A BOLTON headteacher has spoken of the success of breakfast clubs and after-school activities.

Jack Hatch, from St Bede Church of England Primary School in Daubhill, was speaking on the day Education Secretary Ruth Kelly unveiled a £680 million plan that could see schools across the country open from 8am to 6pm.

Under the proposals, designed to help working parents, children will be able to turn up early for breakfast clubs and stay late playing sport or taking part in other activities.

The programme could see schools transformed into community centres, ending the culture of latch-key kids returning to empty homes.

The clubs will be supervised by volunteers or organised by private companies but teachers will not have to take part, officials said.

The additional hours have been dubbed Kelly hours - just as teacher training days are called Baker days after former Tory minister Lord Baker.

Mr Hatch, aged 57, said his school's scheme had been a big success and the breakfast and after-school clubs produced a "wonderful atmosphere".

The school charges £3 for the 7.30am to 8.50am breakfast club and £5 for the 3.15pm to 6pm after-school club.

There are lesser charges of £2 for an 8am to 8.50am slot and £3 if parents pick up their child by 5pm.

After-school activities include outdoor games with bikes, balls and skipping ropes, while indoors there is a DVD player, games, books and paints.

Members of staff are recruited from the school's sister nursery or are existing classroom assistants, all paid by the hour.

The school has established a management committee to run the clubs, which also decides how profits should be ploughed back in.

It undergoes rigorous Ofsted inspections and is registered for the provision of childcare.

Mr Hatch said: "A private company approached us to run the breakfast club about five years ago and we thought it was a good idea.

"But as our experience grew, we decided that we wanted to run it ourselves and have been doing so for about 12 months."

The school also offers nursery care, swimming lessons at £30 for six sessions, and football training with Bolton Wanderers.

There are also activities during school holidays, with parents paying £12 for a full day.

About 50 children attend these sessions, while 15 to 20 go to term-time breakfast club and 30 to 40 attend the after-school club.

"I think it's important to make a distinction between dedicated school activities and the clubs because it's a totally different atmosphere," Mr Hatch said.

"The staff are looked upon as aunties and it is very much about the child choosing what they want to do."

Under Bolton West MP Ruth Kelly's plans, primary and secondary schools in England would offer the voluntary breakfast clubs and after-school activities for children aged up to 14.

Activities could include language clubs, indoor rock-climbing and first-aid courses, as well as music, drama and arts events.

David Hart, general secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers, said he supported the plan - but it was "fanciful" to pretend that headteachers would not have extra responsibilities. He added that parents would "undoubtedly" be charged for the clubs.