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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

After school club at age 4???

24 replies

jakethepeg · 12/04/2008 20:36

Hi
DS starts school in September, he is 4 in May. At the moment he goes to a private nursery 3 days a week (8-5) whilst I go to work. From September I am trying to change my hours to 9.30-3.00 every day but although starting at 9.30 is fine I am not sure I will be able to leave at 3 every day due to the set up of the office (not enough experienced people in until 5).

I am going to struggle to find someone to pick DS up, my sister has offered on her only day off - Monday - and possibly my dad could pick him up another night but I wondered if I should put him in the after school club for the other 3 nights for 90 mins until I get back from work or spend the next few months trying to find a childminder to pick him up and have him for 90 mins for me.

I am so confused!!! I don't know any of the other children he will be starting school with as his private nursery is near my workplace and not near our home. He won't know anybody in his class at first.

Does anyone have experience of after school clubs at age 4 - is he too young?
Thanks

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FrannyandZooey · 12/04/2008 20:44

how about a nanny? I presume you are saving quite a bit by not having to pay the nursery fees anymore?

having someone who can give him one to one each day and just let him relax and have cuddles and so on if he wants, in his own home, would be a big help at first I think

at 4 they are quite little

Lizzylou · 12/04/2008 20:46

A local childminder might be nicer, a lot round here pick up from school and give the children tea etc. Might just be more relaxing and comforting for him.

Twiglett · 12/04/2008 20:47

IMHO too young .. find a childminder

roisin · 12/04/2008 21:13

Usually afterschool clubs tend to be for older children, and younger ones fare better with childminders.

But as it would be convenient, I would certainly pop in and have a look at their set-up, see whether they have any reception-aged children, and if they are geared-up for coping with little ones.

Heated · 12/04/2008 21:18

See what the after school club offers for the youngest. If they're all lumped together then no I wouldn't go for it; I'd find a nice CM. When I had a look at an independent one of the things it offered was wrap around care, and after school they had play facilities, biscuit and milk for the youngest 4 & 5 yr olds who were separate from the older ones.

paddingtonbear1 · 12/04/2008 21:20

When dd first started school last sept I used a childminder. It worked well but didn't last - after a month she gave up childminding! There weren't any others with vacancies in my area, so in the end I used a local after school club in the village for 3 days pw (not attached to her school). The staff there are nice, and dd seems to have settled in ok. There are quite a lot of other younger kids between 4 and 7, not many older ones. I'd say a childminder is better if you can get one, especially to start with, but if not have a look at any local after school clubs - not necessarily just the one at the school. My dd gets picked up from her school and taken to hers.
(dd is not 5 till July btw)

LadyMuck · 12/04/2008 21:25

Depends on the set up of the club and school eg if the school was just for infants then oldest in the club would be 7 which is a jump but not too much. But our school basically says no reception kids until at least christmas and even then please find a childminder. Some schools keep lists of cms who pick up?

Even though he is used to longer days at nursery the pace of school is quite different and some 4yos even go back to having a nap when they start.

HappyMummyOfOne · 12/04/2008 21:40

DS goes to our afterschool club 3 nights a week as I dont finish early enough to collect him. He's been fine and have had no problems at all. Its a small village school so only 70 children in total so the club only has around 8-10 children.

Each night they do a different activity as well as free play etc - baking night, movie night etc.

I visited before deciding the best way to go and it was really well run and I knew he would be happy there.

ReallyTired · 12/04/2008 22:16

My son started after school club five nights a week at the age of five and he loved it and still loves it at 6 years old.

The problem with a child minder is that a four year old takes up an under fives space. Many childminders would rather have a pre school child for 50 hours a week than a four year old for 3 to 6 five days a week.

I found that childminders in my area charged extortionate rates for school children. (£5 an hour and they looked after 6 children) They wanted to be paid for 52 weeks of the year as well. You are limited to the childminders who pick up from the school.

In the after club they do activites. For example they play stick in the mud, drawing, playing with lego, baking as well as free play. There is no TV and its an extension to my sons education.

islandofsodor · 12/04/2008 22:28

Several children including dd went to afterschool club from day 4 of reception class. They don't open the first week,

It was fine. My dd was there from 3.20pm until 5.00pm two nights a week.

In fact I wouldn't have considered a school that did not have after school facilities.

