Childcare

The core offer requires all primary and special schools to offer access to high-quality, Ofsted-registered childcare from 8am to 6pm, five days a week, 48 weeks a year, based on community need. Secondary schools do not need to provide formal childcare – although some may choose to do so – but their activity programmes before and after school need to provide a safe, supervised place to be. High-quality childcare can enhance learning, give parents more time to work or study, and generate income for schools.

What schools should be doing:

Schools can provide childcare services in a number of ways, including by:

• employing staff to deliver services on site;
• working with other schools to share resources, for example, by setting up a rota system for childcare provision; and,
• signposting to existing services offered by private or voluntary sector organisations.

Existing childcare provision should be assessed, and parents, carers, pupils, staff and the local community consulted about their needs before deciding to develop new childcare. Working with other schools or third-party organisations can enable schools to tap into existing expertise and significantly reduce workload. For help with this and signposting families to childcare, direct parents and carers to the York Family Information Service. The Family Information Service can give an overview of childcare in York, provide free and impartial information to help families find the right childcare for them, and financial help available.

Other useful links are:

• Reducing childcare costs
• Children’s Centres in York – services for families with children under five years old
• Out of School Clubs