Advice re after school club

[Mumof8yo]

Good evening all,

I am new to this site so please bear with me if I have posted in the wrong bit.

I am after a bit of advice regarding my daughter’s after school club, it has recently started back and we have been asked to give the days that we would require upfront for the school to make provisions which is absolutely understandable, we just need to be there to pick them up at 5.30pm.

My daughter has asked if she can start gymnastics which when I have looked into this, the one closest to us is on Tuesdays at 5.30pm, I called the school today to ask if it is possible for me to pick her up at 5pm on Tuesdays, to which I was told No I couldn’t, this surprised and upset me, so I asked if they can put it in writing stating a reason as to why and the reply I received is below,

**Thank you for your enquiry.

Like many things in school over the last 18 months we have needed to regularly re-visit and adopt new school practises and provision.

After School Club is an optional service which the school provides. School has decided that due to staffing, safeguarding and organisational procedures we will be having one collection time only.
This allows staff to focus on the children and delivering the service.

As a parent you can decide whether you want to use the service we offer or not. If the service does not meet your requirement, you can look for other arrangements.

At present our guidelines indicate that parents are allowed on the premises by appointment only. Having the one finish time supports the school in fulfilling this.

Kind regards

Am I being unreasonable in my request to pick her up half an hour early?

Many thanks

This is completely nuts. Parents finish work at different times. They pick up when they can. Never heard of anything like this before.

That seems nuts, surely it's better for parents not to all come at once. My kids wouldn't have wanted to stay any longer than necessary at after school club when we used to use it.

Our after school club has set pick up times, 4.45 / 5.15 / 5.45. If they're inside, staff only come out at those times. Pre COVID parents could go in, but now we are not allowed in the building.

At the moment, with the weather being good they are all outside anyway so you can turn up whenever you want and it's fine, but you are running the risk that you'll be stood there for ages waiting if they are inside!

That’s daft. Our After School Club has been running for ages now and parents can pick up any time they like.

Ridiculous. I would be really unimpressed. Extracurricular activities are important. We can pick up whenever we like and actually from a Covid point of view school have said they would rather have staggered pick ups and an early pick up is great.

Your school may we’ll be right though, certainly around here after school options are in huge demand and it is like it or limp it really (thankfully all provision I have experienced has been fantastic which is great but there is very little choice).

well
lump

Our school are taking the same approach - previously a staff member was signing kids in and out, (its a big school, so lots of kids at after school club) now that person is no longer required as the kids all leave at once. It can be annoying, but its like it or lump as pp says.

Thank you everyone for your replies, I appreciate it, I think I will have to grin and bear it for a little longer.