lesson time, as they would then require mandatory breaks, taking them away from children in school hours.

Separate accounting for the ASC, increasing the cost of finance staff, bank account administration, different legal requirements.

Credit control - as parents can and do omit to pay and then don't turn up to collect their children, thinking 'it's just the school, they're already there, why should I pay for this?'.

And if nobody wants to work 11 hour days with no break for a fraction over minimum wage, they're in the same position of having to close the ASC if they can't find random teenagers prepared to be there just when older women would need to look after their own children.

Add in holiday clubs with a whole other world of issues on top.

It's very complex and fraught with difficulties - which is why it's been something that external providers do.

Wakeywake, the school's first priority is the children, not working parents

But it wasn't the school cancelling the childcare. It was run by a private company who decided it was no longer viable. That could happen to anyone.

I do agree there should be more/better childcare but it's not the schools' fault that that childcare doesn't exist.

We struggle to get TAs, let alone TAs who don't have their own family commitments after school hours. That doesn't work everywhere, especially now that salaries are higher in the local superstores than TA packets.

How the hell is the school responsible for childcare?, they provide an educational setting and that's it. After school and breakfast clubs are a bonus, but, as in this case, if it becomes a problem because the provider are short staffed, then it is what it is. It's the parents responsibility to provide childcare, as it should be.
Hire an Au pair or nanny.

Hang on! There was certainly some confusion over the days the AS provision was available ( but the fact is that when the OP enquired about the days available , the provider was happy to say there would be provision on the days they needed) but why is the school to blame for the providers later decision not to continue? the OP said the decision to choose the school was because AS provision was in place. Unless the school was aware that the provider was going to close some 10 months later ( the time between application for school places and starting Reception) it's hardly misleading to say it's available when it was at the time!

Wakeywake, the school's first priority is the children, not working parents

These are, however, one and the same. If parents are unable to pay bills, of course that will impact the children.

OP, I would move without delay. They've misled you on this, how do you know they won't do similar again.

Same here - every school locally offers breakfast club and ASC. The idea that this is a huge imposition on the school, and women should just give up their silly little pin money jobs and be SAHMs because it’s just far too hard for the school to organise, is frankly bizarre.

And no, a nanny is not a realistic option - they want FT hours, and that would cost me about £50k per year including NICs, pension contributions etc, which is more than I earn after tax as a hospital consultant. A childminder would work, but OP says there aren’t any with spaces locally. Presumably because there are no ASCs running.

The thing is, though, any school could suddenly decide to stop offering childcare as it's not something they have a legal obligation to provide.

OP could move schools and find herself in the same situation next September.

It doesn't have to be TAs. As @Darhon and @Legomania pointed out it could be provisioned by staff explicitly doing Wraparound/ASC.

No one is suggesting that these staff be paid a pittance! Most ASC charge about £15 a session - which at a 1:15 ratio (with government funding on top) should be enough to pay staff a decent wage. Supply and demand - if you pay a decent and give guaranteed hours wage you will get staff.

The current set up doesn't work for working families. Even the provision that does run finishes at 5 - how are most workers ment to get to pick up when most jobs don't finish until 5!

There must be a better way.

If the provider can’t find staff, I don't know what you expect to happen. No staff no WRAC.

Unfortunately, as you will know, there is a crisis in staffing in schools (TA’s, admin) and in providers, EY staff, WRAC staff. Pay is poor, often jobs with WRAC providers are poor hours - at the start and end of a day.

I have been there so understand. As a SP I had to find a school nearer to my own so that the hours for WRAC fit needs.

No one is suggesting that these staff be paid a pittance! Most ASC charge about £15 a session - which at a 1:15 ratio (with government funding on top) should be enough to pay staff a decent wage. Supply and demand - if you pay a decent and give guaranteed hours wage you will get staff.

But who is going to be available (and willing) to work for three hours a day, term-time only? Very few people, unfortunately, which is why so many ASC providers close down or only offer very restricted hours and availability.

Hi OP, has the school and LA updated all their information to show there is now no wrap around childcare? If they haven’t, I would push for them to do so, so parents making choices for Yr. R in September 2024 can make an informed decision before the January 24 on time application deadline. This in itself could push them to act as depending on local picture, this could nudge parents towards alternative schools.

If the provision was viable, the private provider would still be running it!

Could you move your child to another school who have wrap around care, and has a space? That's rubbish what has happened to you. You cannot trust that private club, even if they said they'd run it again. For them to shut down without notice, isn't great.

Statements like this in the labour market we have are just pointless. Your 'shoulds' don't conjure up sufficient people who actually want the work.

As a sidebar, we chose a school that wasn't the glamorous choice partly based on the wraparound care. It was a bit of a leap of faith as the school was that year bringing it in house.

We also thought it was likely to reflect the school's attitude to working parents, which was happily true.

The pertinent part of that is "with funding from the government".

@LadyLapsang good thinking . It still says they have daily wraparound on their website.my next door neighbour is in the process of applying so I've told her the situation and she's now not applying as she and her husband work full-time .

You are totally allowed to be annoyed by this. But you have fundamentally misunderstood the nature of the schools responsibility / role in providing care outside of school hours.

My kids were lucky enough to eventually get a place at the before and after schools clubs at our local primary (though we had a very awkward and expensive term waiting for places).

There were 30 places at a school of over 400 kids. You do have the right to try and change school(to a school which has a place available), you have no g'tee whatsoever of a place at the after school club of a different school.