Wraparound Childcare Programme

The Wraparound Childcare Programme's aim is that by 2026 all parents and carers of primary aged children who need it will be able to access term time childcare in their local area, so that parents can access employment and therefore improve labour market participation. This includes regular before and after school provision that runs during term time from 8am until 6pm, Monday to Friday, either on a school site or at another local setting. This funding will support local authorities to work with primary schools and private, voluntary and independent providers including childminders and early years settings. There should be no requirement for parents to pick their children up from school and drop them off at another location.

Parents of primary school aged children will still be expected to pay to access this provision, as this programme aims to increase the availability of childcare, rather than subsidise childcare. Tax-Free Childcare or Universal Credit Childcare can be used to help pay for wraparound childcare.

The Department for Education (DfE) have produced guidance for local authorities and schools and trusts, which sets out the expectations of this ambitious programme.

Links to guidance:

Link to LA Handbook - National Wraparound Childcare Programme Handbook - a guide for local authorities (publishing.service.gov.uk)

Link to Schools Handbook - Wraparound childcare: guidance for schools and trusts in England (publishing.service.gov.uk)

What is the offer?

Wraparound childcare may be delivered by schools or through private, voluntary or independent providers, including childminders and early years settings. Programme  funding is available to support settings to expand existing provision or for settings to set up new provision where there is sufficient demand. Provision that is funded through the programme should, in the vast majority of cases, be self-sustaining by the end of the planned programme (i.e. 2026 onwards). This means that the provision can continue beyond this point as it will generate sufficient funding through parent payments, without the initial 'pump-prime' funding made available through this programme.

The initial requirement of each school is to survey the demand of families needing access to wraparound childcare. If sufficient demand is shown to exist, we can support schools and/or other settings to access funding through completing an expression of interest (EOI). Once an expression of interest is submitted to the Early Years Funding Panel inbox, earlyyearsfundingpanel@norfolk.gov.uk ,  the panel team will assess the application and decide whether it is to be funded.

We expect any setting receiving funding to sign up to accept Tax Free Childcare in order to support parents to meet their childcare costs.

Who are the team?

As part of the programme requirements, a new team of Wraparound Development Workers (WDWs) have been recruited to support the programme, and are supported by existing team members working in the early years and childcare team, comprising of a Project Manager, Finance Advisor, Workforce Development Officer, Sufficiency Manager, Improvement and Inclusion Officer, Data Analyst, Improvement & Development Workers and Admin Support.

Our team will be supporting settings in developing provision, ensuring demand is assessed and met and high quality is achieved.

How do we work?

Each Wraparound Development Worker (WDW) has responsibility for working across an identified area of the county. Initial contact can either be by the WDW contacting schools in their area for an initial discussion, or by any interested setting contacting us directly - wraparoundchildcare@norfolk.gov.uk.

We will have a discussion about your plans and support you to assess demand. We can create individualised parent demand surveys for you to share with families. Once the results have been analysed, we will agree next steps which will include completion of an expression of interest. If this is approved a full application will be required to assess the level of funding required.

Once funding is agreed ongoing support will be provided by the WDWs to ensure plans are implemented. This will include ongoing monitoring over the funding period to ensure provision can grow to meet demand and that quality of provision and longer term sustainability is supported.

How we can be contacted?

If you have any questions about the Wraparound Childcare programme, please email wraparoundchildcare@norfolk.gov.uk and your question will be responded to by a member of our team.

If you would like to receive up to date communications about the programme, please sign up to the wraparound newsletter here - https://www.schools.norfolk.gov.uk/article/30025/eNewsletters

How you can shape the support we offer?

As part of the development of the Programme, a consultative group meets regularly to work alongside the local authority to shape the Wraparound Childcare offer. Please email wraparoundchildcare@norfolk.gov.uk if you are interested in joining this group.

What are the requirements of providers funded through the programme?

In line with Department for Education (DfE) requirements we require funded provision to

• deliver provision that is child centred, safe, easily accessible and responds to the needs of families
• be inclusive to all children and make reasonable adjustments for those children with disabilities.
• be Ofsted registered
• sign up to accept Tax Free Childcare and Universal Credit childcare
• deliver provision between 8 am and 6 pm, unless demand shows a need for alternative hours
• provide data/information to the local authority as requested to support monitoring

What is play?

Play offers children the chance to explore social, material and imaginary concepts at their own pace, led by their own behaviour and motivation. Play can be a solitary or social experience.  

