Out of School Overview
What is an Out of School Club?
Out of school clubs, offer play and care to school age children, aged 4 upwards before and/or after school. They are usually set up in or near to schools.
Out of School Clubs that care for children under 8 years for more than 2 hours for more than 5 days per year are registered and inspected by OFSTED (Office for Standards in Education).
How many children will there be in an Out of School Club?
Most clubs provide places for between 10-40 children
What age range to they cater for?
Between the ages of 5 years and 11 years (mainly aimed at primary school age children)
When are services usually open?
Breakfast club - open before school, between 7am-9am
After school club - open after school between 3pm – 6pm
How much should I expect to pay?
Between £5 and £20 per day.
Will my child be safe and secure?
Out of School Clubs that cater for children under the age of 8 years are required to be registered with OFSTED. All Ofsted registered Out of School Clubs are inspected to ensure their premises are safe, staff are police checked and a minimum of half the staff must be qualified. There must be 1 member of staff to every 8 children with a minimum of 2 members of staff on duty at any one time.
What to look out for.
There are four key things that distinguish good high quality out of school services from poor childcare services. Those four key things are:
What to do if you’re concerned
If you have any concerns at all about the quality or integrity of your childcare provider, you can contact the regulating body - OFSTED - on 08456 404040.
How can I find a Breakfast or After School Club?
Ealing Children’s Information Service holds details on all the registered childminders in the London Borough of Ealing. You can search for local childminders by postcode and area or contact the CIS for a printed list.
Useful questions to ask an Out of School setting