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Original poster

Prep school offering 6am - 8pm, 51 weeks. How quickly is that going to become common then?

241 replies

EBDteacher · 25/03/2012 15:26

I've just been reading an article in a local 'services for kids' type magazine about at prep school in the area that is going to offer fully integrated care from 8am-6pm 51 weeks of the year, with optional sessions 6am-8am and 6pm-8pm! It's going to be charged monthly at £500pcm (for the whole lot- not just the wraparound) like nursery fees.

The school terms are also going to be different to the state sector so parents can take family holidays outside peak times.

Wouldn't suit us as DH and I are both teachers but I can see it appealing to lots of working families. If a few schools start offering services like that how long before they all will?

OP posts:
Portofino · 27/03/2012 13:23

and with SQ....

SardineQueen · 27/03/2012 14:44
Grin
AnnieLobeseder · 27/03/2012 19:59

I agree with SardineQueen, though I am generally opposed to sardines, and I agree with Portofino. And with lots of other people too.

I do not agree with holier-than-thou types who think they are superior parents because they happen to be lucky enough to have a choice about whether or not to stay home with them.

Portofino · 27/03/2012 20:17

I agree with annie on that.

Portofino · 27/03/2012 20:26

What the feck is wrong with having flexible wrap round child care available? I thought this was one of the tenets of Feminism? It is great when more and more places offer such a flexible model. Since when did school age children need to be tucked up with mum from 3.30?

In the past, mum would have been far too busy hoovering, cooking dinner and putting a ribbon in her hair. Prior to that she was probably slaving over domestic tasks, growing veg, charring for someone. Unless she was rich, in which case someone else would have been doing the child care. In all cases, the kids would have been out playing. My dd went to after school club today. She went out playing.

Dozer · 27/03/2012 21:24

"there are lots of people that need to work and there is also a lot who don't"

Redglow, d'you mean that those of us with a man who earns "enough" should stay at home?!

TerrierMalpropre · 27/03/2012 21:35

Nothing wrong with flexible wrap-around care, IMO. Lots of people work shifts (doctors, nurses, cleaners, factory-workers and what-have-you) and I see a growing demand for this "product" (I've not seen nurseries offer this near us but I have seen 24 hr. gyms). My concern is with those dual high-powered, "type A", career families with conflicting schedules that may choose to avail themselves of this service. If I had a job like my husband's, our kids would practically be orphans.

WHO WILL THINK OF THE CHILDREN????

Wink
eastnorth · 27/03/2012 22:28

Ooh I think there a few people that feel a bit guilty on here. Portofino you are going back a lot of years my mum was not like that. Terriermalpropre you are right maybe the children are not thought about enough.

TalkinPeace2 · 27/03/2012 22:30

My mum had no choice
but it still meant that work and paying bills came before spending time with me
your kids will think the same way no matter how you rationalise it

Portofino · 27/03/2012 22:48

TalkinPeace - there is a difference between having to work and using childcare and ignoring your children. I don't subscribe to the Xenia model myself.

MollieO · 27/03/2012 22:50

Talk it is sad that you are so resentful towards your mum when as you sad she didn't have a choice Sad.

Both my parents worked full time (my dad worked 6 days a week) but I appreciate what they did for me and never gave much thought that I was different from my schoolfriends because I went home to an empty house every day. That was my norm and seemed fine at the time and still seems fine on reflection many years later.

Portofino · 27/03/2012 22:51

And honestly - the bills had to be paid. So if you would have preferred attention to being homeless, cold and hungry? Life is shit sometimes. It is fine to say that you want it different for YOUR kids, but wrong to complain about a mother trying to keep it together,

eastnorth · 27/03/2012 23:08

I think talking peace is making a point to all those that leave their children. She feels upset and that's with her mum having a good reason to leave her.

Llareggub · 27/03/2012 23:12

Today I picked my children up at 3.50 from after-school club, and will drop them off at 9am tomorrow. I will be in 150 miles away in the afternoon with no set finish time, so I have had to arrange for a grandparent to have them overnight because I have an early start Thursday morning. If I could avail myself of flexible childcare my children would be with me every night.

As it is, I need to farm them out. I don't want to change my job because it is usually so flexible. I shall work from home on Friday and go to school assembly and pick them up early; all of you lot moaning about people like me should note that most of us do our bloody best to flex our jobs around our children. If childcare was more flexible it would be even easier to do so.

If I gave up my job and lived on benefits I bet some of you would on here moaning about that too.

eastnorth · 27/03/2012 23:27

Yes but surely it's nicer o stay with grandparents than pick them up at eight and then drag them up at five to get them there for six in the morning. At least grandparents love grandchildren feel really sad my mum does not live nearer to do this.

Bet they will remember that you are going to assembly my mother never made one that's what I remember nor a sports day.

