After school clubs

What is an after school club?
After school clubs are directly linked to primary schools and provide care and play activities for children aged four to 12 during the school term-time.

Each centre has a team of qualified and/or experienced staff dedicated to providing good quality care and play services for your child. A variety of activities are provided daily.

Out of school clubs that care for children under eight years for more than two hours for more than five days per year are registered and inspected by Ofsted (Office for Standards in Education).

After schools clubs aim to:

provide cost effective childcare and extended support for working and non-working parents in and out of the borough
offer services for all children and their parents and carers regardless of their background, abilities and/or gender in line with our equal opportunities framework
offer a play and care environment that recognises and welcomes/respects the differences of its users
provide stimulating age-appropriate play activities
provide informal learning opportunities through play
provide a safe and secure care environment for children
communicate effectively with parents and carers in order to support their child's needs

How many children will there be in an out of school club?
Most clubs provide places for between 10-40 children.

What age range do they cater for?
Between the ages of four years and 12 years (mainly aimed at primary school age children)

When are services usually open?
Breakfast clubs are open before school between 7am-9am.
After school clubs are open after school between 3pm-5.45pm.

How much should I expect to pay?
Between £5 and £20 per day.

Is there any financial help or support?
There are a number of childcare funding options which are available, including Child Tax Credit and Working Tax Credit, which are available to support families with children and working people on low incomes.

Will my child be safe and secure?
Out of school clubs that cater for children under the age of eight 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 one member of staff to every eight children with a minimum of two members of staff on duty at any one time.

Will my child be fed?
A light snack is provided each day and the menu is developed to promote healthy eating. A copy of the programme of activities and menu is displayed at the centre.

What do I do if I'm 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 0845 601 4772.

How can I find an out of school club?
The Family Information Service holds details on all the registered childcare in the Ealing borough. The National Childcare database also provides national and local childcare information.

Ealing Play Service run a number of after school clubs, breakfast clubs and holiday playschemes.