Welcome to the Before & After School Club
Dear Parents,
Welcome to Eastlands Childcare Provision—Before and After School Club.
‘Acorn Club’ opened in 1998 as a Committee Managed organisation. The Before and After School is based in the school and has an outside play area plus use of the playground and play equipment.
Our aims are:
- To provide a warm, clean, safe and fun environment in which children can relax and play;
- To offer a varied and stimulating programme of activities which is responsive to the interests of each child;
- To create a friendly atmosphere based on mutual respect between both children and adults;
- To promote positive behaviour;
- To provide contrasting areas where children can choose to play or be quiet;
- To provide a healthy menu of food.
If you would like to know more about our Before and After School Club then please contact the School Business Manager, Mrs Helen Devine who will be happy to arrange an appointment for you to meet with the Club Coordinator to view our facilities.
With best wishes
Mrs Edwards
Questions about Childcare.
What is Before and After School care?
Before and After School care is the provision of a safe, caring environment offering a range of active, stimulating and restful activities for school age children, this enables parents of children at Eastlands Primary School to take up employment, education and training opportunities whilst accessing high quality childcare. (Term Time only).
How does it work?
Childcare is available either before or after the child’s normal school day.
How many children will this service be available for?
We work within the ratio of 1:6 for children under 5, 1:8 for key stage 1 children and 1:10 for Key Stage 2 children to ensure good quality provision.
How flexible is Before and After School care?
Notice of childcare requirements will be needed in advance along with payment. We recognise that childcare needs might change regularly and will try to be flexible within a framework that also allows us to offer a quality service.
The admissions policy of the club is based on the following criteria:-
1. Parents of children who attend Eastlands Primary School and who are in regular employment or training (requesting full time care) and children who fall into our *exceptional circumstances criteria.
2. Parents of children who are not in regular employment (requesting occasional childcare) but who attend Eastlands Primary School.
* Children with Special, Particular or Educational needs who fall into our agreed ‘exceptional circumstances’ criteria will be responded to on an individual basis. If your case is not considered to fall under ‘exceptional circumstances’ the decision of the Co-ordinator is final.
What type of pattern will Before and After School Care follow?
The club will provide a warm, welcoming atmosphere in which the children will feel happy and secure. Activities will vary on a day to day basis just as they would at home. Children who attend will be given the opportunity to access a range of activities that will meet the needs of the individual child, these activities will include structured indoor play, opportunity to relax and energetic outdoor play .
Who will staff the service?
Three members of staff currently operate the club.
Mrs Yvonne Clynes - Play Worker
Mrs Diane Shaw - Play Worker
Mrs Diane Hague - Play Worker/Club coordinator
What time is childcare available?
Morning Session: 7.45—8.45 a.m. Afternoon Session: 3.20—5.45 p.m.
What will the sessions cost?
Fees have been determined in line with charges made for childcare at other primary schools in the local area and are charged by the session (not hourly).
Whole School (Rec - Year 6) September 2024
Before school £5.00 per session
After school £12.50 per session
On the designated opening day each month (listed on 'bookings' page) you will receive a text informing you bookings for the following month are open. Booking forms should be emailed and paid,(to secure your place) by the 15th of the month for the following month’s childcare. Please see 'bookings' page for full details.
Late/ Uncollected Child
If your child is uncollected at the end of the ‘school’ day or from an 'After School Club' you will be charged £13.50. If you pick your child/children up after 5:45pm (the end of the after school club session) you will be charged £6 for every 15 minutes you are late (this is charged per child).
Is help available with cost?
The Working Families Tax Credit is an in-work tax credit for families, which includes an element to support the costs of registered childcare for working parents. To find out if your childcare arrangements are eligible visit their website at http://www.taxcredits.inlandrevenue.gov.uk/HomeNew.aspx
When and how can I pay?
We accept payment for fees by Parent Pay. We also accept childcare vouchers from employers. We are members of some voucher schemes and can easily set up others if we are not members. Fees still need to be paid if children are absent without notice for a short period of time. For your child to keep his/her place at the setting, you must pay the fees by the designated date.
Will Wrap Around care be available at short notice?
A small number of stand-by places may be available for emergency requests, but these could not be guaranteed.
What happens if my child does not attend a session that I have booked?
Places booked will still need to be paid for even when your child does not attend, unless it has been agreed by the staff. In the case of school absence, you will still be charged for sessions booked as these cannot be offered to other children. You will need to inform the Club Coordinator if your child is not attending a booked session. You can do this by ringing the office (01788 575328) or emailing schoolclub2415@welearn365.com. If you do not attend the club for one week without informing staff your contract will be terminated.
Before School
During your child’s time at the before school club they will participate in a range of appropriate activities to ease them into the school day gently. Activities will be both indoor and outdoor. As we believe in being healthy we regularly take part in physical activities before they go into school. In addition we will provide a healthy breakfast to get your child’s day off to a good start.
A typical breakfast menu.
At the Before school club we believe that all the children should have a choice in what they eat. So we give the children the opportunity to choose their own breakfast. Breakfast will include a wide variety of cereals, fruit or toast. Every day we have water and fruit juice, which is readily available.
After School
Within the After School Club your child will take part in a full range of indoor and outdoor activities including art and craft, free play, cooking, and playing structured and unstructured playground games. Homework support is also available if you wish your child to complete their homework whilst at the After School club. Festivals such as Chinese New Year, Easter and Diwali will also be incorporated throughout the year. Children also are involved in planning activities and the healthy snack menus.
Example of a menu.
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Menu |
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Monday |
A slice of pizza |
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Tuesday |
Toast/Crumpets/muffins |
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Wednesday |
Sandwiches (various fillings) |
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Thursday |
Crackers (various toppings) |
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Friday |
Wraps (various fillings) |
Crudities and fruit are available.
