Out of School Clubs in Kingston upon Thames

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Out of school services are for school-age children to play and learn and have fun in groups. They are usually based in or near schools and more are being set up to help families where parents work. Out of school services can be registered with OFSTED provided they are caring for children aged under 8 years of age for more than two hours a day and more than 6days a year. They are run outside school hours by a team of staff, usually called play workers. Activities should be planned to help children learn, play and relax with their friends. Play workers will often pick children up from local schools. There are different types of out of school services, so look around to find one that suits you and your child.

• Breakfast clubs – open in the morning before school so children can enjoy breakfast there.
• After school clubs – open in the afternoons between end of school day till early evening.
• Holiday playschemes – open during school holidays between about 8.30am and 6pm.
• In England, out of school services are also sometimes called kids’ clubs.

First of all you know your child best – look for an out of school service you feel will be suitable for your child. Out of school services registered with Ofsted are checked to make sure the staff are suitable to look after children. At least half of them must hold a level 2 qualification appropriate for the care and development of children and there are rules on the ratio

of staff to children depending on the ages of the children catered for. A check is also done on the premises of the registered out of school service to ensure it is safe and suitable for children. After the out of school service is registered, regular inspections are carried out to ensure a safe and suitable service is being provided. All registered providers must operate using the national standards for under 8s day care. We recommend that Ofsted inspection reports are viewed before choosing a childcare provider. These can be downloaded from the Ofsted website or contact the FIS to make arrangements to read the latest report.

Most out of school services provide places for between 10 and 40 children although some are smaller and others are larger.

Most children attending out of school services are aged between 5 and 11. Some services provide places for three and four year olds to fit around nursery or pre-school education. Some services provide places geared for older children aged 10–14, and sometimes children 15 to 16 with special needs. Places may be available in mainstream provision for children with special needs. Contact The Team for Disabled Children (020 8547 6524) to find out about assistance with support workers.

Ofsted inspect registered childcare providers at least once every three years, and give them one of four grades: outstanding, good, satisfactory or inadequate. The inspector arranges a visit, usually with no notice, where they will look at the premises and the way the provider cares for children. Inspectors think about what the provision is like for the child, asking 'What is it like for a child here?' To answer this important question, they judge how well childcare providers meet a series of outcomes for children that are set out in law. These are how they:

• help children to be healthy
• protect them from harm or neglect and help them stay safe
• help them enjoy what they do and achieve well
• help them make a positive contribution to the setting and the wider community.

Inspection of daycare has been carried out on this basis since April 2004. If a setting has been inspected since that time, their overall Ofsted inspection outcome will be shown on the attached list. We have not included inspection outcomes for settings whose last inspection was prior to April 2004 because the inspection criteria used would be different. In these cases the inspection grade box will “Not available”.

Also please note that inspection outcomes will not be available for settings who have only received an inspection on registration. Ofsted will inspect these settings again once they start caring for children so that a judgment can be made when children are attending the setting. Where this is the case the box will say “Registration Inspection”. Where a setting is not registered with Ofsted the grading box will display “Not applicable”.