in thinking that breakfast clubs are for working parents

[nametaken]

and not for non-working parents who can't be bothered to organise breakfast for their dcs.

Breakfast club is for anyone who needs them - for whatever reason they chose!

I think this is a case of, you don't know everyones circumstances, if you did then it would be none of your business anyway so keep your judgements to yourself!

DD looooooooooooooves breakfast club. She eats bacon and 2 bowls of cereal, and toast and apple juice, far more than she would have time to eat or be offered at home.

She goes on DS's nursery day (so I get more time free) and any other days I can afford and she asks.

My kids go to breakfast club, judge me if you want, I don't care! I think breakfast club is a great idea, not just for working parents. It is hard to get children up and ready for school, and getting them to eat breakfast isn't always easy. A healthy breakfast to start the day is an inportant part of the Healthy Schools initiative, and clubs are for anyone that wants to make use of them, for whatever reason.

Well my DD goes to breakfast club - she loves it and it means I can get to work earlier as I have to leave to pick her up. It also staggers the number of cars that are at school at normal start time - my DD has breakfast hat home at 7.15am and then goes at 8am and will usually have a second breakfast - usually more than she has at home. She also gets to socialise with other kids who arent in her class such as older kids, which is good for them all.

I was lead to believe that breakfast club was open to all kids at the school - some use it every day, some only a few days a week.

Are places at breakfast club limited? One of the state schools we were considering for dd had more than a year long waitlist for places.

To a WOHM, that is a big turnoff because a lot of WOHM working arrangements depend on a breakfast club to be able to get to work on time. If places were available on demand, it would not bother me who wanted to use them.

my ds starts school in Sept and will be going to Breakfast Club for 2 mornings so that I can get to work at 9am
It costs £2
he will probably have something here forst though if there is time
Afterschool club is £6 whch he will go to twice a week
It didn't really occur to me that non working parents would use the breakfast club as Iwould love not to get up that early if I didn't have to but I don't have a prbem with it (as long as there is space for m ds, she adds selfishly!)

Breakfast club is good for many things. The children get to eat together in a relaxex and friendly atmosphere together with not just children in their class, but from other classes too. They get a nutritious start to the day, and get to establish relationships with other adults working in the school aside from their teacher. This has also a good effect on the child - school - learning scenario. Some breakfast clubs also arrange ball games and sports in the playground too.

Any child should be able to benefit.

The breakfast club at our school doesn't even provide breakfast which I think is cr*p and I'm glad I don't need to use it!

nutricious start? Not round here! Dd is desperate to go to the breakfast club, as she would be given white plastic bread toast with chocolate spread and "sugar free" squash for breakfast. She would probably be excluded before playtime if she had that combination for breakfast!

Sirely the school day is long enough without sending them to breakfast club if you don't need to. I'd rather my boys ate breakfast at home with their mum and dad.

Really? My sons school provided white or wholemeal toast, scrambled eggs, pancakes, orange or apple juice, for £1 per day. They also had culture day where a parent from a specific country would organise a traditional breakfast from her home land, like Greek breakfast, French, Maltese, Polish, etc....

definitely bot fee in all Wales, the one at the other shool (not one for ours yet) charges, we're not far from Cardiff

we will need the club when dh goes to uni, if there was one now would consider as ds3 is sn and refuses to eat breakfast at home (though his brothers eat well)

really this is a if you do want to use Breakfast club Fine, if you don't also Fine. what has it got to do with anyone else?

there is a 6 month waiting listr for ours... must speal to head about a school specific one...

I used to send dd1 when she wasn't having lunch at school, to get her used to the idea.
I might use it again if I wanted to make an early start with dd2 for the day e,g, if visiting or shopping in town.
or if dd1 asked to go.
(ours is only on Friday)

If places at a school breakfast club are limited, then actually yes, I think there should be a priority system.

Parents who had a special need to send their children to breakfast club should have priority places. This would include families under extra stress (illness in family, children at different schools or parents identified by school as not being willing or able provide breakfast for their children) and WOHM parents who can't change their hours to accommodate a later start.

I know not everyone will agree with this, but I think in a 'normal' family, it is the parent's responsibily (not the school's) to encourage their children to have breakfast at home.

If there are enough places for everyone, then obviously no priorty system would be needed.

Tigermoth, at the school with the long waitlist, how the priority system is operated is whoever shouts the loudest and longest gets the place.

Because places are like golddust, all and sundry put their child's name down from as soon as they start school. Then you don't hear from the LEA (who runs the breakfast clubs lists). Save that if you are a desperate parent (a lot of WOHMs), you will be calling time and time again. And get 'priority' for places over the others who just put names down to 'book' the place just-in-case. Then one place comes up, and maybe another and then after a year, maybe you get all the places you need.

'Tis madness. Nigh impossible to plan for a WOHM. (Childminders are also like golddust around this part of London).

I wouldn't use breakfast clubs even if they were free as I feel the school day is long enough already and that I should be giving them breakfast or DH. However, I feel if they are avaliable then that should be to anyone who wants to use it whether they choose to work or not.

My daughter loves going to breakfast club every now and again. It's a social thing for them at our school. They have something to eat, then they empty the games boxes and have a bit of fun for half an hour. There's the reading wheely bookcase too, and some of the older kids use it as a quiet half hour to finish up on their homework without younger siblings trying to 'help'. It's free too, although we always take in a donation for the toy replacement fund. The breakfast club itself is advertised in school, and is open to all. Whether the parents/carers are working or otherwise.

Is none of your business.

My son's school has a huge breakfast club and parents pay £2.30. If lots of children want breakfast then they just get lots of staff in to supervise them. You have to book 48 hours in advance to guarentee breakfast club and they just employ extra staff on casual basis.

Otherwise you can only send your child if there is enough staff booked to give a sensible ratio.

I'm told by the lady who runs my son's after school club that the logistics of feeding 40 kids breakfast is easier than that logistics of feeding 500 kids lunch!

My son loves breakfast club but we don't usually send him as its unnecessary for us. He has a long day with after school club We sometimes let him go as treat.

I don't see what all the fuss and judginess is about. I work part time and i don't NEED the breakfast club, but my DS goes sometimes just for the social aspect. He does have breakfast before he goes but he has hollow legs, and by the time he gets to school (5 minute walk!) he is hungry again.

Message withdrawn

The breakfast club at my child's school are for anyone who wants their child to use it. The cost is £2.75 so it is more expensive than providing breakfast at home, so I assume it is most suited to the needs of working Mums who gain extra time to get to work. I don't work but use it so that I can take my other child to a different school and get both to school on time.

I would not send my child to the club just for the social side as I think it is better for children to have breakfast at home - they spend enough time at school. I only use it due to my school run issue (above).

they pay to send their child there. it's none of your business why they do.

yes it may well be that they haven't had a chance to get something in for breakfast, it may be that they have an appointment and will need to set out earlier than regular school times would allow, maybe they just want their child to join in with teh social aspect of it....MAYBE THEY JUSTBLOODY WELL FEEL LIKE IT.

seriously, how on earth do you think it has anything to do with you?

are you a working parent who cannot get a place for your child? because that's the only reason i can fathom for the thread