Schools should 'provide sleepovers' to help parents with cost of childcare

[Itchyandscratchy]

Here

Speechless.

Stae boarding schools alreay exist no?

As a parent who works full time and has struggled with childcare in the past I think this is crazy. After school clubs and holiday clubs (at a cost) yes. There are no decent holiday clubs here and one at the school or in oir local community would be amazing. Overnight stays should be limited to trips, as they currently are, and to benefit the chlchildren not the parents

I work part time to fit round school hours. I could work longer as there is before and after school childcare at our school but I wouldn't choose it because I feel it is too institutionalised. Where we live there is pre school and after school provision but it is not well used as although lots of people work they have found other arrangements such as childminders/ childcare swaps and relatives.

I would rather see the government giving more support and incentives to childminders and other less formal types of childcare. Children, especially primary age, don't need more education and organised activities after school & in the holidays - they need a break to play or have time on their own away from the rigidity of the school day.

Many primary schools are too small to provide after school care any where other than classrooms or small playgrounds. Its not the same as private boarding schools which usually have more space and options for children to have a change of scene.

Actually, looking at the article, it looks like one school had children staying overnight a couple of times. I don't think this is really childcare, or that any one is actually suggesting that it is. It's just a rather provocative headline. Boarding schools provide a quite different service.

Many, many schools already offer before and after school care and clubs and have done for years.

The boarding aspect has been wholly misrepresented its a suggested option not norm

Our local state schools didn't offer wraparound care so we went private for Junior school. The DC loved it. It wasn't a case of 'the workhouse' or 'concrete prisons' or whatever emotive stuff is being spouted upthread. They used the big, roomy Hall or the Nursery Department (fully equpped with toys, sand pits, dressing up, etc) or went outdoors to play on the grass. They saw it as extra playtime with their mates. I repeat, they loved it.

As for the argument about DC self-combusting if they are on the same premises for more than six hours ... what happens in your home at the weekend? How do your DC manage to cope?

The DC are grown up now and have turned into reasonable human beings. Wraparound care did them no harm at all. In fact, it may have improved their social skills as they are both popular with many friends.

bico, your dc's school sound great, but am I correct in understanding it is a boarding school / private school with optional boarding and day boarding?
Because your average state comp would not be able to provide the same facilities as your ds's school. It would be games in the playground (same as at morning and lunch break and at outdoor PE), it would be board games in the classroom (same as wet play and those pre-holiday afternoons at school), it would be dvds in the hall (same as wet play and those pre-holiday afternoons at school) and it would be ict in the ict suite (same as ict lessons at school except they can play some computer games)

Realistically, looking at my dc's school, that would be all the extended care could offer.
And no where comfy to sit (no sofas in school, a few cushions on the floor if you are lucky), no where to have some personal 'me' time away from others (at boarding school you can retreat to your room if you wish), no swimming pool, tennis courts etc etc...

It is not a fair comparison...

A lot of parents actually have to work to provide food and shelter for their kids... believe it or not.

DH and I can just about afford flexi-boarding at a prep school when the time comes, but for many, the fees would be impossible to master. This would just allow people who can't afford the above to benefit from the same type of flexibility.

I used to love sleepovers as a child. To be honest, if the kid's afternoon is full activities, and suitable sleeping quarters can be found, I'm not sure what the whole fuss is about?!?

If Tasmania is only paying £25- £35 a night it means that she is in private education and already paying heafty fees. State schools are not geared up and it would cost more.
The whole idea is so mad I don't know why we are discussing it- most teachers, and most people working in after school clubs have families- they are simply not available.

As for the argument about DC self-combusting if they are on the same premises for more than six hours...

I had to laugh at this...

My DC aren't in the same premises for more than 6 hours at weekend.

We go out to the shops, on outings and do lots of different things which they can have a say in choosing. Also they have a lot of independence e.g.they can go out themselves to the local park, down to the shop, to the swimming pool, to see their friends.

These options are much more limited in a group childcare setting - especially at primary age due to H&S contraints.

Cross posted- I knew it was hefty fees- and then the holidays are longer where there is no option.

I can't think that you have any experience of an infant class, Tasmania. They are tired - at about 11am they are asking if they have already had their dinner. They want to go home with the rest- they don't even want to do after school club. Even when I was older I would have hated the idea.

So all things considered exotic do you want to retract that I don't care about childcare staff
Seeing you made it up and all that
Ta in anticipation

Behind ds's school doesn't have a whole magically different area where the dcs go after school hours, it is all the same facilities as they use during school hours just without loads of other children. He shares a dorm with up to 6 others. Some boarding schools we have looked at have 13 in a room (and cost £32,000 pa for the privilege). If he wants to send an email it is from the ICT room, which he has access too as a boarder. They have a small common room each in the boys and girls houses, nothing fancy at all.

We had a common room with sofas and I was state educated. We also had tennis courts (aka school playground with tennis markings and nets put up in the summer). Both my state primary and my state secondary had swimming pools, albeit both outdoors and always pretty chilly.

exotic that is a pretty sweeping statement. Not all children are exhausted by their school day.

But does anyone seriously think the government is going to provide the money to make this work? High-quality child care, improved facilities, provision of meals, increased insurance, caretaking and cleaning costs, loss of income from letting school buildings etc. Like most government initiatives there will be an initial flurry of funding, which will soon disappear when they move on to the next bright idea, leaving the schemes to either close or start charging much higher fees to the parents.

BehindLock

Depends on the school obviously. I know a few state primary schools with tennis courts.

Local comp has parkland and a freakin' lake and gets mistaken for a private school sometimes.

"FourGatesTue 16-Jul-13 22:46:01

I never get the parents who Mn all the time but also work ft. How does that happen?"

It's a talent :o

Some private schools do this.

Done by the state, on a far-reaching basis, it would be done cheaply and badly.

I find it fascinating we are hearing more and more "stories" about extended, business-friendly, school hours. Poor families, getting screwed so badly. We don;t get much for our crushing, long hours, and our children being looked after by other, do we? It goes to mortgages and rents in the main. How crap.

Anyway, my feeling is that schools won't get turned into 24 hour youth holding pens. It would be too expensive to do in any way that wouldn;t raise huge safe-guarding issues.

Where has all the money come from for all the academies that have sprouted up everywhere? They all seem to be pretty well funded compared to non-academy schools so why can't that money be applied to cover this?

Not really - you don't seem bothered that they have their own family and need to go home to cook the evening meal, take to football training etc etc and have no desire to work at night- or that schools are about education, the child- and nothing whatever to do with childcare.

I do think we're being softened up for a big change in school hours and holidays, though.

Totally agree with the earlier poster who mentioned post-2WW Eastern Europe.

All 4and 5 yr olds are bico.

bico

Most state primary schools don't have the facilities you are talking about. I don't know any round here that have swimming pool, school field, ICT room, common rooms and the playground is small for all to use. No football or tennis. Lucky if you can swing a skipping rope.