Before and After School costs

[ShimmerAndShite]

I'm looking at becoming a childminder and I'm trying to work out a bit of a business plan. Im thinking of doing from 7.30 for school drop off which would include cereal and toast and then after school till 6 which would include a cooked meal.

I'm just wondering what people pay for before and after school care.

Thanks :)

I'm in Cheshire. The primary school charges £3.50 for before school (7.45-8.45) and £3.50 per hour or part hour, 3.30-5.30. I think for the private nurseries, including pick up, it's more like £20?

Oh sorry, I meant what do childminders charge!

About £5 an hour but school age children are real hard work, I only look after preschool age children

I meant to say that breakfast clubs and afterschool clubs are pricing childminders out of business where I am in Greenwich

My childminder is £3.50 per hour

Our breakfast club is £5 8am-9am.
After school club (snack but no hot meal) is £12 3:15 - 6pm.

Central Scotland.

I’m not sure about before school but after school until 5:30 my cm charges £9 per child including snacks (South Wales). Breakfast club here is only £2.50 for both children and can be booked on the day so I just use that as I need flexibility about when I use it

I pay before and after school club.
£2 for 7.30am-school start including breakfast.
And £8.50 after school 3pm-5.30pm with a meal.

So its pretty much £50 a week.

I guess I'd prefer a child minder. But the cost ratio would have to be comparative. And things that might appeal to me about a childminder is increased flexibility.

Berkshire. I used to charge £5 8-9 and £15 3-6. I provided after school snacks, but they were at home for breakfast and dinner. Quite apart from the cost, it was chaos with children arriving and leaving at all different times, to try and get them to sit down and eat in time to get to school, and to get them all fed before they went home.

Don't underestimate how hard it is to look after children when they come out of school. If you have a park on the way home, that would be a great way to get them to release that burst of energy before the ravenous hunger sets in. Also have a plan of exactly what they'll do when they get back to your house.

As others have said, check what local school clubs are already offering.

I don't do school runs any more.

The school that I would be picking up from has a very over subscribed after school club, the school has 540 pupils and the after school club only has space for 50. I think people end up on the waiting list for years.

I'm only just starting the process so have lots to think about!

Where we are, the before and after school club charges £15 for 7.30-6. I do 8-5 for £12.50. So less money for less hours. I won’t compete with them on price though. If parents want me, they pay (which I appreciate is easy to say as I don’t rely on the money from the after school children, it’s a complete extra for us). They are cheaper than me for holiday care and I still get children.

I don’t provide breakfast or tea either. I do a quick drink and snack when we get in. I have done tea in the past and it was a nightmare. Never again!
I’m a bit choosey on the children I take after school and have said no to quite a few enquiries. It’s ok in the summer when we can go to the park after school, but it’s throwing it down today so that wouldn’t be an option and I find having lots of energetic older children in the house quite a handful.

The morning is much easier, they get dropped off at 8 and we start getting ready to go to school at 8.15 (so wouldn’t be any time for breakfast anyway). They come in, either watch a cartoon, do a quick table top activity (jigsaw/peg boards) and then it’s time to go.

The childminders my Dc have attended all charged on an hourly basis. Part time hours were from £3.80-£5.00 and if the DC wanted breakfast or dinner/afterschool snack they could have it.

Breakfast club at school is 50p for 8.00-8.45 and after school club is £1 per hour 2/3pm - 5pm

I know you are asking about childminders but its worth understanding what the 'competition' are charging and what they offer for that.
Do you do the school run anyway with your own DC? How will they feel if its not just babies but older kids too? Will you offer inset days / unexpected school closure as well.
Ds1's childminder had the same hourly rate for all kids. But there was no after school club available at the time.
May be worth doing it for a few days a week only and seeing what its like.

You need to do local research at the schools you are looking at covering as it is all so different. I'm in London breakfast club £3 including breakfast and after school £10 until 6 including snacks but another one does it for £20. School clubs are subsidised generally and don't have the ratio issues. If people are looking at price I cant match it if they want a smaller environment and someone to actually care and be a link to home they are happy to pay extra. I charge a flat rate of £10 even if they go at 3.45, as its got to be feasible and I only have 3 spaces you cant go back for more. Parents provide snack I don't do dinner as I believe family meals are important and a parent can use slow cookers and batch cooking if time is tight. I also don't want parents deciding to be late as they know I'm going to feed their children (this happened to a child who should be going at 4.30 but dad decided to leave them as Id feed and do the homework....no asking just came late) I charge for overtime so if you are contracted to finish at 4.30 and they come at 5.30 they pay an hours overtime even though I charge a minimum school pick up fee.

I charge £7.50 for 7:30-9 and £18 for 3:15-6pm or £23 for both. After school club is £5ph so I'm not competitive on pricing but always full as some people want s home environment & don't mind paying more for the service.