Question about after school clubs or similar provisions

[drcrab]

Hi there
I'm hoping someone can help. Our DS is due to start reception in September. Both me and dh work full time and so need afterschool provisions.

Our school that he's going to has vv limited availability and there's a huge waiting list. The school that was second on our list (only because we know we wouldn't get in due to distance!) has a great afterschool provision.

There was a meeting this morning with a few parents with HT and afterschool teacher and basically they didn't seem keen to put any more clubs on. Citing reasons like oh there is alot of redundancies going on now, lots of people's circumstances change etc. basically not interested.

I'm wondering whether there is any clause out there that says that the school has to act if there is lots of demand or anything we can do about it? I know we can probably rely on a combination of us taking a couple of days early, friends etc but I really don't think this is feasible long term. Friends of ours who have their child in reception this year say its horrible when their child says 'so who's coming to pick us up today'. I can imagine. :(

I can look into child minders etc but just wondered if there's any thing in any legislation about such provision especially when the gov seems to be banging on about both parents working, both parents staying together etcetc. Oh and no we don't have parents living near by (mine are 12 he by plane and dh live up north).

Thanks in advance.

Schools are in no way obliged to provide after school care, but I think that they do have to 'signpost' you to other local facilities? Don't think you'll be able to 'strong-arm' them into it.

Whilst they are supposed to sign post you to other facilities in truth they can even be obstructive about after school provision. One local school has a head who believes mothers should stay home and look after their children and makes it nigh on impossible for a local after school club to pick up from the school. It was taken to educational tribunal who found in favour of the head.

i don't think you can force them. would think seriously re sending your child to this school if it is going to be an ongoing problem. do you have any alternatives?

Don't know if you want to link up with this thread ? Here

Get in touch with your family Information Service. LAs have to ensure there is "sufficient" childcare available in their locality.

i also started a thread on this
hence my unhelpful pessimism. in our case the after school club is shutting and there are no cms.
similar thread

i have to say that the LA have been most unhelpful.
ofsted requirements are no longer as tight re extended schools and things are changing for the worse... :(

Argh. I can't click on those threads from phone! Will try and get on computer. But this does not bode well. I thought there's lots of unemployment? Why won't they be able to help run a computer club or a robotics club or math club or...?

My DC's school looked into this but couldn't run with it because companies/people need to have enough guaranteed take-up to make it finacially viable (schools can't afford to subsidise) and with job losses etc then parents were not prepared to commit to it so it all came to nothing. My DC are collected by another after-school facility (where they hate going - it's a shit situation, actually )