Out of school childcare

Out-of-school clubs (sometimes called kids’ clubs) open before and after school and all day long during school holidays, giving 3 to 14 year-olds and up to 16 for children with special needs a safe and enjoyable place to play, meet and sometimes catch up on homework.

Holiday play schemes are often run by voluntary organisations, local authorities or charities, in local parks, community centres, leisure centres or schools. They are not only a great place for youngsters to meet their friends, they also offer a wide range of activities to keep them busy, such as sports or drama, arts and crafts or music.

The role includes:

organising and running or helping with anything from a breakfast club before school to a football team or holiday play scheme;
preparing play activities;
taking part in day-to-day administration, record keeping and buying and ordering materials;
providing full care for children, such as delivering to school, collecting from school and delivering them safely to their parents or carers, possibly providing refreshments;
administering first aid;
encouraging parental involvement.

Entry qualifications

No formal qualifications are necessary, although a short entry course gives a good grounding. Trainees can take NVQ Level 2 Certificate in Playwork to become an assistant.
NVQ Level 3 in Playwork or CACHE Level 3 Diploma in Playwork can lead to a supervisory role.
There’s also NVQ Level 4 in Early Years Care & Education and the Management Charter Initiative NVQ Levels 4 & 5 (also useful in other early years and childcare work).

Links

Working in childcare - Where to find out about childcare careers in group settings

4Children (www.4Children.org.uk) - advice on setting up out of school clubs