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Paid childcare

Discuss everything related to paid childcare here, including childminders, nannies, nurseries and au pairs.

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Original poster

Cafe owner taking business away.

46 replies

Mum2Luke · 10/10/2011 14:23

Just found out this morning that the cafe next door to our primary school is running a breakfast club but the owner has no CRB or has not been OFSTED Registered.

This is NOT fair to us childminders who already have to jump through hoops to be registered and CRB cleared to look after children under 11.

Can I report this owner to OFSTED for doing this as he is charging £1 a child. The school also already has a breakfast club so he is taking business from them too. He probably has not got Public Liability Insurance as we have

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

glastocat · 13/10/2011 16:35

Wow, I wish someone would set up a breakfast club like that where I live. It would be ideal for my ten year old. Most childminders here aren't interested in that age group. Maybe you should move here!

upahill · 13/10/2011 16:56

I think that you (as in childminders) and the cafe person should try and work together.
They put work your way if they hear of anyone needing a CM and put your buiness cards in the shop and allowing you to advertise and you can put work there way if/when you get over subscribed.

you might be having a quiet time now but things swing round.

Original poster

Mum2Luke · 13/10/2011 17:05

Its not a case of sour grapes, I just want the kids to be safe and I do not think they should be hanging around in there when the owner is on his own serving. I wasn't the first person to be concerned (in fact I never even went in the cafe, I was informed by a Teaching Assistant who works in the school) and the Headteacher has every right to want her pupils to be safe as they are left on their own by parents to not loiter in the cafe as there are other customers going in to be served. The children have been told in assembly that if there is bad behaviour in the cafe or them sneaking off instead of going into school then the cafe is off limits except when parents are with them.

She offers the breakfast club to parents as an alternative, yes she is in competition but parents who live near to school can walk there, drop the children off and go to work, I don't see this club as any problem as its mostly year 4,5 and 6, I'd be doing the same if I was going out to work, there is NO WAY I'd want my child in a cafe. I mainly have Reception to year 3 pupils which are alot easier to handle.

OP posts:

MrsJRT · 13/10/2011 17:45

But if the parents judge the cafe to be a safe place to leave their children then it is really very little of the head teachers business. Is it a front for a crack den or an opiate farm or something? I'm having difficulty understanding why it is such an issue for children of age 9 or so to spend 20 minutes in a cafe prior to school. Really the head teacher has no jurisdiction over the children before or after scool and so to say the cafe is out of bounds is ridiculous. Deffo sounds like a case of sour grapes to me and I can't even understand why you are getting het up about it if not.

littleducks · 13/10/2011 17:58

The head has no control over what the children do before school, and would know this. If the head is worried about 'bad behaviour' or the children turning up late to school, these worries are fair enough and mentioning it in assembley is a good idea.

But from a child safety pov, the child is no more at risk in a cafe than with a CM. In fact as a public place with more people and possibly CCTV the children are probably less at risk in a cafe.

You may think it is terrible, fair enough. But unless this cafe is serving crack or something other parents may choose to drop their kids there and may not choose you as a CM precisely because of your opinion on what is and isnt acceptable for kids to do.

redglow · 13/10/2011 18:03

But surely its up to the parents to judge if it is safe or not. I think its a great stepping stone and starts to make them a bit streetwise. I live opposite a school and I see parenys just drop their kids of really early in the playground on there own. Is this any better?

Booooooyhoo · 13/10/2011 18:13

"The children have been told in assembly that if there is bad behaviour in the cafe or them sneaking off instead of going into school then the cafe is off limits except when parents are with them."

it's not up to the head to make the cafe off limits before school hours. how dare the head dictate that parents should remain with the children in cafe that is nothing to do with the school. if tehre is bad behaviour in it then it is up to the cafe owner to contact the child's parents or ban the child themselves.

upahill · 13/10/2011 18:24

It amuses me how people who think that they are going to lose money become very interested in the safety of others!
If you wasn't a CM you wouldn't be on your high horse. You would only have a passing interest in the cafe if a mate told you about it!!

As far as I am concerened a head teacher has control over my child while they are at school and if they have any real founded concerns about any health or social issues. Going to a cafe before school is not one of them.

I would say, like others have said, find a USP and make yourself special rather than bitchin' and having faux concern when all you are bothered about is thinking you are losing money.