Llareggub · 27/03/2012 23:34

Well, that might be the case but when I say an early start, what I mean is that I need to be on the road and away by 7.45. Breakfast club starts at 8am but by the time I've settled them in, kissed the youngest, hung up book bags and legged it to the car it is 8.15. Just a little bit of flexibility would go a long way in making our lives easier.

eastnorth · 27/03/2012 23:39

Would a childminder be more flexible for you?

itsonlyyearfour · 28/03/2012 08:55

Well having been through a few years so far with my 4 children I have only ever seen one or two examples of parents who end up farming their children out 24/7 or close to that. The overwhelming majority, even the ones where both are hospital consultants, etc flex their jobs around the children as far as they can, so that means they do pick up children occasionally, go to assemblies, etc

Ultimately I do admire some of the families I know who manage to both work full time in busy professional jobs and no family around because I have done it and I know how tough and stressful it is. I have cut my hours because with 4 children 7 and under and no family around the stress was killing me, but I miss my full time job and it is a huge compromise being 3 days as my career has definitely ground to a halt. Yes it is my choice and I really don't see why people on here feel that they are better and worse than anyone else - I certainly don't feel that way.

At the same time I see (some of )the ones who have kept their full time careers moving to large houses with huge gardens and being able to afford private schooling, this is their choice and I am sure if offers many advantages to their children, probably as many as the ones enjoying more time with their parents. Ultimately it's all one big compromise unless you are millionaires.. but there aren't many of those around, relatively speaking!

redglow · 28/03/2012 17:56

Dozer of course people can work and use childcare. It's not just one parent families that do this. My point was to drag a child up and get them to daycare for six is not really on. Surely a nanny or a childminder would be better at least it would be a home from home or in their own home. I think that parents to drop of their children somewhere for 14 hours is not on. As I have said before a lot of people will do this.

Not everyone that uses childcare needs to work of course there are lots that do. People go back to work for all sorts of reasons not just money.

Mutteroo · 28/03/2012 20:02

As more state schools effectively become private, I'd say we will see more and more ways to squeeze money out of educational premises. The wrap-around care idea is a sound one in theory, but looking at this particular school's Ofsted report, it appears they're not offering a good service. 'Satisfactory' is mentioned throughout the report, there's only 114 pupils and if I am reading correctly, only three of KS1/2 age? There is no after school, however the pupils can stay on after lessons end to complete their prep? Stinks of desperation if you ask me and as for the comments about taking your kids out for holidays when it's cheaper, most private schools have longer holidays in comparison to state schools anyway. The reasoning is completely flawed.

Read an article in The Times a couple of weeks ago about how schools will evolve and how we may see a two or even three or four tier/class of private school. I see it happening already.... Scary!

jalapeno · 28/03/2012 20:02

talkinpeace you are taking your own childhood and using it to crap on a lot of people's parenting, my mother was a working SP too and I loved being at school, I was always bored shitless in the holidays.

How ridiculous to say why have children if you need to use wraparound care? And worse that DCs will hate you if you do!!

Do you actually know what DCs do at after school club? They play outside in all weathers, they are allowed to do whatever they like, it is like watching children play on the street like we did 25 years ago except they have some play staff watching them from a distance and a wii indoors if it rains or they are feeling lazy. It isn't a hardship at all although I wouldn't like DS to go full time (which is why I left FT work but I was lucky to find a good PT job) I don't think it's as bad as you think.

Also, if you think that women can't have a career when they have children (it's not just about money ffs) then why bother educating women at all? Jeez... good luck finding a hospital or a school that functions without mums working long hours and their taxes pay for tax credits etc. to enable people to be SAHMs. There would be anarchy if we all gave up work.

jalapeno · 28/03/2012 20:07

Also should say I think it sounds like a great idea and would seriously consider it if I liked the school and it was local. I wouldn't use it 14 hours a day, 51 weeks of the year (who would? Stop beating working parents around the head with a big stick!) but as has been said the flexibility and cover for that money is a bargain and DCs could have best of both worlds ( I can work longer monday to be back earlier for pick up wednesday for example to take a DC to ballet or cubs or whatever) if the school is up to scratch.

Portofino · 28/03/2012 21:31

I agree, Jalapeno. When I pick up dd she is either in the middle of serious Monopoly or going down the slide backwards, or rollerskating or some such. It takes ages to extricate her because she is HAVING FUN. What on earth is wrong with providing the extra flexibility. The buildings are there. You employ more people. The Belgian holiday clubs have a lot of Uni students working too - so a useful way to earn cash for them.

TalkinPeace2 · 28/03/2012 22:07

my relationship with my mother and distant father is indeed what it is not.
and my views of my upbringing are based on perfect 20:20 retrospection
BUT
what I am trying to point out is that your children will judge your choices through equally backward facing binoculars.

If you are happy with your choices, chances are the conversation will be easy as your children will feel secure, but the level of empathy and awareness of the views of others that will be expected in 20 years time is an unknown unknown.

Bear in mind that my mum was in 1970 VERY unusual so be a female sole breadwinner
and at the same time my father was VERY unusual to be a single dad (with my half sister)

Wraparound care is currently accepted as the best solution.
In 25 years time it may be judged very differently.