No hourly rate for after school club

[Mackonadragos]

Hello everyone,

We are new to Oxfordshire, and I have just found out that I can only book an entire after school club session per day in our primary school. As opposed to book let's say an hour per day. Our school charges £13 per session and it runs between 3 and 6. I would need only 1 hour per day, between 3 and 4. I looked around nearby schools in town, and it seems that it is the common practice here, except one primary (further away), that has got short and long sessions with different rate (£7 and £ 12.95).

We've moved from Bedfordshire, where in our old school we could pay hourly rate and could book one hour per day if we wanted.

I am very annoyed by this, that I would need to pay for something that I will not use.

I am going to raise this with the headteacher, but curious to see how other people think about it. In my opinion it is very inflexible.

Thank you for your answers.

It's the same here. You either have the full session or not have a space. It's a privately run business, so nothing to do with the school.

Your child is taking a space no matter how long they are there for it's usually a fixed fee. It's a business

It is the same at ours. Who would use the remainder of that session once you collect your child? You are taking a space for a session, I think it is fair that you pay for it.

I hope the headteacher will not ignore me.

I used to run an ASC. Flat rate is just about the only way to make even the smallest of profits. There's nothing we can do with the 4-6pm time of a child that only wants 3-4pm, but have to staff up, and pay rent for the whole session.

Flat fee here too

It's the same here. You pay for the session.

Flat fee is normal where I live. I don’t think the headteacher will ignore you if you speak to them about this but they’ll probably roll their eyes when they read your email. They won’t be raking in huge profits from the after school club. If they felt it was financially viable to do long and short sessions they’d probably already be doing it. I’d just be relieved that there’s reasonably priced after school provision available.

Thank you for all the answers.

To be honest, I was surprised to realise that this is how schools operate here. It never occurred to me, that it can be done like this, so I was very surprised and angry. The hourly rate is what I only knew. (Never paid childminder, never paid for any childcare, but I know how my old school operated and operates to this day.

My childminders are going to be my two older children, who are in Y9 and Y7.

Also I cannot see why the school cannot try a short and long session (perhaps as a pilot) (just like a neighbouring school does), especially that I have the impression that they have spaces available, and I also can think that it would benefit other families too.

How old is your youngest? That’s a lot of responsibility for your older two…

You're making the choice to pick your children up after an hour. You can make full use of the time being offered.
I think you're pretty lucky to get into an after school club without a struggle. There are lots of waiting lists in my area.

This is how my old school does. I though this is everywhere in the UK.

www.derwentlower.net/docs/ASC_and_Breakfast_Club_Info_pack_21-22.pdf

I agree with the others. Very reasonable and normal to charge per session.

Sorry OP but it doesn't matter what your old school did. You can only ask however be prepared to accept that they won't change it.

Just use the entire time and enjoy some free time?

I have 4 kids. My oldest is 13.5 and my youngest turned 5 in October. It is, indeed.

^ This, you are choosing to use it for one hour, you could utilise all of it.

ASC places are hard to come by, there are usually waiting lists.

Very standard as other posters have said.

The poor headteacher having their time wasted on this.

Youve been at the school for 5 mins and ‘can’t understand’ why a system that is the same up and down the country is being used here

It is exactly these whinging parents that get things like optional clubs and residential trips cancelled
They complain when they don’t get things exactly their way, and then act surprised when the school realises it’s more trouble than it is worth to keep these things on - talk about no good deed goes unpunished!

They're not going to trial anything. Don't you think all of the options have been thought of? How insulting to think you can swan in and claim to have a better system. But feel free to come along to my school and manage it. It's a royal pain in the arse as it is without parents picking and choosing when they want to turn up.

I thought - now I can see wrongly - that these clubs are run by state schools and that they are non-profit.

You're not planning on having your 13 yr old be responsible for your 5 yr old are you?

I don’t know anywhere near here that offers an hourly rate. And that’s fair enough, it’s not like anyone is going to need an hour from 5-6 for example. If you only need an hour what about extracurricular clubs? Reception aged DD has 3 days where she could do something after school e.g. dancing, football, and there are more options as they move higher up the school.

You're expecting a 13 year old to mind two younger children from 4pm until you get there?

It’s normal. They won’t be able to find someone else to use the 2 hours you don’t want so you pay for the lot.

My point is, that there are other systems in work in the same town - and perhaps it would worth looking into it.

I can happily say to you that I am normally no trouble, as I wasn't even in the country for some years, let alone being in a school stirring trouble.