By Lyndsy Killip
Executive Deputy Headteacher, Lyndsy Killip, at
Queen's Park Federation tells us about their experience of
being an early adopter of wraparound childcare and the benefits
wraparound has brought to their school community.
The Queen's Park Federation Community
Queen's Park Federation comprises of Dorothy Gardner and Mary
Paterson Nursery Schools, Queen's Park Primary School, and
Queen's Park Family Hub. Set within one of the most diverse
communities in Westminster with high levels of deprivation, we
cater for children aged 2-11 within our schools and support
children and young people up to the age of 25 through our family
hub.
Across our community we're still seeing the impact of the
pandemic and cost of living crisis. We've also seen parents
struggling to get back into the workplace, particularly as a
result of the cost of childcare and the lack of wraparound care
available locally.
Being an early adopter
The impact of being an early adopter of wraparound childcare -
offering both breakfast club and extended club – has meant that
we have been able to extend our reach, engaging with more
families than ever before.
We adapt to the needs of our families, whether through attending
an after-school club and then an extended club service, through
homework support, or the food we serve.
Our families know that there is a reliable service, run by people
they are familiar with and trust as part of a school
community. Parents are able to build rapport with our team
and see them as not just a wraparound care service, but as an
extension of the school day, by providing continuity through the
staff that work across our settings.
The wraparound childcare offer
Through our wraparound childcare offer, not only do we support
some of the most vulnerable children within our community, but we
give parents the option to go to work. Having this choice can
help them cater for their own family's needs, whether through
earning vital income or supporting their own wellbeing and mental
health.
We aim to meet the needs of families who currently find childcare
unaffordable and want our childcare offer to extend to support
their family circumstances.
We've opened our doors to families, offer a fair and affordable
model with staff that our families know and trust. We understand
our families and offer flexibility for their needs and offer both
long and short-term access dependent on their needs.
My tips for other schools:
- Listen to the needs of your parents – what will your offer
look like? Can children dip into things happening after school
but with the offer extended beyond this, e.g. clubs then an
extended club service?
- Think about who will run these services – we've found that
having staff from school supporting our wraparound childcare
offer has really supported onboarding parents. How are you
utilising existing members of staff? Could they inform parents
about the offer?
- Can you accommodate a wider locality? Can you link with a
network of other schools and team up to resource the offer?
- If a child is attending extended club, their parents may be
time poor and might struggle to offer support for certain things
when the child is at home. What can be incorporated in the
extended club to help support parents? For us, it's offering a
homework club.
- Make it fun! If the children are happy, then it will support
the parents in feeling happy!
Support with offering wraparound
childcare
Wraparound care is before and after school childcare for
primary school aged children in England during term time, such as
breakfast clubs and regular afterschool provision that runs until
6pm or later.
The wraparound childcare guidance for schools explains the
role of schools and academy trusts in supporting parents to
access wraparound childcare.
Read the
guidance.
