before and after school care

[anukis]

Hi, we are still relatively new to the UK and trying to figure out costs of raising a child. Our daughter goes to a private nursery now (W London) and that's becoming too expensive for us. We're happy that we won't have to pay that much money starting next autumn (I understand that once they turn 4 they're eligible to go into the reception year in primary state schools).

Can you please tell me how much should we budget for before and after school care, roughly, and how much would various options be - say school club (do most schools have this option?) vs. paying a childminder.

Also, what do people normally do when the school is on vacation and there's no grandma to look after children? Summer camps? Childminders?

Many thanks!

Choose a school that has a before and after school club if you can. (Not all do) They cost about £3 per hour.

The after school club will probably also run a holiday club - they cost about £100 per week.

firstly you need to sort out which school she is going to - and applications will close in I think january -and in london it can be quite complex which school to apply to

will differ quite a bit from area to area - but you could ring some after school clubs of the schools you are interested in, and some childminders and ask - both childminders often cover school holiday and the after school clubs often run holiday clubs - and remember you will have a fair amount of holiday - normally 20 days plus each and UK school holiday are not that long I think compared to some countries -

I know of no schools SE London whose after school club is open in any holiday.
Childminders vary from £4 to £7 an hour. They tend to charge per part of hour. If school finishes 3.25, you pay from 3.00.

make sure your local school has breakfast and afterschool clubs, not all do

our school has 300 pupils and 40 places

maydaychild - they call it holiday club? I'd be stunned if no schools offer it in SE London

Our school has a breakfast club which is £5 per day (for around an hour, max) and the local nursery runs an after school club for children up to age 8 including pick up from the school for £15 a day. The nursery also does a holiday club for school holidays which is £35 per day. We are on the London/Essex border.

Your trickiest few years for holiday care are when the first start school. Alot of schemes wont take children until they are slightly older.

Alot is done on word of mouth eg my dd's dance school offers care in the hols school hours. A lot of holiday care seems to be school hours only.

Also think about how you are going to work things with odd days here and there for staff training, early finish last day of term - can eat into alot of leave.

In SW London we pay £6 for breakfast (from 7.50am) £12 for after school (until 6pm). They do some holiday clubs but they don't start until so a bit restrictive & cost £25 per day

Would also recommend befriending other working parents. On a day off I sometimes have up to 4 other kids, then their parents have mine for a day etc. works well & cheap alternative to holiday clubs even if it is a little chaotic

We use an off site breakfast club and after school club. It serves three schools and runs a walking bus to and from. We pay £5.50 for breakfast session (7.30 to drop off at school, with breakfast) and £9.50 for an evening session (pick up from school to 6.00pm with dinner included).

We are not in London, but are in a big city in SE so probably not dissimilar prices.

I'm in the SE - after school to 6 pm is £12 (I send dinner) and holidays are £30/day (I send lunch and dinner).

thanks, this is really helpful! we might have to convince one of the grandmas that it doesn't rain that much during summer time in England :)

regarding admission to the reception year, she'll be 4 in August 2012. is there a priority for admission for older children e.g. those born in January would be admitted before those born in August if there are insufficient places in the reception class?

No, it isn't done by age - as long as your child is born between September 07 and August 08 then it doesn't matter when they were born.

Although schools will have different priorities for admission, basically it is down to how far you live from the school, if there are more people applying than places.

I am lucky in that my DCs school has onsite breakfast and after school clubs and also holiday club at the same place. Given the nature of my work I only need to use it sometimes and there's no problem with that alrhogh after school care is slightly more expensive if you use it for a one off.

No- age within the year group is irrelevant for applications as you have to be in the "right" year group for you age. (five between 1 September 2012 to 31 August 2013).

Schools have various criteria by which they allocate places. What you need to do is figure out which schools you want to apply to, which ones you have a chance of getting in to, and work out a strategy for getting a place.

Priority is usually via catchment area, each school has a catchment area around it, priority goes to those living in it, then to siblings of children already at the school. Nothing tp do with age. Many holiday clubs only take children aged 5 and over. You will need to apply for school soon, have a look at the education area on your council website for more information. Also talk to your nursery, they should have some information about local schools etc.