National Wraparound Childcare Programme
The National Wraparound Childcare Programme is part of the childcare reforms announced in the 2023 spring budget.
By 2026, it is the ambition of the government that all parents and carers of primary school aged children who need it, will be able to access term time childcare in their local area from 8am until 6pm. Parents can then access employment and improve labour market participation.
Breakfast and after school clubs can run at various times to suit the demand of working parents, typically they operate from 7.30am onwards until the start of the school day and from the end of a school day up until 6pm.
Wraparound provision can be run by a school, a voluntary management committee, organisations such as a private business or by individuals such as childminders.
For more information see the government's wraparound childcare guidance for schools.
Select a link to jump to that section on this page:
- Breakfast clubs early adopters scheme
- Wraparound childcare grant funding
- Demands for wraparound childcare
- Signposting wraparound
- Delivery models
- Contact the Wraparound Team
Breakfast clubs early adopters scheme - Applications now open
Background
As announced by the Chancellor in September, the Department for Education will be introducing free breakfast clubs in up to 750 early adopter schools from April 2025 as part of a test and learn phase in advance of a national rollout.
Early adopters will offer all primary-aged children on roll at their school, no matter their circumstances, access to a free, universal breakfast club lasting at least 30 minutes that involves food, providing children with a supportive start to the day and helping families to have more choice about work. Parents and carers can choose to take up the offer although DfE encourage schools to promote the offer and drive take up, particularly within disadvantaged groups.
Application process
State funded schools with primary-age children who wish to apply to be a breakfast club early adopter need to complete the expression of interest form via DfE login. Schools will be asked to complete a few short questions about current breakfast club provision and take-up, and there will be no expectation to explain why they wish to apply.
The expression of interest form is open from Wednesday 27 November 2024 and closes on 20 December 2024.
Apply for the early adopters scheme
The DfE are expressly looking to understand how the breakfast club policy is implemented in a range of schools and welcome interest from those:
- With an existing breakfast or before-school childcare offer
- Without any existing provision
- That already work with, or are considering working with, private, voluntary or independent (PVI) childcare providers, including childminders, to deliver their breakfast clubs
- That may face initial challenges with setting up breakfast club provision (this will help us to understand how best to support schools)
Please note that while trusts may express interest in implementing the programme across multiple schools, each school must submit an individual application, logging in with its own DfE sign-in. Within the form, there is an option for schools to indicate their intent to participate either individually or as part of a wider rollout across multiple schools within their trust.
The DfE will confirm which schools from Herefordshire are participating in the early adopter programme in January. Guidance and support for early adopter schools are being developed in partnership with schools, local authorities, and the wider sector, and will be published in the new year.
Find out more
Further information about the early adopters scheme.
The DfE is also hosting a webinar on 5 December offering schools the chance to learn more about the programme and the application process. Schools can register to attend the webinar.
If you have any further questions please contact Herefordshire Wraparound Team at wraparound@herefordshire.gov.uk
Wraparound childcare grant funding
Grant funding is available for schools and providers (including childminders) to set up wraparound childcare provision across Herefordshire. The aim of this funding is to create new wraparound places as well as expanding existing wraparound provision. The programme aims to enable settings to test flexible ways of providing childcare and recognise what works.
The funding period will run until April 2026, and the government expects that most schools will be able to deliver wraparound childcare that is 'self-financing' and sustainable by September 2026.
All grant applications must comply with the Department for Education criteria outlined in the wraparound childcare guidance for schools.
The grant is available for schools and trusts educating primary school aged children to increase wraparound childcare provision throughout Herefordshire.
Parents will need to pay for wraparound childcare and these charges should be in line with the guidance on charging for school activities. However, parents can apply for support towards childcare costs via tax free childcare and universal credit support by checking eligibility through the Childcare Choices website.
Eligibility for grant funding
The grant is available to schools and trusts educating primary school aged children within the Herefordshire Council authority area.
Childcare providers may apply if they are endorsed by a school to deliver provision, this includes childminders.
All provision must be registered with Ofsted on the appropriate register according to the age of the children, or via a childminder agency.
Demands for wraparound provision in Herefordshire
Perhaps you have been approached by parents who require before school, after school or full wraparound childcare? Or you are considering how as a school/provider you are going to meet the government's commitment to increase the availability of childcare for primary school aged children?
For wraparound provision to be successful and sustainable, it will need to meet the demands of parents at your school or in the local community.
Signposting wraparound
All schools need to support a parent's right to request childcare. Providers should keep a log of requests made by parents and carers for wraparound care ensuring that they respond appropriately to any requests they receive. The government provides guidance on responding to requests for wraparound childcare.
When handling right to request arrangements, you should be transparent about the process you choose to follow.
You should:
- Make timescales clear
- Speak to Herefordshire Council's Wraparound Team
- Keep parents and providers informed
- Give reasons for approving or rejecting requests
Some schools already work in partnership with an external provider to deliver wraparound care for their families either on or off the school site. If this is how your school delivers out of school care, it is essential that parents and carers are directed to these external providers by you.
Successful signposting includes:
- School website: include a wraparound section on your website with details of providers you work in partnership with
- Share via school social media
- Prospectus: parents often think about wraparound provision when considering a school
- Newsletters
- Advertise on notice boards and reception areas
- Leaflets or websites of external providers
If provision is off site, parents should not have to transport children at the end of a school day to an external provider to access out of school care. There should be a seamless transition from the end of the school day to the external provider. This move to the external provider should include the exchange of important necessary information between school and setting.
Depending on the distance between the school and the premises used to deliver out of school care, external providers may develop a walking bus or use a minibus to transport children.
Through forming new partnership arrangements, schools and settings can work together to facilitate the most appropriate way to transport children to the wraparound provision.
Delivery models
There is no single way to deliver wraparound care, with a range of different delivery models. It is important to consider the practical and beneficial elements which would be best suited to your school:
- School-run provision
- In partnership with other schools
- In partnership with private, voluntary and independent providers (PVI) either on or off the school site
- Childminders
- PVI run provision on or off the school site
How to apply
Our Wraparound Team are here to help with advice for schools and providers opening or extending current wraparound childcare.
If you are a school or provider, interested in opening or extending wraparound provision, we would be happy to help and discuss your next steps.
For further support and to apply for funding contact us at:
Stephanie Phillips - Wraparound Lead Sufficiency and Business Manager, email stephanie.phillips@herefordshire.gov.uk
Emma Hammond - Wraparound and Childcare Sufficiency Officer, email emma.hammond@herefordshire.gov.uk