Childcare for Secondary School!!

[TheDetective]

My son is 2 years away from secondary school yet, but I have been thinking ahead. I am a little worried at what seems like the lack of childcare available for before/after school.
I will need childcare for the occasional evening (once/twice a week) til 6-6.30pm. Its too long to expect an 11 year old to be at home alone. I don't have any concerns about my son being alone, just the fact that I remember doing the same thing, and its not nice. Plus I guess these days its very frowned upon! I've also read reports of people losing their jobs in my line of work, because they were prosecuted for leaving their older children home for any period of time.
So, basically, what is there out there? The childcarelink website has been taken down (thanks Tories.... :|) so my first port of call has gone!
I need advice!

[GypsyMoth]

there is no childcare for this age group unless you are lucky and find a childminder who will

why were they prosecuted? only if something happens is how i understand it!

secondary school schools dont seem to run breakfast club or after school club,but have after school activities etc

this is my experience,n our area anyway

[lisad123]

two of my childminder friends have secondary school kids come to them after school.

[usualsuspect]

Have you any family nearby he can go to for a couple of hours?

[seimum]

We hired a part-time nanny/housekeeper (a lady in her 60's), who cooked tea & did some cleaning round the house, as well as keeping an eye on DC's and taking them to their after-school activities when a driver was needed. It worked pretty well.

Secondary schools have after-school activities, and may also allow pupils to work in the library etc after school - but it's usually only for an hour or so (e.g up to 5pm)

[Wilts]

Ds1 stopped going to the childminder once he went into year 7, he is home alone until we get in from work at about 6ish. He has done this for three years now and we have never had a problem with it.

[TheDetective]

www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/law-and-order/8290307/Thousands-could-sue-Government-over-unlawful-child-protection-sackings.html is an interesting read.
I have no relatives in this town at all that he can go to. He currently goes to a school 7 miles away, as my mum is the head. He doesn't even have any friends in the area he could go to once a week or so!
Lisad, were those children ones that they had minded for a long time before? In my experience, this seems to be the only way childminders will take older children.
I thought it was supposed to get easier as they got more independent!!!

[mummytime]

Let be honest these cases are all mad, and the reason why you should never accept a caution. I doubt if any of the cases would have stood up in court (except maybe the kissing I didn't read that far). Lots of children I know spend time alone at 11 etc.

[leiela]

But it isn't actually illegal to leave a senior age child at home alone, i'm abit baffled at when they would get convicted??

I know you are still responsible should something happen, But unless something bad happened while their parents where away they can't be charged for simply leaving thier child alone for an hour or two so i suspect there is more to these cases than what is being said.

Technically speaking you can be conviced right up untill they are 16 if something bad happen's right up untill they are 16 but it's absured to try and get a childminder for a 14-15 year old.

[KatyMac]

TBH I am doing more & more childcare for 11+

A lot of childminders won't care for them; but they often still need a bit of company/support

I put them to work

[BarkisIsWilling]

No hijack intended, but how does CTC work with secondary age child-care?

[exoticfruits]

How does your DS feel about it? Up to 6.30pm doesn't sound long. Could he go to a friends sometimes? I wouldn't think they want to go to a CM at that age and would be fine alone.

[Decorhate]

Could you change your hours at work so you get home a bit earlier (by starting earlier?). I'm lucky to work locally so no commute, so dcs should only be alone for an hour or so.... Dd was in Y9 when I went back to work so more used to being on her own for short spells.

When ds1 starts secondary I will try to adjust my hours at least initially till he settles in.

Some childminders only do before & after school care - if you could find one that might work - but most secondary school kids do seem to just go home.

And then if course you will have the joy of sorting out holiday childcare!

[coloursoftherainbow]

Have you thought about an aupair?

[MrsSchadenfreude]

So what age would you leave them on their own for a couple of hours? Surely secondary school is a good starting point? They can come home, make some tea and toast and get on with their homework.

[crispyambulance]

if it's 2 years to go your son must be 9ish? to be honest they grow up so much in those two years that it becomes easier to leave them, they appreciate being trusted too and you could give them little jobs to get on with.

[igggi]

If there are no specific issues with your son, and he's happy about it (when he's at secondary not now) I would not arrange care for him. On a day you're late, he could go to a sports activity or the library for an hour, get home, eat, do some homework, watch a dvd - and you'd be back. The eleven/twelve year olds I know would be mortigied to have a childminder for such short periods of time.

[igggi]

If there are no specific issues with your son, and he's happy about it (when he's at secondary not now) I would not arrange care for him. On a day you're late, he could go to a sports activity or the library for an hour, get home, eat, do some homework, watch a dvd - and you'd be back. The eleven/twelve year olds I know would be mortigied to have a childminder for such short periods of time.

[BarkisIsWilling]

Hi. What I wanted to know in my question which perhaps was not phrased as clearly as it could have been was if you could still get CTC for year 7 and above childcare?

[MammyT]

I would get an au pair.
He might like the older company, she (or he!) is there to ensure he turns up and to run him to after-school activities if needed and make tea.

Perfect!

[bellavita]

As someone else said up the thread, two years is a long time and they change drastically. He will probably enjoy the peace and quiet to get on with his homework.

Seriously, I wouldn't worry.

My son would have been horrified if I had of arranged childcare for him.

[snailoon]

He will be fine on his own. Do you have a neighbour who could be on call, if you work too far away?
Why are you worrying about this so far in advance?

[RatherBeOnThePiste]

My neighbour had an au pair over that summer and for the first year of senior school.

[cory]

I have certainly found my dcs changed an awful lot in these years. Ds is starting secondary school in the autumn and can't wait to leave the childminder's- not because he dislikes her, he likes her very much, but because it now feels a babyish thing for him to do. Two years ago I couldn't have imagined that.