Guidance for schools providing wraparound care

The government has published new guidance for schools on providing wraparound care, which is part of a government drive to get parents back to work.

Last year Chancellor Jeremy Hunt outlined an ambition for primary schools to provide childcare, with £289 million funding to implement the scheme.

The guidance says that with support from the local authority, the government expects all primary schools have school or Private, voluntary and independent (PVI) providers (including childminder) run wraparound childcare on the school site, and to they must work collaboratively with their LA to ensure parents are signposted to appropriate provision, if they are unable to have wraparound on the school site.

The provision must not require parents to pick up or drop off their children between the school day and wraparound.

However, Paul Whiteman, general secretary at school leaders’ union NAHT, said that the funding is inadequate. He said: "The large majority of schools already offer some form of wraparound care to families. Where that’s not the case it is often due to logistical challenges, such as a lack of space or a lack of staff to provide such services.

“Additional guidance is unlikely to make much of a difference here, particularly when schools don’t have the funding or staffing to oversee the sort of expansion in provision envisaged by the government. The funding to date is neither sufficient nor permanent, creating a cliff-edge when it comes to an end after five terms.”