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.

The accusatory tone of some of the replies is horrendous.

There is a childcare crisis and this is incredibly damaging to women who work as well as children who need to be looked after properly, by professionals rather than a patchwork of favours.

The lack of availability is NOT the OP's fault. This is a system-level failure.

This is very true. I'd add that it also isn't the fault of the schools who are having to negotiate it either.

It's a societal level mess, with a number of causes. We've been cruising towards this situation for a long time, even when we weren't short of workers as a society, and the events of the last few years have massively compounded it.

The lack of availability isn't the OPs fault, but nor is it the fault of the school. It is a PRIVATE provider who has decided to withdraw their service. That's not the school's fault. When the OP applied, there was after school provision, now there isn't. I'm not sure what the school was expected to do ( unless they were aware last year that the provider was going to pull out one week before the beginning of this term?)

This is the fear I have for my child’s wraparound. I’m a teacher so have to use wraparound, the children in breakfast club and after school club are mainly children of other teachers and nurses. On a Friday my son is one of two who attends the ASC. His wraparound is led by a TA and staffed by two lunchtime supervisors. He’s year 5 - just another 18 months to worry about childcare!

OP, I hope you can find a solution. Childcare is just an added stress on top of daily life!

In this area, all after/before school provision is private, they might rent the space from the school but they are not part of the school, or part of the local authority, they are a private business.

It is not the school's responsibility to sort out after school clubs or staff them if they can't recruit.

The lack of availability is NOT the OP's fault. This is a system-level failure.

I don't think anyone has blamed the OP for the lack of childcare, have they?

It's very poor of them. They want kids of working professionals to up their standards which is fine but don't lie about asc and bc to get them in! I chose my kids primary based on the fantastic wraparound care. The school run it themselves, it's always on, 7.45 to 5.30 used to be 6 for the last 7 years. It used to cost bc 2.50 and asc 7 but is now 3 and 8 I think but you can do until 4 15 for less, think 4.50 maybe? I'm also a teacher so need it. They've also took them short notice for both clubs despite technically needing to book in advance. They are out there.

Childcare.co.uk is worth a look
you might find a babysitter

Schools could easily run their own. 2 ta or dinner ladies, love the extra hours. School business manager runs it. High ratios. Cheap snacks. Profit for the school. They do need to be strict on pick up times and payment but that's easy enough to do.

Clearly they can't "easily run their own" or they would do so

Clearly they can as many do and it causes far less problems than letting external lettings in. You just need a vaguely effective school business manager.

@Boomboom22
They want kids of working professionals to up their standards

Did you seriously write that!

You do need demand though. 15 to 25 kids, less is not viable, more is difficult to staff. In a one form entry standard primary, which is only 2 to 5 from each year group.

Call every childminder locally - just because only one currently collects from there doesn't mean no one else would/could if there was demand.

I collect from one school some days but if someone asked me to collect from another school on other days I could.
Also some newly registered childminders might not have settled on a particular school yet.

Op states she lives in a deprived area with not many parents both working. The data overwhelmingly shows better outcomes from higher educated parents. It is the basis for sure start and all programs to help the disadvantaged, to make up the gap they have due to parenting differences.

Schools can run their own clubs but it isn't easy - if the private provider struggled with recruiting staff and enough demand, the school would too.
They can't just order a couple of TAs or dinner ladies to stay late and job done.

There's a reason why many adults (women) struggle to stay employed. Work and children are incompatible.
As a midday supervisor, unable to take other jobs due to my inability to commit to out of hours work I strongly beg to differ! Why do you think people take such tiny hours! Most TA/ midday staff are severely restricted by their own childcare

@jesshomeEd yes I will try that too thank you

And people who are willing to staff it, obviously. Why have you decided that they must be easily available to all schools, when there's a national recruitment crisis in the sector and a shortage of workers generally? Are the effective business managers to moonlight as multiple TAs between 3 and 6pm if necessary?

Just because it works in some schools, doesn't mean it will work at others.

Different areas have different needs, labour markets, facilities and availability. Something that works in inner city London, won't necessarily work in a rural primary school in Lincolnshire.

My school has nearly 40% pupil premium, we don't go out touting for " professional parents" to up our standards, we ensure that we represent our local community and do the very best we can for ALL our pupils.

The tas kids are at the school and they stay for free with them. It works really well. If someone is sick another staff member will step in.

My DD school has a really well run wrap around club and approx 1 1/2 childminders for the whole school. It's not unusual.
Schools are however supposed to be "moving towards" wraparound care for all primary schools.

The school themselves could set up a club, or find another provider.

My DS was at another school briefly that had a film club on a Friday that wasn't at all expensive or complicated to run and my DD current school also has a homework club on a Monday that is supervised by TAs. It's free but the school could easily cover costs by charging.

We are extremely rural, I drive to school 🤣 the one I could walk to in 20 mins had shared wraparound at another school in the wrong direction. It's city schools that tend to do the lettings thing tbh.

Send the children to boarding school then you won't have a problem with schools who can't make you, and others, understand that they are not responsible for a private company who pay to use their premises. Too many on MN want the world to run to their convenience.