Playwork principles

There are eight principles which underpin playwork practice and training in the UK. These are -

1. All children and young people need to play. The impulse to play is innate. Play is a biological, psychological and social necessity and is fundamental to the healthy development and well-being of individuals and communities.
2. Play is a process that is freely chosen, personally directed and intrinsically motivated. That is, children and young people determine and control the content and intent of their play, by following their own instincts, ideas and interests, in their own way for their own reasons.
3. The prime focus and essence of playwork is to support and facilitate the play process and this should inform the development of play policy, strategy, training and education.
4. For playworkers, the play process takes precedence and playworkers act as advocates for play when engaging with adult led agendas.
5. The role of the playworker is to support all children and young people in the creation of a space in which they can play.
6. The playworker's response to children and young people playing is based on a sound up-to-date knowledge of the play process and reflective practice.
7. Playworkers recognise their own impact on the play space and also the impact of children and young people's play on the playworker.
8. Playworkers choose an intervention style that enables children and young people to extend their play. All playworker intervention must balance risk with the developmental benefit and well-being of children.

Reference: Playwork Principles Scrutiny Group, Cardiff 2005.

Role of the playworker

Exemplary playwork creates an appealing and adaptable environment where children can play freely. To create this environment, playworkers observe, listen to and understand the play needs of the children. They provide choice, encouragement and understanding as well as having the professional awareness to continually assess levels of acceptable risk, ensure health and safety standards are met and to enable all children that attend the setting to be included. Playworkers join in when invited to by a child and know when not to interfere with the play process.

Creating play spaces

Play can take place in a range of indoor and outdoor spaces. When setting up these spaces, it is important to consider how they appeal to children as well as physical factors such as lighting, ventilation and free flow to the outside. The spaces should be accessible and suitable for all children and meet the key safety standards.
Play spaces have the opportunity to give children a sense of belonging and security, particularly if they feel involved in the creation of these.
Spaces should be open, allowing for movement as well as having sheltered, enclosed areas which give the sense of privacy. Including varied equipment and materials will provide access to a range of textures, colours, sounds and smells.
Including loose parts allows the space to be changeable and encourages creativity, experimentation and learning at the child's pace.  Loose parts can be natural such as shells, pinecones and feathers or be man-made such as tyres, plastic tubes or fabric scraps.

Benefits of a play- focussed approach

• Play allows for physical, fine motor and cognitive development. Children are encouraged to take and learn from suitable risks. By doing so, they develop skills such as problem solving and risk assessing whilst benefitting from increased independence, creativity and resilience.
• Play is fun; it also allows children to explore their feelings and learn to express them.
• Social skills are developed as children share with others and learn directly from their peers.

Capital Grant Process

The £1.5m capital funding is being provided to meet the capital costs associated with projects that help ensure sufficient places for:

• Children taking up an early years place through the expanded 30-hours entitlement for qualifying working parents
• Increasing the supply of wraparound childcare for primary-school aged children

How the capital can be spent

1. The capital grant must be spent on Capital Costs and focussed on projects that will increase the physical capacity of early years and wraparound provision in local areas where demand is likely to exceed existing supply. The focus will be to retain existing quality provision or create new places which are accessible to all children, including those with special educational needs and disabilities.
2.  The funding can be used to provide new places in a range of provider types, where these are offering the 30-hours early years entitlement and/or providing wraparound provision for primary-aged children.
3. To be considered capital expenditure the asset must bring an economic benefit, and able to be depreciated, over more than one financial year.
4. The joint capital funding will be considered in depth across both the free childcare expansion and wraparound childcare programme to create sufficiency of childcare places across Norfolk.
5. Examples of projects, for both childcare or wraparound places, could include those that:

• create new childcare places, whether via the creation of new settings, or expanding provision in existing providers;
• retain existing childcare places when existing environment is beyond repair
• adapt, re-model or improve existing childcare places to make them suitable for a wider range of needs;
• purchase fixed assets such as building modifications to enable use of space outside main school/setting operating hours, e.g., secure external access, outside lighting to enable outdoor space to be used year-round
• purchase new physical assets such as minibus purchase (to support a hub model of wrapround provision), play equipment (including outdoor play equipment), or tables and chairs.

