School breakfast clubs

Did you have a working father though, Jalima? And I wonder whether the teacher had a working husband too.

Times change.

Sorry Daphne, when you said you placed your choked in full time care st sux months I didn't think it was by choice

I used to love going to work with my DM in the couple of years before I started school and I can still remember it now.
My primary school teacher used to bring her son into our all-girls school with her in the holidays because he was at a private school so had longer holidays. We loathed him, he used to sit behind her and pull faces at us all.

Where did you get the idea I had a six month old baby? I didn't choose to be a single parent.

I'm guessing you didn't spend quality time with your children while you were cleaning annie.

In any case it's not your business to judge others. Maybe you think I didn't pay my taxes on the money I earned - I hope you paid yours!

I certainly paid my taxes, which have gone to pay the benefits and pensions of those who didn't work or needed tax credits. I had a good education courtesy of the state. I was lucky and don't begrudge what I've paid, so don't lecture others about how they've brought up their children. Mine are absolutely fine.

jalima I agree with you that VAT on school fees free school meals shouldn't be connected. As I've said all along, I don't think free school meals are an effective use of money anyway, although breakfast clubs are different. Not only are they convenient for parents and ensure that children have had something to eat, but the pupils enjoy them and are in the right frame of mind to start the school day with a purpose.

By the sound of it, it's all rather hit and miss. Wales has free breakfast clubs in primary schools, England has free school lunches for children aged up to 7 - someone somewhere needs to do some 'joined-up' thinking and work out a proper national policy.

Tinkering around with VAT on school fees in England is not the answer.

If one chooses to have a family the choice has been made - yes, but at the time you probably think you'll be with your partner forever.

Fine if you can survive on whatever benefits you receive, and have no mortgage, but rather different when you don't have enough income and no circle of friends and relatives to help out...I do think you're a bit very out of touch, Annie.

Daphne, yes I had a widows pension, nothing else from the state, I have said many times, I did cleaning so I could take my children with me , no free school meals either.

I understand thatbags and agree now things are difficult but not on a woman's choice, this often means try to have it all, if one chooses to have a family the choice has been made,

Daphne, I am sorry you were left with a six month old baby ,bthan must have been grim

(in reply to thatbags' post)

Fine if you can afford to stay at home and look after your young children until they're grown up - husband working, tighten belts etc. Unfortunately many women don't have that choice.

And yes, Annie did have her widow's pension, which no longer exists, but of course these days stay-at-home single parents usually have to rely on benefits and are often classified as 'scroungers'.

Thank you Ana. I didn't have any financial help either,so it was up to me. It would have been impossible, if I'd had to rely on benefits. Fortunately, I will now have a semi-decent pension. It will still be "hard", but I won't have to rely on benefits and I have two wonderful children.

I think ab is making a valid point. Fay Weldon has been saying similar things recently under the title of "Feminism hasn't been good for most women." I can see both sides. The important thing is for women to have a choice.

Regarding the school breakfast clubs thing, it's really about raising standards in schools because the kids are not hungry and so really do learn better. At the same time, it's a sad reflection on our society that so many kids apparently go to school hungry.

Meanwhile we keep being told about how the numbers of obese children is increasing. Sounds like we're in a right mess to me.

x posts daphne, but same message.

My daughter has had to work full time, to pay the mortgage and bills and feed her two children. I did help out one day a week although I was working too, but really Annie it's not always a case of it being 'hard' for the parent.

It's often impossible, especially when there's no financial help from the ex partner.

I disagree, so I think we'd better leave it there. I assume you had a widow's pension and help from the state. You seem to be very out of touch with the (lack of) help available now. You obviously didn't want your own career either. Life has changed. I don't agree that children need their mothers all the time - they do love being with friends. Mother and baby groups are my idea of hell. I don't understand why women are so bitchy about other women.

From the age of 5 and 7 my children were brought up in a one parent family, what I couldn't afford I went without, yes it's hard for the parent ,better that than hard for the child. I hear so often children love being with their friends, time for that when school starts and there is no law against mother and baby groups. children need their mothers,

I disagree. Children love being with their friends. What's the alternative for single parents and people with high rents or mortgages? Sponging off the state? Times have changed since women had to depend on their husbands. Women are other women's worst enemies.

So much of feeding children, on breakfast clubs helping parents get to work nurseries for children , the government wanting grammer schools, the oposition obsessed with free dinners for obese children,

The teachers are very concerned about the mental health of children, panic attacks, depression, chikdren need a home life but now parents seem to put their needs first, I want to get back to work, I need more than being in the house all day with chikdren. Sorry but for me it is chikdren who are paying a heavy price for their parents needs

PS. We didn't aim to give starving children breakfast, but to provide a service for working parents. There were some children from low income families. We charged the full amount, but they were able to claim child/working tax credits. Unfortunately, I'm not sure the recent changes to the tax credit thresholds would mean that they are now eligible.

Staffing is an issue with breakfast and after school clubs. We were a charity, totally independent from the school. We had a lottery-funded purpose built building, which we shared with the local playgroup, although we didn't have anything to do with the group either. The building was on land leased from the school, so we had to pay rent and maintenance.

Finding staff, who were prepared to work an hour and a half before school and/or three hours after school was difficult. At least one of the staff had to have Level 3 childcare qualifications. We were registered for 24 children and usually had a waiting list. Admin was done by the committee (including me) on a voluntary basis.

Funding was always tight and, even with that number of children, we struggled and I don't think we could have survived without the support from the supermarkets and endless raffles, tombolas, fetes and begging.

daphnedill yes it was just before pupil premium was introduced, but from a quick look at the school website there's still no mention of a breakfast club. I know, at the time, there were at least three staff employed to run it and fewer than eight children attended.

Oh! I thought because you used my name the post was addressed to me

I think Kelloggs supports breakfast clubs as well (not with Cocoa Pops I hope!)
Although they would be better than nothing.

mostlyharmless Was that before pupil premium was introduced? Breakfast clubs are a legitimate use for pupil premium money, which can be used to fund those, whose parents are on a low income. When I was involved with running a breakfast club (as a parent), it was before pupil premium, but we were supported quite generously by Tesco, Sainsbury and Waitrose.

Jalima It was the post before yours.

pps My DGD go to breakfast club sometimes too

It is just a contrast to school in Australia where my other DGC are - no breakfast club even though they have to start out at the crack of dawn as you can imagine, no fruit at snack-time, no school lunches, BYO.

ps I said it sounds like a brilliant idea