Nanny for school age children - duties?

[Migsy1]

I am thinking about getting a nanny for before and after school care. I was thinking that I'd like someone to arrive at 7.45 and drop off children at 9:45 at school (nearby). They would need collecting at 3 and look after kids until 6.30. I'd hope in that time that the nanny would feed children, launder the uniforms and do a bit of "running around" with them. Does this sound reasonable? She would not be working whilst the children are at school.

I meant drop off at school at 8.45!

Sounds reasonable. There isn't that much time to do things... it's more likely to be panic stations in the morning trying to get everyone to eat breakfast, get dressed, not forget to take things to school. After school it's get home, prepare a after-school snack (or would you want them to have a cooked meal?). May involve taking children to the park/playground after school to run off some of their energy. May involve taking children to a birthday party.

Consider what you will do if:
School is closed.
School finishes early.
A child is ill... too ill for school, not ill enough for you to feel you need to stay at their bedside mopping their brow.
School holidays - are you covering all those?

Thanks nannynick I'm thinking of studying full time so I would only need this in term time. I guess I would have to take the day off if a child was ill etc. or ask a relative to help out. The children are 6, 9 and 11.

In theory it sounds fine. I think what you're asking for is reasonable. In reality though I think you may struggle to find someone who wants to work 4.5hrs split shifts, term time only. It's going to be extremely difficult to find a second job to fit in with those hours and there are not many people who can afford to work 22.5 hrs a week, 38 weeks a year! It's really a job for an au pair.

So a term-time only position and it may well suit a nanny with their own child. Would that be practical - a nanny bringing say their baby to your home?

How do your children get to school - walk, cycle, bus, car? Consider practical things - your ideal nanny needs to be able to get all 3 children to school on time.

Have a schedule for the laundry so that your children know that when they get home from school, they need to get changed and get dirty items into the wash. Regular routines help I find.

Nanny will build up holiday entitlement which they would need to take outside of school term time, I would presume (unless you intend on letting them take it during term time). So budget for the extra weeks of pay involved.
Useful stuff here about working out holiday for term-time only employees.

I agree with Holy... recruiting someone could prove tricky. You need to get lucky and find someone who only wants to work those hours, those weeks.

Yes, I suppose it would be ok if the nanny had her own child / children. I guess it would be difficult to find someone who it would suit but I could always try!

When I find a job, this is what I may be needing too, but the other option I've thought of, which would give me more flexibility too is: use breakfast club at nursery next to school, and get nanny for the after-school stuff. So, not a split shift situation. Thought it might be easier to find someone for this? Or could have a 2nd person for the morning stuff?

For me, my dh can probably usually do morning, but he works away a lot, so need a flexible alternative for this, which breakfast club can do.

Just wondered if these ideas might help you too.

Thanks consideryourself. The breakfast/afterschool club would be my preferred option. Basically, I want to do a PGCE and I know I will need to get to school before 8:30. If I find a school nearby then the clubs will be fine but if not I'll need someone to come to the house or a childminder who could take the kids earlier.

Does your school not have any wrap around care provision? Schools are supposed to encourage it on site these days.

There's a nursery next door, who run breakfast club onsite from 8am (but can drop at nursery from 7am) and after school club on site until 5pm (but can collect until 7pm form nursery). They're very good. But for afterschool, if all week, would want some running around too, to fit in Rainbows/Brownies/being at home before 6.30pm. Also for 3, figure the cost not much different for nanny /nursery. I also have dogs that might want walking (with kids ;-)) as this is what I do!
We live 10miles from school/nursery too, so the nanny option would mean travelling time on them rather than us, iyswim, and all depends in what direction my work will be!