Choosing the Right Out of School Club for Your Child

Guidance for Parents on Finding Safe, Fun, and Quality Care
Out of School Clubs

What are out of
school clubs:

Out of school clubs provide reliable childcare before and after school, giving parents peace of mind while children enjoy time to play, make friends and explore in a safe, fun environment.

These clubs can operate a number of different services depending on the needs of the community. These commonly include before school club or breakfast club, after school clubs, and holiday clubs or camps, offering parents reliable, trusted and flexible childcare options.

Holiday Clubs

A break from routine, not from fun. Holiday clubs offer children a safe, sociable place to spend time in the way that suits them best – with freedom to play, explore and enjoy the school holidays and time with friends while parents get dependable childcare when school’s out.

After School Clubs

Fun, relaxed and varied childcare at the end of the school day. Time to unwind, play and just be themselves. After school clubs provide a relaxed space where children can follow their own interests and enjoy time with friends while parents finish the day’s work.

Before School Childcare

Wraparound care that gets the day off to a great start. Before school club – including breakfast clubs – offer children time to ease into the morning in a safe, friendly environment, giving parents flexibility and peace of mind.

Ofsted registration
Registration

Ofsted registration

Most out of school clubs are registered with Ofsted, although this isn’t required if the club runs for less than two hours a day or only caters for children aged 8 and over. Clubs run directly by schools also don’t need separate registration. Ofsted registration helps ensure that suitable staff are in place and that the club meets national standards for safeguarding and care. It also allows eligible families to claim support with childcare costs through Universal Credit or Tax-Free Childcare.

Visit the club

Discover the
Club During a Visit

The best way to get a feel for a club is to see it in action. Notice how the children interact – is there laughter, movement, and choice? Watch how staff engage with the children: are they warm, calm and responsive? Pay attention to the flow of the session – do routines feel relaxed and well organised? And most importantly, try to imagine: how might your child feel in this space?
Child Behavior

Children’s Experience

Are the children relaxed, happy and engaged? Notice how they play, interact with others, and whether they seem confident and comfortable in the space.

Staff Interaction

Relationships

Look for warm, respectful interactions between adults and children. Do the staff seem genuinely interested in the children and tuned in to their needs?

Activities

Activities and Routines

Is there a good mix of choices and calm routines? Children should have freedom to follow their interests, but enough structure to feel secure.

Environment

Think about how the space might feel for your child. Is it welcoming, well-used and child-friendly – not just tidy or themed, but somewhere children clearly feel at home?

Local Club vs. Off-Site Shared Club

PROS

Cons

PROS

Cons

pdf-img

Download Our Free Parent Checklist​

We have produced a Parent Checklist which you may find helpful to take with you when you visit a club. It outlines the key questions that you should ask when deciding on whether to send your child to a particular club.

Testimonials

What people say about us.

Dramatis Drama School

Just wanted to write an email to say thankyou again very much for your help and wisdom on my drama school. It was incredibly helpful and inciteful. I also wanted to say…. I actually felt a little bit teary. I’ve been so on my own trying desperately to get my school off the ground, knowing that I can help children but having no one I could talk to about it, who actually understands what we do and how to translate it. Really grateful Rebekah

Mike Barclay

I’m happy to say I’ve known Rebekah for many years through our shared work developing strategic support for children’s play at a local government level and the delivery of community based playwork provision.
As a consequence of her qualifications and many years of experience, Rebekah offers a valuable and rare combination. Firstly, she has extensive knowledge and understanding of the childcare sector and the challenges involved in developing and sustaining high quality childcare provision. Secondly, Rebekah knows her play and playwork and this underpins her approach to quality improvement and staff development. The result is a childcare business mentor and playwork trainer with an in-depth appreciation of what high quality childcare looks like for children and their families, and importantly, how to achieve it.”

Janine Dodge

Dear Rebekah,
I LOVED your training session this morning!  It was so clear and engaging.  Simply awesome.  I really liked the way you explained the key terms.  I learned a lot and am very inspired for our workshop here.

Rebekah

Rebekah, Many congratulations to you on your new venture!
I am over the moon that I am going to have you in my business life all the time!

Nikki Pitts

Hi Rebekah,

Just wanted to say a big thank you for all the amazing courses, your constant inspiration and motivation! It’s really given lots of exciting things to think about and start putting into place … love it!

Adam Smart

‘Starting my own childcare business was unexpected and I struggled to understand the skills and knowledge needed to run it successfully. As someone inexperienced in business, I was in uncharted territory. However, after enrolling in Rebekah’s training, everything changed. Her advice and tips helped me bridge gaps and transformed the way we operate. Not only that, her expertise in play and early years education has elevated the business to become one of the leading childcare companies in Cambridge.’

Lianne

Our OOSA membership is non-negotiable for us. It set the foundation for our business and continues to play a huge part in how and why we continue to thrive in what feels like a very vulnerable sector. The resources available, sector knowledge, experience and support you can expect to receive is nothing short of outstanding. They make a lot of sense in a place where nothing is ever black or white!

In difficult situations, we have received honest, practical, and sound advice, some of which has saved us from the brink of giving up.

OOSA is a progressive and present voice for our sector. We feel supported, protected, and heard.

Keep up the amazing work you do, we’d be lost without you!

Claire & Lianne

“We cannot recommend OOSA highly enough to anybody that looks after children. Their paperwork packs are meticulous and their website a one stop shop for anything and everything you need.

More recently, they have been pivotal in supporting our club through a very stressful experience, not only in terms of their extensive industry knowledge, but in terms of emotional support and validation.

The whole team deserve a huge THANK YOU, but Becks in particular has been our rock, our safe space and our comfort blanket”

Kudize Club

I first joined OOSA when I started my wrap around childcare business in 2015 and it was completely invaluable with helping me navigate through the whole process; from registering with Ofsted and having all the policies and procedures in place to feeling confident the pre-reg visit then opening our doors for the first time.

 

OOSA has evolved so much over the years, and I love feeling part of a wonderfully supportive and professional OOSA community. I feel valued as a childcare provider when we are invited to share our insights and experiences, and I enjoy continuing to broaden my knowledge and understanding of the childcare sector with the opportunities my OOSA membership provides. Over the years, I too have evolved –  I feel much more confident as a business owner, and I have developed a professional vocabulary. I am  proud of what had been achieved for childcare sector so far, but determined to continue to educate the families I work with, on how vital Playwork and professionalism go hand in hand with proving their children with the best experiences when in our care.