Looking after school age children

[chocolate.chip]

Hi
I look after a child in year 1 currently at school 3 days a week but parents have asked if I could look after him on the days he's not at school. I'm a little confused whether that's allowed? Paceys website says we're now open to children of all ages but another paragraph says mixing settings is to be avoided.

[FussyElmo]

Yes as long as both settings agree

[Dragonfly]

Yes as both settings agree.our local school isn’t mixing.

[moggy]

You need to risk assess- it means your own little 'bubble' will be mixing via that school child with all the rest of that school 'bubble' - which could be up to 15 children. You need to weigh up whether all the precautions you are taking will balance that increased risk. And how do the other families feel about it? They say it is 'to be avoided' for a reason, but only you can make the decision based on the specifics of your family, setting an other mindees.

[SYLVIA]

I’m having one after school but the others go home before I pick up. I have time to clean round before collecting and she’s here on her own for a couple of hours. Summer holidays will be fun but at least it will then be one setting!

[ceb99]

I have a parent with one child at school a few days a week and a baby at home... they’re asking if I can have the baby while older child is at school, then both in the summer holidays.

With other families wanting school holiday care I was going to have a quarantine period before they came here but this request has thrown me a bit!

What are your thoughts on this? The school doesn’t want mixing of bubbles of their school aged children but how does this then work for younger siblings who are not at school...??? :huh:

[Dragonfly]

Siblings live together so I’m a bit miffed about question ( probably me) if they live together then surely it’s fine to be together at yours? If you mean the other children coming if you only have them during school holidays I don’t know think will be okay.

[ceb99]

Sorry! It’s about mixing bubbles of children, our local schools don’t want it happening. Saying they don’t want children mixing with different adults and children other than their own household.
One setting only. Obv this isn’t sustainable long term but at the moment it’s what the schools are saying. One school doesn’t even want their own after school club opening even though it’s on the same premises! - as children’s bubbles will be broken.
I’ve had families choose me over school purely for the fact I can offer all day care not just school hours and more than 2 days a week that most schools here are offering.

[Dragonfly]

Oh I’m with you. Well I maybe in a similar predicament. I have one at nursery ( not coming here for her one day a week because of sharing settings) the parent wants her to come one day a week during summer holidays so I’m a bit oh I’m not sure either 🙄 maybe someone will help us out.

[Dragonfly]

My thoughts are in my case leave a 2 week gap between finishing nursery and coming here. May apply to you also .

[SYLVIA]

This now explains a conversation I overheard at school between a parent and head teacher. She was saying to the parent that the child had mentioned she was having friends over at the weekend and the head teacher didn’t seem too happy about it. Maybe it’s also about mixing the “bubbles”.

[Dragonfly]

Sylvia I have noticed lots of children playing with other children from different households in the village. I don’t think this bubble thing is going to work if parents don’t follow it. Makes me so cross as we are trying to protect children and parents are openly letting their children meet up with friends children go to the park to play etc.

Maybe I shouldn’t have the child from nursery even after a 2 week stay away from both settings ? It’s so hard to know what to do. As ceb99 is finding too.