Wraparound is a great help for working parents, it can offer them the chance to drop their children off and get to work without delay- which in a time of a cost of living crisis is an invaluable tool to have! But it is so much more than simply well timed childcare.
Wraparound childcare actually has benefits that are unique and that will alter your child’s life for the better. Following the Covid-19 pandemic we are all aware of the importance of socialising with others, but this is especially important in the early years of childhood. Going to school is one step on the ladder of socialisation, and it’s a great one! But attending our wraparound services is yet another aspect/great way to boost your child’s socialisation.
As well as offering well-timed childcare that extends beyond the school day, which is great for working parents or if you need an extra hour here or there to run errands or have some TLC time, our wraparound services often (but not always, please check with your individual provision) offer complimentary breakfast and paid for snacks. Breakfast (which is only served to those who are booked on for 7:30am and arrive before 7:50am) includes healthy ways to start the day: with milk and cereal, or toast- and sometimes jam, though not every day! Snacks in the afternoon consist of fruit, crackers or wraps or sandwiches that are filled with a host of tasty, healthy choices. In this regard, wraparound is beneficial because if you’re running late, we can make sure your child has something to eat. Or if you’ve run out of milk for breakfast- you know they can come and eat at our wraparound care with their friends first thing in the morning. No child should go hungry, and we do our bit to make sure that children go to school, ready to learn with a full tummy and happy smiles.
At our provision children can meet, play, learn and create things with other children that are their age as well as those that may be older and younger! All of our wraparound provisions accept children from Reception to Year 6, meaning we have an age range of children from 4 years to 11 years. This is absolutely invaluable experience and mixing for children- the older children are role models for behaviour, and the younger ones help to keep the imagination and creativity of the older children more engaged/focused. There are skills and understanding that are developed in this environment that can’t even be labelled, it is just a fundamental underpinning of skill development.
Making friends is so important, and we encourage children to make new friends- especially with older and younger children. We encourage children to listen to one another, learn from one another, help and encourage each other. We champion the very best behaviour, and reward it with fun games, new toys and stickers! Positive reinforcement of good behaviour is something we fundamentally believe in, and we encourage children to self-regulate and recognise their own habits and behaviour and to make alterations if they can see themselves going wrong somewhere. Once again, it is fostering that level of independence and awareness that makes wraparound such a benefit for children- as there are more adults and fewer children than they experience in every ay school life, we can give that additional attention and recognition to children- we can spot and reward their positive behaviour.
While they’re in our care, children get to be guided by our adults and the activities that have been carefully pre-selected and planned. Whether it’s prompted play with a theme (from sea creatures, to dress-up, to construction with LEGO), an Arts & Crafts creation, or a mad science experiment, children get to explore avenues of ideas and fun that they may not have even considered. While we do occasionally offer ‘free play’ as an option, we usually ensure our playtime. has a direct focus/focuses that children can choose from according to their own choice. We actively encourage and support children to try new things, to make new friends, and always give things a go! And of course, any art work can be brought home to share with you as a memento of your child’s time with us! Alongside this though, we do regularly post photos of what we get up to at wraparound to our Facebook and Instagram pages- so be sure to check those out!
Ultimately we hope that our wraparound acts as a way to foster a child’s independence- to encourage them to grow and be an individual. We operate within school settings, following school rules, but we can allow for a greater freedom of expression and personality, which our play workers and sports coaches gently nurture and encourage. Wraparound acts as support to build on the growth and development of home life and school life, it is another step to building new bridges and having new experiences. One of our ethos’s and mission statements is that we want to provide enriching experiences to the lives of Primary School aged children; and that is precisely what our wraparound services are: enriching, nurturing experiences.
So why not book your child onto our wraparound services today? You can do so by clicking on the magic booking portal on our website. The experience of wraparound will greatly compliment the school experience of your child.