Schools - Early open and late close?

Noffles

Do schools in Ireland do this... I know that the school my lad goes to does not do anything like this and to be honest at times this it's quite a hassle.
Would be handy to have a breakfast club where we could drop him off early and also if it stayed open later in the evening it would be really handy for us when we return home...

Comments?

REXER

Would you concider paying for the service if it was offered?

Noffles

It would depend on how much... the UK do this almost everywhere, I just don't know if they pay for this... will check.

January

School is not a childminding service for your children, it's there to educate them. They shouldn't have to provide things like breakfast clubs or homework clubs. If you need your child looked after before/after school, find a childminder or chreche to do that for you.

I do know of a school that provides these things, but it would be classed as a school from a disadvantaged area and the children that attend the clubs would have been the type of children that wouldn't have gotten a breakfast before school or help with their homework from their parents, they would be selected by the home/school liasion officer.

Noffles

Ye, it seems there is a charge in the UK but compared to getting a child minder it is far cheaper... so yes I would pay.

average_runner

Compare to get a child minder in the UK on UK prices or Irish prices!


This would cost more here as insurance costs here would be higher.

Nevyn

Schools in a lot of countries do this as standard, it makes sense to use the facilities in this way, but that sort of joined up thinking hasn't hit here.

Noffles

Seems like a really good idea and I'm sure this would help HUNDREDS of families..!

Moonbeam

It is one thing I love about the UK school system,when I was young I had to go to my minder before school then again after would have been handier to be able to go to breakfast and home work club.
Some schools will keep the infants until older siblings finish but I have only heard of breakfast clubs in really disadvantaged schools.
Some schools do have homework clubs run by teachers in their own time.

mymo

My daughter is in first year secondary school, and they have this service, the breakfast club is really for the bus kids that get in early(one lot arrive at 8.10) and only runs from Oct - end of April. So far as I know its a Euro for a cup of tea and toast. The homework club starts in second year I think so not open to her at the moment.
Her primary school also had a homework club, it was Mon-Thurs, for an hour and was about €20-€30 a term depending on the days in the term. I think more school are running these now.

Noffles

mymo wrote: »

My daughter is in first year secondary school, and they have this service, the breakfast club is really for the bus kids that get in early(one lot arrive at 8.10) and only runs from Oct - end of April. So far as I know its a Euro for a cup of tea and toast. The homework club starts in second year I think so not open to her at the moment.
Her primary school also had a homework club, it was Mon-Thurs, for an hour and was about €20-€30 a term depending on the days in the term. I think more school are running these now.

I've heard of the homework clubs but an hour after school is no helpe really, myself or my wife would not be close enought to get to the school by 16:45... the school I saw on the news this morning, BBC News, was open from 06:00 to 22:00 I think... now that would be useful!

mymo

6.00 to 22.00?
Kids should be in bed at those hours!
No matter what my situation I would not be happy with my child being away from me for those kind of hours, spending time with your child is one of the most important things for a child. I understand we all have to work, and often travel for some time at either end of the day, but are you seriously saying you would send your child to school for those hours?

Noffles

mymo wrote: »

6.00 to 22.00?
Kids should be in bed at those hours!
No matter what my situation I would not be happy with my child being away from me for those kind of hours, spending time with your child is one of the most important things for a child. I understand we all have to work, and often travel for some time at either end of the day, but are you seriously saying you would send your child to school for those hours?

No, I'm not saying that and that is not what I asked... please take your opinions on how long children are to be left alone somewhere else... I'm in the real world where people work long hours and commute to work.

mymo

Believe me I live in the real world, I am a single parent, trying to work and study. I understand the hours involved.
Sorry if my post didn't come off the way I meant it.
What I'm trying to say is that for long hours I don't think school is the best place for a child, a child minder would be far better. My thinking is child minder setting would be more relaxed and give the child a chance to wind down after school. Also there is more personal attention and since a child minder is limited to the number of kids.
To be honest it depends on the age of the kids too, second level ages would be more suited to longer hours in school than younger ones. They would also do ok with a lower adult to child ratio than younger children.

Noffles

mymo wrote: »

Believe me I live in the real world, I am a single parent, trying to work and study. I understand the hours involved.
Sorry if my post didn't come off the way I meant it.
What I'm trying to say is that for long hours I don't think school is the best place for a child, a child minder would be far better. My thinking is child minder setting would be more relaxed and give the child a chance to wind down after school. Also there is more personal attention and since a child minder is limited to the number of kids.
To be honest it depends on the age of the kids too, second level ages would be more suited to longer hours in school than younger ones. They would also do ok with a lower adult to child ratio than younger children.

Yes, I agree the age of the child is relevant in this discussion... and at least we're all in the same world.

Nevyn

schools opening at 8 for a breakfast club and having a homework club afterwards would free up a lot for parents, be it money or being able to get back to work or college.

I think that 10pm is far to late, I know schools are open at that time for evening courses but not for pupils.

