Wraparound care at school cancelled

[Citytocountry1]

I’ve just opened an email from our school sent last thing on Friday saying they can no longer operate wraparound care as it’s not viable due to lower numbers since last term. They said they tried to find a solution but unfortunately there isn’t one. They didn’t even consult us parents who use it and ask us for more money or even say to the wider school use it or lose it, just decided to close it in March. I would gladly have paid more or had a discussion to figure out how to make it viable.

I work in a non wfh business 4 full 9-5 days a week, Thursday I work until 2.30 so I can pick them up at 3.15pm once a week. The children attend 4 days a week after school. Husband works in a production/manufacturing role and he is going to see what his work will let him reduce hours wise but we know that means pay reduction.

there are no childminders in our area, no nanny’s on childcare websites, the last childminder closed during Covid, we sadly don’t have family in the country so no help there, and the nearest school with wraparound is over 8 miles in the other direction of my work. I don’t really have any friends to ask either, we are quite new here we do know school parents but we don’t have the kind of relationships which some seem to have with each other to ask them to take our children home to theirs after school for nearly 3 hours. That’s a huge ask and I don’t know anyone who would do it.

just so upset and stressed tonight lots of tears and worry about what we do now. I don’t even know what to say to my work, the kind of job I do I can’t do from home and we can’t afford for me to lose it. Aren’t school supposed to consult and figure out how to help make it work?

feeling so panicked about this happening and sad as the children enjoyed the activities at after school and we were able to work knowing they were looked after 😓

@Citytocountry1 and in the real world places are closing.

Wraparound care is often very difficult to staff especially in more affluent areas. At our school teaching staff are often forced to 'volunteer' to plug gaps. In fact i was critcised at my performance review for flat out refusing to work for free!
I don't think schools should be subsidising clubs for a small number of parents.

That's great if it works. Here the only sixty formers offering this type of service are the ones in a childcare course doing it as work experience. And then it will only be for a term and not every day, usually 1-2 days a week. The college day finishes at 3.50, some kids might have a study period last lesson but kids use that to study and again it's not every day.

Can you club together with another family to pay one of the staff to look after the kids?

Op I’m sorry this is happening to you. Is there anyone else you can escalate to - local education council team? Your MP? The diocese education board? Send an email with all of them on cc(Apols if you have already done this) it’s not just up to you to find a solution. And this will impact future enrolments.

childcare options are essential for our society and economy. We’ve already got a productivity issue. You sound like a lovely family with both parents working and juggling and contributing to family life and the economy. Wishing you all the best.

Wraparound care, free breakfast club, free hours of childcare, free dentistry-there is a pattern here! The government (of whichever colour) tells people they’re entitled to some stuff and some of it is free for them or their children but doesn’t fund it properly and expects the school/childminder/nursery/dentist to pay the extra. When they don’t/can’t and the service isn’t provided, people are cross at the school/childminder!

So many nurseries closed near us when the ‘free’ hours were introduced that the ones remaining are so oversubscribed, they don’t offer the free hours at all-they don’t need to. Parents need the service (and need the place not to fold) so will pay full whack. If people need to see a dentist and can’t find an nhs one taking on new people, they will pay private prices.