Childcare options

Day nurseries

• Day nurseries are group settings which provide childcare for children from birth to 5 years.
• They provide a range of delivery models including full-day, part-time, all-year round and term-time only places.
• Some day nurseries offer before, after school and holiday care for school-aged children. This means that older siblings can be collected from School and cared for in the same place as younger siblings.
• They are privately owned businesses.
• Parents using this type of provision may be eligible to receive government support with childcare fees through the Tax-Free Childcare scheme or if the child is eligible to claim one of the Early Education Funding Entitlements for 2, 3- or 4-year-olds.
• The provision offered by day nurseries is regulated and inspected by Ofsted.

Pre-schools

• Pre-schools are group settings which offer childcare for children aged 2-5 years.
• They generally provide morning or afternoon places. However, many preschools now offer full-day places.
• Pre-schools may be privately owned, run by a committee or a voluntary group and are often based within community venues such as on school premises, scout huts or church halls.
• Parents using this type of provision may be eligible to receive government support with childcare fees through the Tax-Free Childcare scheme or if the child is eligible to claim one of the Early Education Funding Entitlements for 2, 3 or 4-year-olds.
• The provision offered by Pre-Schools is regulated and inspected by Ofsted.

School nursery classes

• Nursery classes are attached to primary schools.
• They generally, provide sessional care places such as morning or afternoon. However, many now offer a small number of full-day places to support children who are eligible to claim the Extended Entitlement (30 hours)
• These settings are generally for children between the ages of 3-4 years. However, some Nursery Classes now offer places for 2-year-olds.
• Parents using this type of provision may be eligible to receive government support with childcare fees through the Tax-Free Childcare scheme or if the child is eligible to claim one of the Early Education Funding Entitlements for 2-3- or 4-year-olds.
• Nursery class provision is regulated and inspected by Ofsted, as part of the whole school inspection.

Maintained nursery school

Coventry has one maintained nursery school.

• It provides care for children aged 2-5 years.
• Parents using this type of provision may be eligible to receive government support with childcare fees through the Tax-Free Childcare scheme or if the child is eligible to claim one of the Early Education Funding Entitlements for 2, 3- or 4-year-olds.
• The nursery school provision is regulated and inspected by Ofsted.

Early Years provision run by School Governors on a School site

• Some schools offer childcare on-site.
• This type of provision usually offers places for children aged 2-4 years.
• They are likely to provide a range of delivery models including full day care.
• Parents using this type of provision may be eligible to receive government support with childcare fees through the Tax-Free Childcare scheme or if the child is eligible to claim one of the Early Education Funding Entitlements for 2- 3- or 4-year-olds.
• This type of provision is regulated and inspected by Ofsted, as part of the whole school inspection.

Childminders

• A Childminder is a person who cares for children from their (the Childminders) own home, for more than 2 hours a day.
• Childminders can care for up to 6 children at any one time, under the age of 8 years. They may also care for older children before, after school and during school holidays.
• Some Childminders have assistants that work alongside them enabling them to care for more children.
• They provide a range of delivery models including full and part-time places.
• Many Childminders offer before, after school and holiday care to school-aged children as well as full-day provision to younger children.
• Parents using this type of provision may be eligible to receive government support with childcare fees through the Tax-Free Childcare scheme or if the child is eligible to claim one of the Early Education Funding Entitlements for 2, 3- or 4-year-olds.
• Childminders are regulated and inspected by Ofsted or a Childminder Agency.

Independent schools offering early years’ provision

Independent Schools’ places are subject to charges for all pupils throughout the School.

• Some Independent Schools offer Early Education Entitlement places for 3- and 4-year-olds.
• They may provide a range of delivery models including full day care.
• Parents using this type of provision may be eligible to receive government support with childcare fees through the Tax-Free Childcare scheme or if the child is eligible to claim one of the Early Education Funding Entitlements for 2, 3- or 4-year-olds.
• Independent Schools are regulated and inspected by Ofsted or the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI)

Out of School - Childcare (OOS)

• Generally operates between 8am -6pm and is childcare that is wrapped around the school day. Children usually attend before and/or after school and/or during school holidays.
• It is for registered school pupils. It may, or may not include children in the School Nursery Class
• Provision usually operates on a school site and runs for more than 2 hours per day. Sometimes a provision may run at a community venue in close proximity to the school, such as a Church Hall or Community Centre
• Some OOS provision and Holiday schemes are operated by private, voluntary, or independent companies, others may be run by the school.
• Parents using this type of provision may be eligible to receive government support with childcare fees through the Tax-Free Childcare Scheme. They may also be able to use some of the Extended Entitlement funding (30 hrs) for eligible children.
• If an OOS provision is run by a private, voluntary, or independent childcare provider they are regulated and inspected by Ofsted. OOS provision that is run by school governors will be inspected by Ofsted or the Independent Schools Inspectorate.

Before and after school

Activity clubs

Out-of-school clubs and Activity clubs are phrases that are often used to describe provision which happens after school. Although both provisions typically operate before and after school, there is a significant difference between the two.

• Out of School (childcare) provides parents with the option of childcare from 8am to 6pm and is wrapped around the school day. Parents using Out of School Childcare can get help towards childcare costs, e.g. Tax-Free Childcare Scheme.
• Activity clubs often operate for only 1 hour before, or after school. Parents cannot get help with childcare costs if they are using this type of provision.

School Activity Clubs

• Many schools offer a programme of after-school activities which parents can buy into for a small fee. These sessions generally last no longer than an hour and focus on helping children to develop skills in specific subjects e.g. Homework study club, art, music tuition, and cookery.
• They are for registered school pupils only.
• Parents using this type of childcare will not be eligible to receive government support with childcare fees.

Private activity clubs and holiday camps

• Private activity clubs are run by independent companies.
• They provide lessons or tuitions to children in relation to specific subject areas, e.g., Football, Dance, Gymnastics, Art club.
• They are not restricted to admitting children from a specific school only.
• A child can only attend for a maximum of 1 hour and 55 mins per day, even if the provision is open for longer.
• Parents using this type of provision will not be eligible to receive government support with childcare fees.

Crèche provision

Crèches provide care for young children during the day whilst their parents do something else on the same premises. This could include working, shopping, or attendance at adult learning classes.

Parents using this type of provision will not be eligible to receive government support with childcare fees.