Wrap round care

[Austinj]

Might sound like I'm thinking about this too early but I work full time and both children are currently at preschool/nursery 7:30-17:30 which is great...however my eldest starts school next September. When do I have to start thinking about waiting lists for wrap around care??

I'd just get a list from your local council of childminders, keep it to hand (check their Ofted reports), and also see what the Primary school offers - eg ours does a Breakfast Club I can use, but no after school club so we make alternative arrangements for after school.

It may also be worth seeing if any local Nurseries do a pick up from the school he will go to - some do a school wrap around service.

I'd get in touch now.
Depends on the provision in your area, 6 mths ago there was plenty space in my area.
One provider closed causing a shortage as everyone moved their kids causing other providers to fill up.

I’d investigate now, some places have waiting lists.

You'll need to know where he's going to school first as most providers will only collects from 1 or 2 schools.

Sorry, pressed send too soon.
.. However may be worth researching now - ours fed I to our decision about which school to place first on our list (not that we got it mind you, which was a right headache)

Childminder - def get on a waiting list 12 months in advance.

Breakfast club at school is normally reasonable (non profit making) 7.30 drop off. Contact school to check.

After school club at school, doesn’t tend to have a waiting list but worth checking. I find more expensive and child still “at school” (but that’s personal opinion/feelings, they’re perfectly fine)

Nursery sometimes linked to school (you see mini buses picking kids up from school and taking them back)

Flexible working requests for both you and partner (assuming you have one but you haven’t mentioned) 1 drop off and 1 pick up each covers 2 days (doesn’t have to be same days of both) OR agree between you of 1 takes every day, 1 picks up (we have a few in our office on that set up, and still work full time) and combine with some of the above options (eg childminder might only have 2 days)

If you know the school you want, I would start looking now and have your name down on a waiting list. When I was a childminder before/ after schools place were generally gone within 2 weeks of the National schools offer day. Locally Some schools have such big waiting lists for their wrap round care that any new intakes don’t get a look in for quite a while

In my area after school clubs have shut and childminders are full my next place will be in 3 years time if nobody moves and these will go to my existing Eyfs children. I dont take children from other settings.

Apply for the after school club at the same time as school ( if not before). In our area a lot are run by the same company and they'll put you on the waiting list for all.

Don't forget you also need holiday and training day cover most holiday clubs are 9 to 3

It's way too early...most childminders wouldn't hold a place that long.
I'd look a couple of months before...childcare.co.uk is a great website to find cms in your area x