Breakfast club/morning school run

[Kitty B]

Just had a parent approach me at school enquiring about a morning school run for his 6 year old daughter as the breakfast club at the school is closing. Having looked on the school website they were charging £2.50 (7.45-8.45)! That seems dirt cheap to me! I was thinking more of a flat rate of £5! What are your thoughts guys??

[JCrakers]

Flat rate sounds good.. what is your normal rate?

My fees are £3.75 per hour as I never got round to having a flat fee. I start at 8am and drop children at 8.50am so only 50mins.

£2.50 is dirt cheap so whatever you do don't agree to match that otherwise there's no wage for you. I feel that £5 is a good price

[Kitty B]

Thanks, and including a basic brekkie, cereal or toast if they want it??

[Kitty B]

My normal hourly rate is £4.20

[BallyH]

You may get more enquiries if the school one is closing. They obviously couldn't sustain it on £2.50! I charge £5 an hour with a minimum of one hour. I have found that some parents would be very happy to drop their child here for 15 mins expecting to pay approx £1 or equivalent, so I learned the hard way and do one hour minimum. Some of mine have breakfast but provide their own cereal/bread as it was getting ridiculous the requests for different branded goods. I provide milk, butter jams etc. It works well.

[mumofone]

Just had a parent approach me at school enquiring about a morning school run for his 6 year old daughter as the breakfast club at the school is closing. Having looked on the school website they were charging £2.50 (7.45-8.45)! That seems dirt cheap to me! I was thinking more of a flat rate of £5! What are your thoughts guys??

How come their breakfast club is closing? I thought they were trying to push the whole wrap around care thing?

[Mouse]

When I did a morning school run I charged £5 from 8am-school drop off. That didn't include breakfast as I expected the children to have had it before they arrived. If any arrived before 8am they either brought their own breakfast or paid extra.

A lot of the school breakfast & after school clubs seem to be shutting as they've found they're not sustainable when they're charging so little. I know a few around here have closed as they've been losing money.

[natlou82]

I charge £7.50 early breakfast 7am - school drop, and standard breakfast £5 7:30 - school drop. I do provide breakfast (weetabix, cornflakes, shred ddies, crumpets and toast). I don't provide breakfast to children arriving after 8am. My school breakfast club is £2 and I've never tried to compete. Mornings can be such a rush so I'd rather have less children here.

[Kitty B]

The lady that has run it for many years is retiring and it appears no one is taking her place, bit sad really. I've just rang the local nursery as I know they provide a breakfast club 8-9 am with school drop off £4.50. I can't compete and don't really want to. My gut feeling is 7.30-8.40 £5. With cereal/toast 👍

[Ripeberry]

£5 is a fair price. Don't undersell yourself.

[Lal]

I charge £5 from 7.30- drop off at 8.40. This includes breakfast (toast/ cereal and fruit).

[JCrakers]

The lady that has run it for many years is retiring and it appears no one is taking her place, bit sad really. I've just rang the local nursery as I know they provide a breakfast club 8-9 am with school drop off £4.50. I can't compete and don't really want to. My gut feeling is 7.30-8.40 £5. With cereal/toast 👍

Sounds good. I have lots of before/after school kiddies even though the school has an onsite breakfast/afterschool club run by a local nursery and another 2 that pick up. Some parents want a quieter setting as the clubs can get very boisterous so don't compare yourself to the nursery. £5 is a good price

[k1rstie]

Our breakfast club was run by one of the lunch misses'. When she didn't get the TA job she wanted in our school, she went to another school. None of the other school staff members wanted to be in charge, so it was 'taken over' by our after school care company. ( funnily enough, the staff have stayed the same!)

They now charge double what they used to, have to be laid a term in advance etc. A lot of parents were very unhappy about it. I was approached by three parents, but I didn't want to take on new year 5 children who had never been to a childminder before. I didn't feel that they would fit in with the mix of my current kids.

If you want to pick up some of the breakfast club business, then go for it, but don't sell yourself too cheaply!

[Kitty B]

Thanks guys you have all been a great help x

[redtiger21]

I charge my normal hourly rate, but charge a minimum of one hour before school x

[MrsP2C]

I charge £7.50 for before school anytime from 7:30 until drop-off including breakfast if they're here before 8. I have one child that is dropped off at 8:20 and we leave at 8:30 but she still pays the same. Don't even bother trying to compete with school clubs as at these prices they clearly can't sustain a business or they'd still be running!

[Simona]

The lady that has run it for many years is retiring and it appears no one is taking her place, bit sad really. I've just rang the local nursery as I know they provide a breakfast club 8-9 am with school drop off £4.50. I can't compete and don't really want to. My gut feeling is 7.30-8.40 £5. With cereal/toast ��

What an opportunity there for the right entrepreneur!
With the club closing someone will step up and grab the opportunity to open a wrap-around/holiday care scheme from the school...and at the moment... all the right steps are in place to allow that for either CMs/EY providers or parents to request the school that space be used
The DfE could not be clearer in what they wish to see in schools and have changed all sorts of legislation for the purpose ...not all is right for children but I can see parents liking this idea

It would be interesting to follow this and see where it will end....nurseries are expanding their wraparound care in schools so I hope Cms will also intervene in this after school saga!