Since lockdown due the COVID-19 pandemic, a gradual change in the working patterns of parents & carers has resulted in a significant increase in demand for childcare.
The Childcare & Early Years Survey 2022 indicated that in the 12 years between 2010 & 2022, the number of mothers working full time had increased by 16% across England. In contrast, more recently during the 2023 Spring Budget announcement, it was reported that at least 33% of primary schools do not offer childcare before AND after school during term time.
This gap in provision means that parents must make the difficult decision to work shorter hours than they would like to ensure they can drop and collect their children each day with 24% of parents stating that they could not do their job if they didn’t have accessible Wraparound Care available to them.
Until now, this provision has been seen as a luxury to some with it mostly depending on the demand of the school community and the capacity of the primary school itself. However, this facility is no longer optional for primary schools in England. In the 2023 Spring Budget, the government set out an ambitious plan to provide all primary school children with access to high quality, engaging and inclusive Wraparound Care by September 2026. To support this plan, local authorities will receive an additional £289 million in funding to help schools and private providers in their area establish this provision.
At Dream Big Sports, we appreciate that this will be an exciting announcement but possibly quite daunting in equal measure, throwing up many questions relating to staffing, planning, managing bookings etc. whilst also having to prioritise the usual school day.
To support schools in navigating this exciting opportunity, the Dream Big Sports team has created an extensive guide using our knowledge and years of experience delivering successful Wraparound Care provision: A Primary School Guide to Wraparound Care!
How to Get Your Copy
To find out more information about Wraparound Care and obtain your copy of “A Primary School Guide to Wraparound Care”, simply click HERE to complete a very quick form then a member of our team will share access to the E-Book via email.
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