6. The capital grant funding is not intended for:

• routine maintenance or refurbishment of premises;
• capital works to maintain and improve the condition of the school estate
•  childcare providers not providing Early Years entitlements or wraparound care
• revenue expenditure of any kind, such as training or staff costs, resources/assets that do not meet the definition of capital expenditure given above (such as toys, books, clothing)

Please see the website for more information around the criteria and the process for applying

The initial round closed on 24^th May 2024. Future rounds will be advertised directly to providers as and when the application process re-opens.

Revenue Grant Process

Revenue funding can be used to fund new and expanded wraparound provision, either to meet current demand or guarantee supply to build future demand. Childcare provision funded from this grant must meet the definition of wraparound childcare, i.e., be available directly before and after the school day, from 8am to 6pm (or equivalent, if data shows that local demand is for different hours) during school term time for primary school-age children.

How the revenue can be spent

The funding is tapered over 5 terms (Summer 2024 to Spring 2026), which can cover:

• Staffing
• Training including specialist training for staff to ensure they feel equipped to support children with additional needs
• to provide free or subsidised places for children of wraparound staff
• transport costs
• resources
• running costs whilst demand builds (to remove any financial risk to providers of offering additional places before demand is guaranteed)

The revenue grant should not be used for:

• Subsidising cost of places as new places created by the programme as they should be paid for by parents
• Running costs for existing wraparound childcare places
• Equipment or supplies which have an expected shelf life of more than one year where either the purchase price is in excess of £500 or is a group of lower value items where the combined value is in excess of £500

For more information around the criteria and the process for applying.  

Wraparound Panel meets on a fortnightly basis so that any applications can be reviewed quickly.

A Wraparound training offer is currently in development and will be available soon.

Working families, including the self-employed, and earning under £100k and at least £167 per week can sign up to receive Tax-Free Childcare. For every £8 a parent pays into an online account, the government will add an extra £2, this is a saving of up to £2,000 per child per year (or up to £4,000 per child if disabled).

Tax-Free Childcare can be used with children aged 0-11 (or 0-16 if disabled) meaning that it can be used towards Breakfast, After School and Holiday clubs.

Parents using the scheme open an online childcare account which they use to pay you directly for childcare. Payments work just as they do through an online bank account. Each payment is accompanied by a reference number for each child so you can identify their payments.

To enable families to use Tax-Free Childcare to help with costs of wraparound provision you'll need to sign up  online by using your 11-digit user ID from your invitation letter - if you did not get one or have lost it, contact the helpline

Universal Credit Childcare

For working families claiming Universal Credit and not in receipt of Tax-Free Childcare, they are able to receive financial help towards childcare costs (up to 85% of childcare costs paid back) for children under 17 years old. It can be used to help pay for Breakfast, After School and Holiday Playschemes.

Parents who need this help should speak to their Universal Credit work coach who can provide more information.

Parent Information

• Parent information on NCC Website
• Norfolk Community Directory

Survey issued to parents to assess demand

(please contact us: wraparoundchildcare@norfolk.gov.uk should you wish to be sent a survey)

Then depending on the type of proposed provision :

School run provision

1. Things to consider:
   • Staffing
   • DSL
   • Suitable space
   • Outdoor area
   • Resources
   • Storage
   • Utility costs
   • Caretaker arrangements
2. Complete and submit Expression of interest for a grant (EOI)
3. When EOI approved, complete full application
4. Ongoing contact with WDW to monitor spend and support quality of wraparound provision

PVI run provision on school site

1. School to invite PVI providers to apply to run provision. (NCC can advertise and support process) Consider lease arrangements
2. School to choose provider, and confirm lease arrangements
3. Provider to review things to consider
   • Staffing
   • Training
   • DSL
   • Suitable space
   • Outdoor area
   • Resources
   • Storage
   • Utility costs
   • Caretaker arrangements
4. Provider to complete and submit an Expression of interest for a grant (EOI)
5. Complete full application
6. Ongoing contact with WDW to monitor spend and support quality of wraparound provision

PVI run provision provided off the school site or provided by a childminder

1. In providing a community model is there an opportunity to link with more than one school?
2. Provider to review things to consider
   • Staffing
   • Training
   • DSL
   • Suitable space
   • Outdoor area
   • Resources
   • Storage
   • Utility costs
   • Caretaker arrangements
3. Complete and submit Expression of Interest for a grant (EOI)
4. Complete full application
5. Ongoing contact with WDW to monitor spend and support quality of wraparound provision