Staffing
Staffing and managing your breakfast club will be one of your biggest considerations.
Staffing options
There are three main options:
1. Running the breakfast club entirely by school/internal staff
This model works best where there is an allocated ‘breakfast club coordinator’ role. If in a school this person might have another role eg. extended services lead, learning mentor or teaching assistant. Working as the 'breakfast club coordinator' can be a professional development opportunity.
The coordinator is supported by other staff in the school/organisation to manage, market and supervise/co-ordinate activities and the daily running of tasks. For example, a co-ordinator might receive help from a governor or senior management to plan the club; school finance to help with budgeting and charging structures; other teaching/teaching assistants to run the club and activities, and the PTA to help market and advertise.
You can also involve parents and volunteers in this type of model.
It is a commonly used model in community based breakfast clubs (using volunteers or voluntary organisation staff).
2. Running the breakfast club in partnership with catering staff
Here the school or organisation retains overall responsibility for the planning and running of the club but food sourcing, preparation, serving and clear up are done by a catering team. This allows other staff more time to devote to running activities and supporting young people. However close collaboration and coordination is needed to make sure all staff have a common view and purpose for the club.
3. Contracting an external provider
Here a school or an organisation contracts in another organisation to run a breakfast club on their site – or on a different site for their members/pupils to attend. This is less time consuming on a day to day basis but will involve a lot more organisation at the outset and requires clear contracts and legal responsibilities outlined. It will also offer less autonomy and flexibility for the contracting organisation or school.
Steering group
Whatever model you choose it is a good idea to set up a breakfast club advisory or steering group. There are a wide range of people you could include, such as:
- young people
- parents/carers
- governors/PTA
- community members eg residents or voluntary agencies
- volunteers
- local authority officers
- school staff
The group will give you access to a broader base of advice, information and expertise on the necessary organisational, legal and safety issues - as well as creative ideas for developing your club. They may well help you consider things you may have missed. An advisory group should meet at least twice a term.
Qualifications
There are no ‘breakfast club qualifications’ as such. Your level of staff qualification will depend on the requirements of your funding stream and whether you are registered as formal childcare. The following basic recommendations should help:
All clubs must have:
- A first aider on site (this might mean you need two or three people trained to cover leave and sickness)
- A food hygiene certificate (and all staff handling food should have completed food handling awareness training)
- All staff/volunteers CRB checked
- The correct staff ratios (see below)
Staff Ratios
There are no formal guidelines for adult/child ratios in study support and out-of-school-hours learning activites.
The following are the legal adult/child ratios set for registered childcare. However it is good practice for all clubs to follow.
- England: One member of staff for every eight children aged 3-7 years. This includes the children of staff and volunteers. If you have children under three the ratios are higher.
- Scotland: One member of staff for ten children aged 4-7 for sessional care. If you have children under three the ration is 1:8.
- Wales: One member of staff for every eight children aged 3-8 years. This includes the children of staff and volunteers.
Remember! You must always have a minimum of two adults present at a session.
Staffing resources
