Flying start with new school clubs
12:20pm Monday 1st October 2012 in News
By Greg Fountain, Reporter/Photographer
Flying start with new school clubs
King Charles Primary School has been getting their pupils off to a flying start this term with its new Breakfast and After School Club.
The initiative, which was developed following suggestions made during the school’s annual survey of parents, means that children are now be able to come to school for breakfast at 8am and be cared for by qualified staff until 5.30pm.
Over the past few weeks works have been carried out at the school to create a special room for the club.
Children are able to eat breakfast and after school tea in this room before branching out into the school playground, the garden, the library and the ICT suite to take part in a range of exciting activities.
The initiative emphasises the school’s commitment to supporting local families, headteacher Heather Taylor said.
“The current economic climate means that there is an increasing need for many parents to be able to work,” she said. “We want to respond positively to this need by providing parents with access to high quality childcare at the same time as giving their children a smooth start and a fun end to their day.
“Providing this much needed before and after childcare within the school environment will help reduce the number of carers that children pass through in the course of the day.
“What could be better than being dropped off at school for breakfast by your parents and collected by them at the end of the day?
“Parents have the peace of mind that the child care is of the highest quality and that children can socialise with friends within a safe and familiar environment.
“Feedback so far has been very positive and we are already responding to ideas from children and parents to make the club even better.”
The development of the Breakfast and After School Club has run alongside the initiative to offer full day care nursery provision in the school.
The school has now allocated up to eight full day care places in its nursery where children stay for school lunch and have the opportunity to join the After School Club.
“The full day care places are already taken up which reflects the need for this type of provision within our school community,” said Mrs Taylor.
“We are delighted by this response and look forward to further strengthening our partnership with parents so that we can continue to meet the needs of our families.”
