Wraparound Childcare
The core offer states that parents should have access to:
"High quality wraparound childcare from 8am to 6pm, all year round, depending on community need."
This statement therefore needs to be broken down to truly understand what schools need to offer to meet this criteria. Childcare invokes an image of a nursery and suggests to most people a provision for younger children. However, from the perspective of the core offer, childcare means that every child of school age should have access to supervised provision from 8am to 6pm for 4-11 year olds and 8am to 5:30pm for 12-14 year olds. This provision should be available throughout the whole year, not just term time, if parents require it. Provision can include breakfast clubs, established out of hours clubs, holiday provision and extra curricular activities in school and child minders. The form and content of this provision must be dictated by parents and schools and childcare providers should seek to consult parents about their needs in this area regularly.
Childcare must be sustainable, and so parental contributions will be expected, but the provision offered by and through schools will be as cost effective as possible.
Childminders and Nurseries
Extended Services seeks to work with existing provision and provide a better joining up of services in the area. Childminders and nurseries will not suffer because of the implementation of Extended Services. The agenda simply seeks to provide alternatives to parents who do not have access or the means to access private childcare.
Childminding information is available from Family Information Services:
Family Information services Telephone No: 0800 023 4440
Family Information Services
surestart
Prudhoe Children’s Centre
The Partnership is linked to Prudhoe Children's Centre for under 5s provision and support. Children's Centre provision in Ponteland forms part of the phase 3 plan for the west of the county. Funding has finally secured a part-time children's centre staffed by a family worker and a venue in the village is being sought currently.