Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Primary education

Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

Flip

1 2

Original poster

a school without breakfast and after-school clubs??

26 replies

sue2lee · 09/02/2012 12:09

I applied to 6 schools for my DS last month and waiting for the result.
Suddenly I realize I didn?t consider whether they have breakfast and after-school clubs or not.

My first choice is a fantastic school, high in league table and outstanding osfed reports. But on their information, I cannot find anything about breakfast and after-school clubs! I emailed them, but I doubt they do have any.

We both work. We need 8-6 care for my DD. What other working mums do if your kids go to a school without extra hour?s care?

XXX

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

redskyatnight · 09/02/2012 12:10

Childminder.

Possible there may be an external breakfast/after school club that deliver/collects from the school.

Eggrules · 09/02/2012 12:24

My DS's school does have a before and after school club for surrounding schools. It ends at 5pm; is very expensive and doesn't run in school holidays.

School may have contact numbers for childminders. A full list may be available from your local authority.

lou231179 · 09/02/2012 13:12

I thought that all children had to have access to a breakfast/after school club? My DS's school have 8-6 care and the next closest infant/junior school do a walking bus to and from school to our school. I don't really think it is that expensive, about £12 per day 8-6 including tea. I am guessing they must vary hugely.

AThingInYourLife · 09/02/2012 13:17

Childminder.

Do you really want a 4 year old to be in school all day long?

8-6 is longer than a working day.

With a childminder she'll be in a nice, comfortable home and be able to relax.

Sandalwood · 09/02/2012 13:19

"I thought that all children had to have access to a breakfast/after school club?"
Apparently not. We don't.

Bramshott · 09/02/2012 13:20

The school need to tell you where the nearest breakfast and after school clubs are, but no more than that.

In your shoes OP I'd use a childminder

Charlotteperkins · 09/02/2012 13:24

Athing- clubs aren't work! Ffs that was a v judgey thing to say.

Banter · 09/02/2012 13:26

I continued with my childminder whilst they were at infants because it was much easier to cope with illnesses because she only had my children, so she was very happy to have them for all but the most dire conditions. It also made holidays easy. When older and more robust, they went to the junior school's afterschool club and/or breakfast club as required. (I worked part-time.) During the holidays, they went to holiday playschemes/day camps but it was always a struggle to make my holiday stretch over the half terms because in our area, those options are not available.

grendel · 09/02/2012 13:31

Schools are supposed to regularly survey parents to see if there is sufficient demand for an out of school club. If there is demand, they are supposed to provide one - either directly themselves or via a third party.

If the survey shows that there is insufficient demand they can 'signpost' (ie give you info about) alternative forms of care, typically childminders who do before and after school pick-ups.

Go back and ask the school whether they have conducted a 'survey of childcare demand' recently and what the results were. And if they claim there is not enough demand, ask them what alternatives there are locally. As an earlier poster said, you may find that a club from a neighbouring school picks up children from the one you've chosen.

mankyscotslass · 09/02/2012 14:40

Our school has a privately run before and after school club.

The earliest you can drop off is 8am and the latest pick up is 5.30.

There are limited spaces available, so the waiting list for a place is so long a lot of people give up and use the local child minders, who are very good.

We have no holiday clubs attached to the school at all.

Breakfast club is £3.50 a day, the after school club is £6 a day, they also have a sibling discount.

witchwithallthetrimmings · 09/02/2012 14:47

i would think about the childminder, i don't know what it is but they do get much much tireder at school than they did at nursery. you will also find it easier in holidays, inset days and half terms to sort out childcare

Hulababy · 09/02/2012 14:51

Many schools don't have one of these, or both.
It was one of the reasons we ruled out some schools, although now we are fortunate that we don't actually need them (but would need b/fast club if she went to a school that started later)
Even schools that do have them often have limited places.
You also need to see when the after school club finishes - most round here finish between 5-5:30pm ime.

Where I work some children have childminders who do the school runs.
However, again - some areas are very low on childminders.

Some private nurseries do school run/after school care too.

dixiechick1975 · 09/02/2012 21:52

Schools don't have to have them. A nearby club may offer care or at a nearby school or a cm. Your local authority childrens services dept should have info.

TBH I'd look closely at a school with no before/aftercare - may mean majority of children have a sahp. Aswell as meaning your child is odd one out - school may assume you are free in the day and regulary schedule events/parents meetings etc then.

I prefer fact majority of mums at DD's school work and school are sensitive to this and give plenty of notice of events etc.

GetDownNesbitt · 09/02/2012 21:58

We went for a school with before and after clubs - only to find that there was a waiting list for before school and after school is KS2 only.

So, went for childminder which was best decision ever - she is ace and has helped hugely with settling in.

workshy · 09/02/2012 22:06

our school has breakfast and after school club, but there is also a Kaliedoscope nursery next door that also has a breakfast and afterschool facility that then delivers the children to school in the morning

are there any private nurseries near the school as they may well offer the service

MollieO · 09/02/2012 22:09

Apparently where I live dcs are collected from school by 'their mothers or other relatives'. That was what our catchment school said. The other school in the village said mothers collect their dcs and the third runs a breakfast club from 8 but nothing after school -'some days of the week your child could attend an after school activity and you could collect him at 4'.

This is the main reason why I pay school fees.

pointythings · 09/02/2012 22:10

We have a nursery who does before and after school provision and provides transport to most of the primaries (and makes sure DD1 and her peers set off for the school bus to middle school on time). It works very well, they are a Montessori place and very friendly and relaxing.

I think schools only have to signpost, not provide themselves.

sugartongue · 09/02/2012 22:16

I use a childminder - school does have before/after care, but I've always preferred a CM - much nicer for the kids to be able to veg out on the sofa when they're tired rather than being at school til 6! It's also more use when it comes to the holidays because they can go to the CM

emmash2010 · 09/02/2012 22:19

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by Mumsnet.

LambethWalk · 10/02/2012 13:22

If you know that you will definitely need childcare in the long term then I would advise making that your priority in your choice of school.

i am single parent. My DS attends a lovely school that has only just starting offering a breakfast club. An after-school club was trialled but closed when the numbers were too low. The school cannot signpost parents to childminders as there are no official childminders locally. Working parents either adjust their hours if possible or pay unofficial childminders in cash.

When DS started there I was working from home so not so worried. Then I used an official childminder who stopped working after a year. Now I am considering moving DS so I can work full-time.

3point14 · 10/02/2012 14:23

I was surprised to find out that reception at my daughter's school does not come with any such assistance apart from irregular film nights etc. I had expected pre and post school provision, albeit at a cost of course.

iwouldgoouttonight · 10/02/2012 14:48

DS's school didn't have a breakfast/after school club when he started (they have since started one) and we got through the first term by me only taking half hour lunch breaks so I could finish work early a couple of days to pick him up. And DP juggled his hours about too. Once he started school we got to know lots of parents who live nearby and we now have an arrangement with another mum who picks up DS some days and we look after their DS some days.

We would have used a childminder but they were all booked up by the time I realised I needed to get it sorted, so I would recommend talking to local childminders as soon as you can.

We're lucky because we can drop DS off at school in the morning and still get to work by 9am, as me and DP both work locally, so its only after school which is a problem for us. Our arrangement works now, but it is a big frantic rush afer work and I often have to stop and think about where DS actually is that day!

BsshBossh · 10/02/2012 20:29

Childminder who also covers holidays.

BsshBossh · 10/02/2012 20:31

Childminder who also covers holidays.

BsshBossh · 10/02/2012 20:31

Whoops, sorry for double post.

Flip

1 2