Squash and water are readily available.
Policies
Eastlands Childcare Provision is part of Eastlands Primary School and the following policies will apply. A copy of the policies are available on the Eastlands Primary School website under 'Key Information'.
Behaviour
We believe that children flourish best when their personal, social and emotional needs are met and where there are clear and developmentally appropriate expectations for their behaviour.
Children need to learn to consider the view and feelings, needs and rights, of others and the impact that their behaviour has on people, places and objects. This is a developmental task that requires support, encouragement, teaching and setting the correct example. The principles that underpin how we achieve positive and considerate behaviour exist within the programme for promoting personal, social and emotional development.
Valuing Diversity and Promoting Equality
We will ensure that our childcare is fully inclusive in meeting the needs of all children, particularly those that arise from their ethnic heritage, social and economic background, gender, ability or disability. Our setting is committed to anti-discriminatory practice to promote equality of opportunity and valuing diversity for all children and families. We aim to:
- provide a secure and accessible environment in which all our children can flourish and in which all contributions are considered and valued;
- include and value the contribution of all families to our understanding of equality and diversity;
- provide positive non-stereotyping information about gender roles, diverse ethnic and cultural groups and disabled people;
- improve our knowledge and understanding of issues of anti-discriminatory practice, promoting equality and valuing diversity; and
- make inclusion a thread that runs through all of the activities of the setting.
Health and Safety
We believe that the health and safety of children is of paramount importance. We make our setting a safe and healthy place for children, parents, staff and volunteers.
We aim to make children, parents and staff aware of health and safety issues and to minimise the hazards and risks to enable the children to thrive in a healthy and safe environment.
The Headteacher is responsible for health and safety. She is competent to carry out these responsibilities. She has undertaken health and safety training and regularly updates her knowledge and understanding. We display the necessary health and safety poster in school. We have public liability insurance and employers' liability insurance.
Fire Safety and Emergency Evacuation
We ensure our premises present no risk of fire by ensuring the highest possible standard of fire precautions. The person in charge and staff are familiar with the current legal requirements. Where necessary we seek the advice of a competent person, such as our Fire Officer, or Fire Safety Consultant.
Confidentiality
Information given by parents on their membership form and other relevant forms about the needs of their children may be shared with other staff members to ensure the best care is given to your child.
However other information given by parents will not be disclosed without their permission or unless it is in the best interest of the child involved. Our staff are approachable and understanding therefore if you wish to discuss a personal matter with a member of staff please feel free to talk in confidence to us at any time.
First Aid and Medical Care
When you enrol your child at the Before and After School Club we ask you to provide the names of at least one emergency contact other than yourself. Please keep your emergency contact details up to date.
- If your child complains of feeling ill or is involved in an accident he/she will be seen by a trained First Aider.
- The staff will try to speak to you at the end of the session to tell you about any minor bumps or falls.
- Your child will be given a note to bring home if he/she has suffered an accidental bump on the head.
- If we contact you to take your child to be checked by a doctor this will be recorded on the Incident/Illness register.
- If the First Aider judges that your child should go home, we will try to get in touch with parents first.
- In the event that we are unable to contact parents we will then try other named emergency contacts.
- In case of a serious accident or illness the First Aider may decide that your child must go straight to hospital. If this happens we will contact you straight away.
- No member of staff is allowed to administer medication at Before and After School Club.
- Inhalers may be brought into but must be clearly labelled with your child's name and in date.
- Parents of children with asthma should read our Asthma Policy.
- Parents of children who require daily medication for a specific condition, should see the headteacher.
Food and Drink
We regard snack times as an important part of the session. Eating represents a social time for children and adults and helps children to learn about healthy eating. At snack times, we aim to provide nutritious food, which meets the children's individual dietary needs.
Uncollected Child
In the event that a child is not collected by an authorised adult at the end of a session/day, we put into practice agreed procedures. These procedures ensure the child is cared for safely by an experienced and qualified practitioner who is known to the child. We will ensure that the child receives a high standard of care in order to cause as little distress as possible. We inform parents of our procedures so that, if they are unavoidably delayed, they will be reassured that their children will be properly cared for.
Missing Child
Children’s safety is maintained as the highest priority at all times both on and off premises. Every attempt is made through carrying out the outings procedure and the exit/entrance procedure to ensure the security of children is maintained at all times. In the unlikely event of a child going missing, our missing child procedure is followed.
Payments
A list of dates is available on the 'bookings' page. Payment is required by the 15th of the month to secure your bookings for the following month. If payment is not received by this date bookings will be removed.
Child Protection Procedures
Under the Education Act 2002 (Section 175), schools must make arrangements to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. Parents should know that the law (Childrens' Act 2014) requires all school staff to pass on information which gives rise to a concern about a child’s welfare, including risk from neglect, physical, emotional or sexual abuse. The staff will seek, in general, to discuss any concerns with the parent, and where possible, seek their consent to a referral to Social Care. This will only be done where such discussion will not place the child at increased risk of significant harm. Schools will seek advice from Social Care when they have reasonable cause to suspect a child may be suffering or likely to suffer significant harm. Occasionally, concerns are passed on which are later shown to be unfounded. Parents will appreciate that the designated person for child protection was carrying out their responsibilities in accordance with the law and acting in the best interests of all children (Warwickshire Safeguarding Children Board 2009).
Complaints Procedure
If you are unhappy or concerned about any issues relating to your child's education, the staff at school are always willing to discuss concerns with you and find a solution. If this is not possible, you may contact the Chair of the Governors via the school or Warwickshire Children and Family Services who will then deal with your complaint.
