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Primary education

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

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Original poster

Reception starter going to Breakfast Club. Is the school day too long?

23 replies

12345Floris · 17/09/2013 11:46

My situation is v. complicated with two children at school in different towns (and I don't drive).

My Reception son turns full time next week so whilst I've been able to bus my daughter into school in the other town and get her there on time, from next week I won't be able to do that as they both start at 9am.

So, either she gets to school an hour late after I drop my son first, or he goes to Breakfast Club at 8am.

Breakfast Club is in the Junior School across the road and around the corner and the supervisor is his Reception teacher, which is good and familiar for him. Whilst I'm on JobSeekers or Income Support it's free, or £2.50 a day if employed.

I'm just struggling with the idea of leaving him in school for so long, from 8am to 3pm. He's never been to nursery fulltime only the 3 hours a day but that was never regular amd he hasn't been in nursery since April.

I'm a lone parent since his birth so both children 4 and 6 are very close to me.

How do you think he will cope with such a long school day, given he will be up from 7am too?

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MortifiedAdams · 17/09/2013 11:49

He will.probably have a few early nigh ts.in the first half a term but then get used to it.

Reception is still.mainly play based learning so not to draining on him

Tiggles · 17/09/2013 11:50

DS2 went from pre-school nursery 5 afternoons a week to going to breakfast club at 8 and getting picked up from afterschool club at 5, as I started full time work the week he started school.
He was absolutely fine with it.

DS1 would have struggled terribly - he was shattered by school and fell asleep really early each day, but he is autistic and struggled badly with school in general.

I think it depends on the child. If your DS is coping ok with school then I don't think breakfast club would be too much of a problem.

DalmationDots · 17/09/2013 12:07

He will be fine and adapt quickly :) as PP said, Reception is very play based and while he will be tired, he will survive with earlier nights.
And great that it is with his reception teacher.
Sounds like the best solution.

jasminerose · 17/09/2013 12:10

dd is 5 and is up at 6am and in club/school from 7.30-6 a lot of time.If you have energetic children then its not too long a day.

northernlurker · 17/09/2013 12:11

He will be fine. Plenty of children manage with this. My dc always did afterschool club - so the day was drop off at 8.45, pick up at 5.45-6pm. Besides you've no choice really have you?

jasminerose · 17/09/2013 12:21

I know parents of SAHMs who think like this. If you have always worked then I dont think you molly coddle your kids as much and they take it all in their stride. I wouldnt say your day is long at all.

pyrrah · 17/09/2013 12:27

Sounds fine to me.

My DD was doing 9 - 3.15pm at the school nursery and then 3.15 - 6pm at a private nursery. She was still bouncing around the place at 6.

She does the same hours this year in Reception- first week I planned to pick her up myself every afternoon... she turned round on the 2nd day and said she'd actually rather go to nursery after-school with her friends!

Mutley77 · 17/09/2013 12:42

I wouldn't have done it for my DC1 when she started school but I may have to for DC2 (similar circumstances to yours with separate schools etc). Your older child will be far more disrupted by being an hour late than your younger one going to breakfast club so he will have to get used to it

kilmuir · 17/09/2013 12:46

My Ds had to go to before and after club in reception year. Was from 8am until 4.15. We had no choice as i had 2 children at other schools. He was a bit tired initially but enjoyed it

choceyes · 17/09/2013 12:48

I'm also wondering about this.

My DS just started Reception (will be 5 in Nov) and he has to go to breakfast club 4 days a week as I need to be at work by 8.45am. I drop him off around 8.20am to breakfast club. I think he's doing OK, although he keeps asking why he has to go to breakfast club in the morning, so I'm not sure he's enjoyingn it that much, but he doesn't moan about it and goes willingly when he is actually there. Although I'm not sure how long his willingness will last for.
I pick him up at 3pm, and he seems fine, not overtired or anything.

