Wraparound Childcare Programme

The Wraparound Childcare Programme's aim is that by 2026 all parents and carers of primary school aged children will be able to access term time childcare in their local area, so that parents and carers 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 and carers to pick their children up from school and drop them off at another location.

Parents of primary school aged children will 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. Please find more information about Tax-Free Childcare and Universal Credit Childcare here.

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

Links to guidance:

Local Authorities Handbook - National Wraparound Childcare Programme Handbook - a guide for local authorities (publishing.service.gov.uk)

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. 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 income through session fee payments, without the initial gap funding made available through this programme.

The initial requirement of each school is to survey the demand of families needing access to wraparound childcare. Settings can contact us to request a parent/carer survey template which can be used to assess wraparound care demand. Please contact wraparoundchildcare@norfolk.gov.uk to request a survey template.

If sufficient demand is shown to exist, we can support schools and/or other settings to access funding through completing an application form. Once an application form 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 and Universal Credit Childcare in order to support parents and carers to meet their childcare costs. This should be clearly advertised to parents/carers. More information on signing up to accept Tax Free Childcare can be found here.

Who are the team?

As part of the programme requirements, a new team of Wraparound Development Workers (WDWs) have been recruited 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.

Jo-anne Lamb is the Wraparound Lead and can be contacted by email.

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 by email: wraparoundchildcare@norfolk.gov.uk.

We will discuss your plans and support you to assess demand. An Individualised survey can be created for you to share with families to assess demand. Once the results have been analysed, we will agree next steps which may include completion of an application form. The application form will be considered by the panel team before a decision is made regarding whether funding will be awarded.

Once funding is agreed, ongoing support will be provided by the WDWs to ensure plans are implemented and to offer support. This will include termly 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 are a school or a provider and 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. Please note, this email address is for professionals only. If you are a parent with questions regarding wraparound childcare please email Norfolk Family Information Service fis@norfolk.gov.uk

If you would like to receive up to date communications about the programme, please sign up to the wraparound newsletter here.

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 children with special educational needs and disabilities
• Be Ofsted registered
• Sign up to accept Tax-Free Childcare and Universal Credit Childcare
• Deliver provision between 8am and 6pm, Monday to Friday, 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.

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 Monday to Friday (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 (list not exhaustive):

• Staffing
• Training - including specialist training for staff to ensure they feel equipped to support children with additional needs
• 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 at the time of booking
• Running costs for existing wraparound childcare places (where no development is taking place)
• Equipment or supplies which have an expected shelf life of less 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

Revenue funding is currently able to be applied for. For more information around the criteria or to obtain an application form please email wraparoundchildcare@norfolk.gov.uk.

Upon receipt of an application and associated documentation, it will be reviewed by the wraparound panel. Panel meets on a fortnightly basis so that funding outcomes can be determined quickly.

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 and carers
• 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/or 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 a minibus (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 May 2024. Future rounds will be advertised directly to providers as and when the application process re-opens.

Full details of the, mostly fully funded, Wraparound training offer is available in the training section of the website.

Working families, including the self-employed, earning under £100k and at least £167 per week can sign up to receive Tax-Free Childcare. For every £8 a parent or carer 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 if a child has a special educational need and/or disability).

Tax-Free Childcare can be used with children aged 0-11 (or aged 0-16 if a child has a special educational need and/or disability) meaning that it can be used towards breakfast, after school and holiday clubs.

Parents and carers using the scheme need to open an online childcare account which they use to pay the setting 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 the setting 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

Working families claiming Universal Credit and not in receipt of Tax-Free Childcare are also 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 clubs.

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

Assessing demand

A survey template has been created that can be personalised and used to assess the demand for wraparound childcare locally. The survey gathers information around what wraparound childcare is currently being used as well as preferences for future provision. The survey is completed on a Microsoft form with responses able to be analysed instantly. The survey can be translated into other languages on request.

Please email us at wraparoundchildcare@norfolk.gov.uk should you wish to be sent a survey.

Other methods of assessing demand may be appropriate to use alongside or in place of an online survey to ensure that parents and carers can respond, these can include -

• Parent and carer focus group
• A survey completed in person with parents and carers (either at school drop off or collection)
• Telephone survey

If a wraparound provision is already covering 8am - 6pm Monday to Friday, is at capacity and holding a waiting list, it may not be necessary to assess demand as this is evidenced by the waiting list.