Keep your nose away from OFSTED, the fella isn't doing anything wrong. Turn the tables how would you like some one to report you when you haven't done anything wrong. You would feel awful being checked up on and inspected. Don't do it to someone else.

Rosiegirl · 13/10/2011 18:39

Although I don't agree with the business aspect of the OP. I am quite surprised at the response of many of the replies. I understand "its up to the parents" but many laws have been passed for the protection of children based things that have happened to them.

We were at the point that every adult that has any contact with children would have to go through a police check of some sort. I understand that has been knocked on the head as it would have put off potential volunteers, but these are still primary school aged children.

I am offended that someone mentioned "they are no more at risk in a cafe than with a CM". I don't serve hot food and drinks, walking around children, in fact all our local children's centers have banned hot drinks because of accidents. My children would not be able to leave my property and run out onto a road, also they would be watched for signs of bullying. My 8/9 yo DD had awful issues of bullying on a school bus, never mind being left in a cafe not knowing what was going on or if they had all gone to school safely. I also do not have random strangers wandering around my house.

I started giving my 14 yo more responsibility when she started secondary (at 11), but even then I asked if bus drivers, taxi drivers (who had very regular contact with her) were CRB checked.

Maybe the parents have checked this and are happy, which is fair enough. But if pot of tea gets knocked over onto another customer or child I wonder what will happen then. Will the parents be understanding?

upahill · 13/10/2011 18:49

I think OP's concern was for potential loss of buisness rather than hoping the children were OK.
It's all the fake concern with people that pisses me off. The safety aspect wasn't the point of her thread.

Booooooyhoo · 13/10/2011 19:04

rosie the cafe owner is not taking responsibility for these children!! he isn't charging £1 per child for 30 minutes of childcare. he is charging £1 for a breakfast meal for school children. the same as cafe's charge a reduced price for OAP's on tuesdays and thursdays or a lunchtime meal deal for school children (eg £2.50 for a meal and drink). the children are just customers. they aren't being cared for by the cafe owner. they are stil their parents' responsibility whilst in the cafe. this is not the same as a breakfast club in a school or with a CM.

redglow · 13/10/2011 19:14

I would not be running into the cafe if hot tea was spilt on my child it is not a creche. My child is my responsibility.

upahill · 13/10/2011 19:24

So those of you with older children are saying you wouldn't let them go into a cafe by themselves? Unbelievable!!
No wonder we have a generation of cotton wool wrapped children.
All that is happening, it seems, is that some of the older primary children are going into a cafe before school and having toast and the OP is screaming 'It's the principal of the matter'

Booooooyhoo · 13/10/2011 19:30

agreed upahill. this is no different than a child going for a milkshake after school with friends.

redglow · 13/10/2011 19:32

At some point in their life these children are going to do their own thing, this is a great starting point at teaching them to be independant.

littleducks · 13/10/2011 19:38

I am a terrible mother, I let my child eat in the dining hall at school, where the children walk around with plates of hot food annd the dinner ladies have vats of terribly dangerous piping hot custard and gravy

And I couldnt give a shit if people are CRBed or not, it is a meaningless bit of paper, I have one and it is a really stupid system imo.

Rosiegirl · 13/10/2011 20:21

Maybe I am wrapping my DD up in cotton wool, but our primary school have the gates locked until the school opens and a policy which states that children are not be left early. They also only allow children to leave when an adult is at the gate to collect them or proper arrangements have been made. They are not allowed to go off themselves. Yes from 9 onwards it can be possible, dependent upon the child, but under that I don't think its right.

upahill · 13/10/2011 20:23

So you are saying they can't be left until they are 14!!!!!

Hope you have lots of bubble wrap!!

Booooooyhoo · 13/10/2011 20:32

the children aren't being left at school early, they are being left at a cafe. nothing to do with the school!!!

Rosiegirl · 13/10/2011 21:04

Nope, my DD is now 14 (and god do I know it), I started letting her do more independent things from around 10. And am now regretting it [hgrin].

upahill · 13/10/2011 21:08

Sorry Rosie I thought you meant YEAR 9!!!

I agree about the age of 9 would be ok to go to a cafe, very near school before it starts.

Blimey I was worried thinking that you weren't going to let your kids go to a cafe until they were doing their GCSE course work!!

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