Noffles

Thaedydal wrote: »

schools opening at 8 for a breakfast club and having a homework club afterwards would free up a lot for parents, be it money or being able to get back to work or college.

I think that 10pm is far to late, I know schools are open at that time for evening courses but not for pupils.

I'm sure a lot of people would agree... on the other hand I'm sure some would welcome it.

di11on

We're in France and our kids go to primary school from 8.50am and school ends at 5pm. They are the regular school hours. Lunch is from 12pm to 2pm and kids have the choice of staying at school and eating in the canteen (for a nominal fee) or of going home for lunch.

That works great.. except on Wednesdays, when there's no school, but I guess it would be easy to find someone to look after the children on Wednesdays.

While school isn't a child minding service, the government do, however, want mothers in the workforce. They redesigned the tax system to make this more appealing to families. If they really want this, you'd think they'd go the full way.

Fittle

I think a school that opens at 8am would be a good idea. Often, breakfast in our house is my child having cereal alone while I run to have a shower/get his clothes ready etc etc. If he could go to a breakfast club at 8.10 for example, I could get into work an hour earlier and then, get home an hour earlier and spend that extra hour with him, in a much more valuable way.

Not gonna happen in our school anyday soon however:rolleyes:

spurious

Our school opens at 7.45 with a breakfast club and the library open at 8.00. The TY class run a breakfast club and a number of other 'entrepreneurial' activities.

The breakfast club is meant for (and used by) children who would be travelling a long way in by bus or train, to let them avoid the rush hour squash, though some local children use it too. The library would be open til 4.45 on normal days.

We can't really use the premises after 6.00 as night classes are on then.

gaeilgegrinds1

What do they provide for breakfast? I'm interested in this...

spurious

gaeilgegrinds1 wrote: »

What do they provide for breakfast? I'm interested in this...

Orange juice, cereal and toast.
I'm not sure the prices they charge but they are making a profit.

However, the big money spinner for the TYs is some sort of Playstation (or X-Box, I don't know the difference) league they have going where the kids pay for each entry. That's raking in the cash and my money would be on that 'team' to win by a mile.

We tried a 'run by staff' breakfast club a few years ago, with tea, toast, cereal and yogurt. It ran into a lot of problems, mainly with stuff going off. Milk products are a bit of a nightmare. The club run by the kids is getting bigger numbers than our staff one ever did.

We supply our students with up to four pieces of different types of fruit each morning at small break (at no charge to them) so we're fairly sure that even the kids who don't take breakfast are still getting some nutritious food.

mariebeth

Noffles wrote: »

I've heard of the homework clubs but an hour after school is no helpe really, myself or my wife would not be close enought to get to the school by 16:45... the school I saw on the news this morning, BBC News, was open from 06:00 to 22:00 I think... now that would be useful!

6.00 to 22.00??? Do the kids even know their parents????

implausible

As others have said, this service is available in some schools and usually operates in one of the following ways:

1. The school is a DEIS (designated disadvantaged) one and receives funding to run a breakfast club or homework club

2. The school privately runs a homework club or after-school study, paid for by the parents.

OP, why don't you get pro-active on this? Bring it up at the next Parents' Association meeting. I'm sure you are not the only parent who would like some type of supervised after (or before) school activity. There will be costs involved, such as paying people to supervise, insurance and equipment (if it's activity-based), but it will probably work cheaper than a créche or childminder.

byhookorbycrook

mariebeth wrote: »

6.00 to 22.00??? Do the kids even know their parents????

I agree,when do you see the child?Trotted out at weekends for an hour or two??

Nevyn

In the case where the schools are open until 10pm in the UK they are secondary schools and the facilies are being used by the communtiy for events and classes and clubs.

Mr Simpson

deemark wrote: »

The school is a DEIS (designated disadvantaged) one and receives funding to run a breakfast club or homework club

Sort of, the breakfast clubs and homework clubs still have to be run on a voluntary basis, the only funding made available to DEIS schools by the DSP is a very small amount to cover food costs only, not staff costs. These also must be accounted for.

gabsdot40

They have this at my son's school. A private company run a breakfast club from 7.30am till 8.50 when school starts. I think it's €6 per day and then they run an after school club till 6pm. the kids do their homework and get a snack and a hot dinner.

wolfpawnat

mariebeth wrote: »

6.00 to 22.00??? Do the kids even know their parents????

Forget that, would we work those hours Monday to Friday. legally your not supposed to!

16 hours, that is cruel. A form of child abuse IMHO!

Ickle Magoo

06:00 - 22:00 is horrendously long day for anyone but which is the better system, the one that has parents/lone parents trapped either out of work because they can't afford childcare or without sufficient means or ability to improve qualification or one that at least allows for childcare that covers a working day and an evening class, even temporarily....trapping families in poverty forever is far greater abuse imo.

byhookorbycrook

What the OP needs is a boarding school.