Creating new provision

When creating a new breakfast club and/or after school club, the following points should be considered-

• Operating hours - If not 8am - 6pm Monday to Friday, will the wraparound childcare meet the needs of the families that are eligible to use it?
• Who is eligible to attend; which schools will the provision serve?
• Inclusivity - Are any adaptations or specific resources needed to allow all children that would like to attend to take part? A child's need may be different in a play scenario to a learning environment.
• Space - The space used for wraparound provision should allow children to move around and play. Ideally the children will have free flowing access to the outside. Suitable toilets will be identified for children and staff to use during the clubs. Depending on the proximity of the toilets to the wraparound space, children may need to be escorted to them.
• Maximum numbers - How many children can safely attend the club based on the space available?
• Staffing - Working to an adult to child ratio that is appropriate for the age and needs of the children attending the provision. Provide a level of staffing that safeguards both the children and the staff.
• Training - It is advisable that all wraparound childcare staff receive core training in safeguarding, paediatric first aid and level 2 food hygiene. Additional training in playwork, nutrition, special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) as well as many other topics are offered through our wraparound training offer and most are fully funded for wraparound childcare providers extending their places or hours in Norfolk.
• Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) or Safeguarding Lead Practitioner (SLP) - A DSL/SLP must be contactable throughout the duration of the wraparound provision.
• Safeguarding - Providers should ensure that both children and staff are safeguarded at the sessions. All staff must have received safeguarding training and be confident in the process for reporting, sharing and recording safeguarding concerns in line with their safeguarding policy. Staff should be professional and be fully aware of how they are conducting themselves in their work with children.
• Policies and procedures - Robust guidelines should be produced and shared with staff as well as families who are using or considering the provision. Details including safeguarding, booking conditions and positive behaviour management should all be included.
• Resources and equipment - Good quality wraparound childcare should be fun and child-led. Consider resources and equipment that allow children that are a range of ages with differing preferences and skills to be able to engage and participate in play. Resources should be stored in an organised manner, allowing children to be able to select and access suitable resources.
• Additional running costs - Opening a venue for a longer period of time will result in increased utility usage and costs. Depending on usual opening and closing arrangements, changes may need to be made to a caretaker's working hours or the responsibility for opening and closing the premises given to the staff member who will be first and last on site.
• Food offer - What food and snacks will you offer? How will you ensure that the food is healthy, nutritious and appetising? What facilities are available for preparing food? If kitchen access is not possible, what portable equipment can be used to offer food? Staff who prepare and serve food must obtain a Level 2 Food Safety certificate. Sufficient crockery and cutlery will need to be sought to serve food. Food choices should be available and dietary requirements/allergies need to be catered for.
• Transitions between wraparound provision, school day and parents/carers - Handovers between parents/carers, school staff and wraparound care staff should be thorough and ensure that important messages, achievements and feedback about all of the child's day are passed on.
• Booking process - Details about how to book wraparound childcare should be easy to follow and well promoted to those who are eligible to attend (including those who could be interested in the near future). The terms and conditions, including late bookings and cancellations should be readily available. Signing up for Tax Free Childcare and offering this saving to parents and carers should be promoted with the booking details.

Contact your Wraparound Development Worker to discuss your plans and to request a revenue grant funding application.

Depending on who is running the provision, there may be some additional factors to consider when creating or developing wraparound childcare, see the following sections:

School run provision

This covers wraparound provision on the school site run by staff employed by the school. Provision can be solely run for children attending the school or may also be offered to children at nearby schools.

• Wraparound staff would be recruited, employed, managed and trained by existing school staff.
• School responsible for promoting wraparound childcare and taking bookings and payments.
• Provision considered as part of the usual Ofsted registration and inspection.

Private, Voluntary & Independent (PVI) run provision on school site

This is when a PVI provider hires an area of the school site to run wraparound provision.

• School to invite PVI providers to apply to run provision. NCC can share this advert and support this process. Interested providers should be shortlisted, interviewed and selected based on the quality of their offer and how it aligns with the needs of the families and the schools values.
• Consider lease arrangements and agree a rental cost for the space that is to be used for wraparound childcare.
• PVI provider is required to register the wraparound provision with Ofsted.
• Provider to promote sessions and manage bookings and payments.
• Regular contact and review between school and provider to ensure high quality provision is being offered and that the school is satisfied it is suitable for the children attending it.
• Consider how information is shared between the school and provider in line with GDPR.

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

• How will the children be transported to and from the provision venue?
• Which schools will the provision be offered to?
• PVI provider is required to register the wraparound provision with Ofsted.
• Provider to promote sessions and manage bookings and payments.
• Regular contact and review between school and provider to ensure high quality provision is being offered and that the school is satisfied it is suitable for the children attending it.
• Consider how information is shared between the school and provider in line with GDPR.

All new or developed provision will benefit from ongoing contact with a WDW to support quality of wraparound provision and to monitor spend in line with the terms of the allocated funding.

Additional sources of support and information:

• Play England campaigns for all children and young people to have freedom and space to play throughout childhood.
• School Food Standards 
• Tax-Free Childcare sign-up
• Ofsted - How Ofsted inspects out of school childcare provision

Childcare information for parents and carers here.

Norfolk Community Directory can help you to find wraparound childcare.