Have you got after school wraparound care sorted at your school?

Without the support of families or friends, working parents know how difficult it can be to juggle their 9-to-5 duties with school childcare.

But there’s good news. To try and help with this age-old problem, the UK government set aside a £289 million budget with the goal to make wraparound care accessible for all primary school aged children by September 2026.

Is your school taking the right steps to ensure you offer wraparound childcare places for your local community?

If the answer is a resounding “not yet” there’s no need to worry: organising a wraparound and holiday childcare programme can be a daunting task for anyone. So let’s explore a few questions and tips to help you get started.

What is wraparound childcare exactly?

Wraparound care can be defined as before and after school childcare for primary school aged pupils in England. It is usually available from around 8am to 6pm every school day – unlike weekly after school sports clubs – and it takes place either on a the school site or other nearby locations. It can include crafts, games, sports and other enriching activities as well as alone time for studying.

The positive impact wraparound childcare has on working parents can’t be understated. According to a 2022 government Childcare and Early Years Survey, the percentage of mothers working full time rose from 25% to 41% in just 12 years. This radical shift in working patterns has made wraparound childcare essential: 24% of parents believe they wouldn’t be able to work without it.

Why is it so important?

Wraparound childcare can also be extremely beneficial for children and schools. When a child attends a well-run provision, they get to start and end the school day in the best possible way. The quality breakfast served in the morning guarantees plenty of energy and focus in the classroom, while a wide range of sports and activities ensure children are physically active and mentally engaged. And all this happens as children discover new interests, make new friends and expand their comfort zone, becoming more confident.

Primary schools, on the other hand, can forge strong and long-lasting relationships with parents. As wraparound childcare becomes vital for modern families, delivering a high-quality provision will improve the reputation of your school, making it more competitive and unlocking new funding opportunities. It’s not unusual for parents to choose a child’s school over another based on its wraparound care offering.

The path to successful wraparound childcare

Setting up wraparound childcare in your school can be easier said than done, as there are a lot of elements that need addressing.

Here are some of the essential areas you’ll have to consider.

Taking care of admin challenges

Administration is likely the most complex aspect of any wraparound childcare programme. It includes clearly communicating with parents on a daily basis, planning engaging and tailored activities for your wraparound provision, accounting for all needs, and registering with Ofsted – a process that can take up to 25 weeks.

Dealing with these tasks can be extremely taxing on your resources, but ultimately it will be pivotal for the success of your provision. And once everything is in motion, don’t forget your admin tasks must be constantly supervised to run smoothly. You will also need to pass Ofsted inspections, which usually occur within 30 months of registration and at least once every six years afterwards.

Read on to discover how external providers such as ourselves can handle all of the administration – and more!

Choosing the right people

Staffing is another tricky variable to handle because childcare demands can vary quickly from day to day, and you’ll still need to ensure certified professionals are present on the school site to cover all essential roles.

For instance, as Ofsted rules require staff certified to ensure food safety and deliver first aid, relying entirely on TAs, classroom assistants or lunchtime supervisors won’t always be possible. That’s why having a contingency plan in case of absences, with flexible staff always ready to support your initiative, can be game-changing.

Creating a rich, well-rounded curriculum

Organising your facility with the right activities is another fundamental step for wraparound childcare. Wraparound time should be different from a conventional school day – to allow some rest and recovery – but also aligned to the ethos of your school.

Overall, you should aim to provide a diverse range of activities that supports all children and accommodates individuals’ interests and abilities. Ensuring pupils have access to quiet time to get on with any homework or simply read, is a must.

Providing a simple method for booking and payment

Similar to many other services today, ease of use has become a non-negotiable for customers; this includes the parents who’ll use your wraparound childcare. To simplify the busy lives of working families, make sure you choose the right platform to make booking and payments a quick and hassle-free process.

For instance, your platform should allow last-minute bookings, cancellations and the easy management of any childcare funding used towards the cost of the sessions.

Offering food before and after school

When taking care of pupils in your wraparound provision, you’ll need to offer a nutritional breakfast during before school or breakfast sessions and a healthy snack during your regular afterschool provision. This is a critical step as meals must provide children with enough energy for the day and, since your caterers might not be available outside regular school hours, you’ll need a flexible alternative for preparing food.

Last but not least, don’t forget to offer plenty of options! Children should be able to pick their meals based on their unique preferences and dietary restrictions.

Ensuring the facility is running well

Regular reviews ensure your wraparound childcare delivers the quality required to meet the needs of all pupils and pass Ofsted inspections. To facilitate this goal, try to create a checklist with simple questions to direct your efforts, for instance:

• Do we meet Ofsted’s requirements?
• Is the environment safe, suitable and welcoming?
• Do we offer healthy and nutritious food options?
• And, in case of any shortcomings, how can we improve?

Can all families afford wraparound childcare?

Initial upfront childcare costs can be intimidating for many parents, but thankfully financial support is available for those who need it.

Parents on Universal Credit can claim up to 85% of their childcare costs, and those accessing Tax Free Childcare can receive up to £2,000 a year – or £4,000 per year for children with disabilities.

You can check this useful page to see if you’re eligible for any of these benefits.

What’s the next step?

We hope this article helped you get started with your provision. However, if you need additional support, feel free to explore our comprehensive guide to wraparound childcare or check out our article on how the funding for schools works.

Alternatively, many schools rely on external childcare providers to alleviate the challenges described above and deliver outstanding provisions. Identifying the right partner, in this scenario, becomes the hard part. Start by asking the following questions:

• Does this wraparound childcare provider align with my school’s ethos?
• Does it ensure quality local childcare throughout its facility?
• Do all staff meet the requirements for the environment?
• Is it Ofsted registered?
• Does it have good reviews or testimonials?

How Premier Education can help

Another foolproof strategy is to partner with the best. Premier Education is the largest wraparound care provider to primary schools, and is ideally placed to bring a high quality provision to your school.

Many schools choose to outsource breakfast clubs and after school clubs to us because:

1. We reduce their administrative burden and we are already Ofsted-registered
2. We deliver a tailored approach to meet your unique needs, with a wide network of coaches and range of activities
3. We provide outstanding wraparound childcare, helping you generate additional income for your school through hall-hire fees
4. Our provisions can improve the development of children and strengthen your relationship with parents in your local area
5. The quality of our wraparound childcare can improve your school’s reputation, setting it aside from competitors.

Discover more about our services and how we can help make wraparound childcare a reality in your school.