BornToFolk · 17/09/2013 12:49

DS has two days where he goes to breakfast club (and then a childminder after school) as I'm working.
He was at full time nursery before he started school so was used to long hours out of the home. He coped fine with it. He's in Year 1 now and absolutely loves going to breakfast club. I think he'd go every day if I let him!

I'm sure he'll adjust. Try and see it as a positive thing, he may really enjoy it. My DS likes it as he gets a chance to make friends with kids from other year groups and they have really good toys to play with...and he gets a second breakfast too!

lagoonhaze · 17/09/2013 12:52

I don't really see the issue? Its one extra hour? Some children do 830-3 school day and walk their and back whilst I reception.

GhoulWithADragonTattoo · 17/09/2013 12:52

He'll be fine :) I imagine quite a few of his little classmates will be there and they'll have lots of fun.

fancyanother · 17/09/2013 12:54

I was worried about this too, but I don't think 1 hour before school, where really, they are just sitting at a table eating a bit of cereal, then playing a bit with their friends before going to class is that taxing. Mine are up at 6 anyway, no matter when I put them to bed. My DS cycles between loving breakfast club and hating after school club ( he doesn't do both on the same day) and hating breakfast club and loving after school club, hating both and loving both. It changes so much, that I have come to the conclusion that it's all fine!

Periwinkle007 · 17/09/2013 13:36

he won't really know any different - that will just be what the school day is like for him. And if you have had to be traveling to get your daughter to school until now anyway then it is probably less tiring to be in breakfast club than traveling around on a bus.

I am a SAHM at the moment so my two haven't had to go to the clubs but the elder one thinks breakfast club sounds fun and spent most of reception asking why she couldn't go!

when I was 5 I had to leave home at 8 and didn't get home until nearly 4 because I was at a private school 12 miles from our home. I didn't know any different, it was just normal. Once I was 10 and traveling on the train it became 7:30-5ish. Children are more adaptable than we give them credit for I think and at the end of the day the circumstances are the way they are so don't upset yourself by worrying about it. You are doing your best to provide for both of them being at school safely at the times they need to be and they will be fine.

MoominsYonisAreScary · 17/09/2013 13:41

Mine had to go to breakfast club and after school club, no choice with the hours i was working. He will be fine, mine always enjoyed breakfast club at that age.

flowery · 17/09/2013 13:41

It will be fine.

DS2 will be 5 in November so goes to school next September. He will go to breakfast club a few days a week with DS1.

He currently arrives at nursery and has breakfast there at 7.45 anyway. He's absolutely fine, and loves having breakfast at nursery with his friends and teachers.

Suzieismyname · 17/09/2013 13:42

Surely in Breakfast Club he will just be playing and eating? He'll be fine.
You can't even consider getting your older DD to school an hour late every day!

flowery · 17/09/2013 14:25

Clearly DS2 will be 4 this November, 5 the November after he starts school...

noisytoys · 17/09/2013 14:29

He'll be fine. It's no different to my 5yo DD who does 8.50-3.10 then after school club til 6 5 days a week while I work. Plenty of children do the same that's why the clubs run. If children didn't need to go there would be no need for the club to be open.

keepsmiling12345 · 17/09/2013 20:08

He'll be fine. I'm a single parent who works part-time and my DD (now y2) has done a mixture of breakfast clubs, after school clubs and me doing short days over the last 2 years since she started school. As others have said, he may get tired so you might want to encourage an early bed-time on some days but overall what you describe seems manageable for a reception child.

HappyMummyOfOne · 17/09/2013 21:52

Its only an hour and not formal so he will be fine, lots go to breakfast and after school club as parents work so its very normal.

simpson · 17/09/2013 21:57

He will be fine.

I know its not quite the same as my DD only did one day a week but all the way through reception (last year) she did breakfast club from 8 and after school club till 4.15 every Wednesday.

She she was v tired and not up for much bar tea, bath and bed but she coped ok and woke up fine the next day.

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