After school enquiry

[Buzz Lightyear]

Morning all,

I've had an email this morning from a parent who would like me to collect her two children who are 8 and 10 from a school which is five miles away. The parent has asked whether I'd be willing to pick them up but it would mean me having to drive.

Presently, I have no-one on my books so it's not a problem. The only problem which could arise is if I was to eventually take on an under 5 as I have a daughter of my own and thus space in the car.

Would you charge mileage or just simple after school fee?

By the sounds of it, it's not before school, just after. Should I just split the before and after school fee in half?

She has emailed so need to email her back with details so help much appreciated xx

[katickles]

I personally wouldn't charge mileage as i would be putting it through my books. 40p per mile would give you £4.00 per day that you collect through you books which IMO would be better.

I do a school collection for 1 child & sometimes take my 3 under 3 with me & I do manage to fit them all in the car if we need to go in the car rather than walking.

I just charge a slightly increased hourly fee for mine as she's with me for 2 hours. I know others do it different but it suits me fine this way.

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[katickles]

:laughing: :laughing: Just read my reply - it sounds like i also sometimes leave the 3 under 3 behind!! I ment it that 3 come with me if i have all 3 at that time as sometimes some have already been collected:p

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[Ripeberry]

Do any of you ever have the dilema of being surrounded by several schools that all let the kids out at the same time BUT you can only collect from one as that's where your own children go.
I just know i'm going to get enquiries about picking up at another school (opposite direction) and i'll have to decline.
Maybe i could say if they were delivered to me then i could have after schoolers from different schools! But of course the parents would have to organise that with a friend.

[Roseolivia]

The mindees i have are siblings and one goes to nursery and the other school so i have to do a 7mile round trip 3 times a day and it can be quite tying. I also find my daughter gets fed up of going in and out of the car. I took these mindees on as these were my first enquiries and the youngest was full time so couldn't afford not to. I now find though that i can't have children from the school in my village as they come out of nursery/school at the same time. I think you have to weigh up the pro's and con's. Can you afford not to have these children? Hope this helps, it's hard on knowing what to do for the best when you first start.

[Buzz Lightyear]

Well I dont have any mindees yet so it would be ideal to get something sorted out. Mat leave will be ending very soon and to have something in the pipeline would be nice to stop me stressing!

I've emailed the parent back, no doubt my after school fee will put her off seen as she has two. Will wait and see x

[Daftbat]

I used to collect from more than one school - mainly because it was for some of the first children i looked after and needed the business. I just collect from one school now and drop off to nursery at another and its so much better, it means i have been able to say yes to add hock work picking up from school and taken on more children because i am not reliant on using the car for school. Its hard though if you need the money and nothing else is coming up.

[Buzz Lightyear]

You see I would HAVE to use the car to collect the two children from school as it's 5 miles away and would mean going down a bypass or over the top country road to get there. It's definitely too far and in fact too dangerous to walk to. I guess presently, it wouldn't be an issue due to having no-one else on my books.

Anyway, what am I going on about, the parent hasn't even said yes yet! In fact, there has been nothing from her since my reply and she initially emailed at 8.20am this morning.

I'm thinking my fee for after school has put her off.

[Zoomie]

i would consider it at this stage cos you are not tied to a particular school.

my older children are already at school, therefore i am tired to these schools, though my eldest is a few months short of doing his walk home on his own.

for other cm who struggle with picking up from diff schools finishing at same time, when we lived in herts ds1 was at junior school, and ds2 was at nursery, about 15 mins apart (by car and foot cos of traffic), and i used to be able to collect ds2 15 early from nursery. they were okay with this cos he was in nursery though.

hths

Of, and in herts my cm charged me £15 for 1 hour in the morning and 45 mins in the afternoon - rate greatly increased because of pt hours.

[mushpea]

I currently pick up from two schools within 5mins walk of each other, my two are in the juinors and are let out wether i am there or not and they both know to wait in the playground, there are two friends of mine that collect from that school and they know if there was ever a problem they could go to them. when i used to do both primary schools the teacher of one child would hold on to them untill i arrived as they new the situation so you could speak to both schools explain the situation and ask that if ever you were late if they could hold on to the child. most days i am there on time anway as the first school lets out a couple of minutes before the other.

[miffy]

Good luck Ellie - hope she comes back to you

Just a thought but does she need holiday care too?

Miffy xx

[Buzz Lightyear]

I wondered the same miffy but she hasn't mentioned it. Will wait and see if she replies back and ask her. Still nothing though so thinking she's not interested.

[angeldelight]

Just saying good luck

Angel xx