AbbeyA · 12/04/2008 22:30

I feel so sorry for the little ones in After School Club-the day is just too long for them-I think a child minder is better.

rnbsmum · 12/04/2008 22:38

My dd is in one three days a week and loves it. It's very different from school so does not feel like purely an extension of the school day. Lots of relaxing and fun activities, and because the club is well run, the addition of some (only slightly) older children only adds to the fun for her.

ReallyTired · 12/04/2008 22:46

"I feel so sorry for the little ones in After School Club-the day is just too long for them-I think a child minder is better. "

Why? A childminder is not the child's mother. A child can't relax in the same way they can at home.

The children of working parents do have a long day, but toddlers are often in nursery for just as long.

My son tells me that his after school club is like Golden time. I think it does him good to mix with the juniors. A child in a large family would be mixing with children of a range of ages. It improves children's social skills as far as I can tell my son just spends most the time playing.

AbbeyA · 12/04/2008 22:48

A lot of the little ones are ready to go home by lunch time!

clu · 12/04/2008 22:50

I have worked in after school care for 15 years. We do not take any little ones in the first week of school as it can be overwhelming for them with so many new things going on. After that I would say it can be a long day for the younger ones but you are not talking about 5 days a week till 6pm. A lot of the youngest children are our happiest and love seeing their friends. Go along and ask how many people they have applying from their class, I am often asked that question and am happy to answer.

NorthernLurker · 12/04/2008 22:50

my dd1 went to a club from the time she started school at 4 3/4. She always enjoys it and dd2 went froma similar age and enjoyed it as well - though of course she had her sister there which broke the ice a bit I suppose the set up may vary but ours has some great activities, outside play, use of the gym etc alongside books and quiet activities so tired children can crash out. It's held at the school which is a big plus for me - no tiring journey at the end of the day.

ReallyTired · 12/04/2008 22:59

"A lot of the little ones are ready to go home by lunch time! "

I imagine that probably true of a lot of summer born chidren. However many parents have to work. Life is often a set of compromises.

HuwEdwards · 12/04/2008 23:01

DD2 did afterschool from sep - she was 4. I felt bad, she was fine.

Original poster

jakethepeg · 13/04/2008 17:18

Thanks so much for your replies, some great advice too!

I will definitely go and speak to the school (they are inviting us to an open day shortly where I can ask any questions) and will look into childminders in the meantime.

The bottom line is I feel guilty that I cannot pick him up every night but then I have felt guilty since I went back to work 3 days a week when he was 1 but needs must!!!

ReallyTired - you are spot on with your last comment!

I don't have a choice about whether I should pick him up or not, I can't, so have to choose the best alternative for him. For me that would be somewhere he can relax after school for a max of 90 mins until I can get there. Staying at school sounded less of an upheaval than going home with a CM and me going there for him.

Right, off to do more thinking about it! Thanks ever so!
X

OP posts:

islandofsodor · 13/04/2008 21:19

If it makes you feel any better jakethe peg about 6 months after dd started school my work pattern changed which meant she didn;t have to go into after school club. She was NOT amused and begged to be able to carry on going so now I let her stay in there one day a week the night of her ballet lesson as ballet is just around the corer from there.

PussinWellies · 14/04/2008 11:09

Plenty of little ones at our after-school club. It's busy, but they have lots of outside space, a separate TV room and a main playroom (where they get snacks and sandwiches). It also takes three-yr-olds from the on-site playgroup, so the two settings combine into a full 'nursery' day for some children.

I'd say it can help to cement school friendships -- but it depends on your child. Good luck!

madness · 14/04/2008 21:04

dc go to afterschool club but not attached to school. Sometimes I don't pick them up till 7pm. They seem to be fine. (and hunngry, always want a proper diner when finally at home)

marina · 14/04/2008 21:09

Our after-school club was a much better option for ds at this age than any of the registered local childminders with vacancies . Check the facilities Jake. I bet some of the helpers will also be dinner ladies or possibly even classroom assistants.
Ds was surrounded by friendly older children and adults he knew, in a familiar setting. Not off to pound the local streets for 40 minutes in a gaggle behind a double buggy picking up from two other schools, which was the morally superior arrangement one of the other families opted for.

ReallyTired · 15/04/2008 17:51

I don't think that morallity comes into it. I am sure there are some good childminders, but none in my area. My sil has a good childminder, but her children's school has no after school club. Each family has to make the best choice for their situation.

Also if the after school club does not work out you can always try a childminder or via a versa.

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