Breakfast clubs, after-school clubs and holiday clubs have become an essential part of family life. Many of the people running them come from outside childcare, from catering, sport, teaching assistance or somewhere else entirely. This wraparound childcare training covers what club staff need to know from day one: where your duties come from, registration and ratios, safeguarding school-age children, and a play-first approach that makes children want to come back.
Each lesson ends with a short task to try at your own club, such as finding your registration certificate or reviewing your handover arrangement with the host school.
Why wraparound training matters
Wraparound care is not babysitting and it is not school. It is a regulated childcare service, and every member of staff carries real responsibilities from their first shift. A single session can include a four-year-old in their first term of school and an eleven-year-old about to leave for secondary. Children arrive tired and hungry after a long, structured day, and some travel to and from the club on their own. Arrival and departure are the highest-risk minutes of the session.
Most provision for children under eight must be registered, usually with Ofsted in England. Safeguarding duties apply to every club, registered or not, and to paid staff and volunteers alike. Where reception-age children attend, the early years safeguarding and welfare requirements still apply to them, while the learning and development requirements are disapplied for wraparound and holiday provision.
What’s in the course
- Wraparound and Holiday Clubs: The Landscape and Your DutiesWhat wraparound care is, the four places your duties come from, and what good looks like.
- Registration, Ratios and the Rules That ApplyWhich register your club is on, reception-age children, staff deployment, DBS checks and everyday records.
- Safeguarding School-Age Children in ClubsOnline harms, bullying and child-on-child abuse, collection and walking home, and medical needs.
- Play Not School: A Playwork-Inspired ApproachFreely chosen play, the adult’s role in enabling it, and weighing risk against benefit.
- Behaviour, Belonging and Mixed-Age GroupsClub identity, rules made with children, and making mixed ages work without using older children as staff.
- Working with Schools, Parents and the CommunitySchool-to-club handovers, sharing information, snack time and allergies, and planning holiday schemes.
- Assessment10 questions. Pass mark 80%. Resit as many times as you need.
What you’ll learn
- How to find out which register your club is on, what conditions apply and where the certificate is
- Why around one adult to eight children is a commonly used ratio for three to seven-year-olds, and how to check the ratio that binds your own club
- Why no new starter or volunteer is left alone with children before enhanced DBS and other checks are complete
- How to respond to a disclosure: no promises of secrecy, no leading questions, a record in the child’s own words and a report to your DSL the same day
- How to handle collection safely, including written permissions, password or ID checks, walking home alone and uncollected children
- What playwork means by play that is freely chosen, personally directed and intrinsically motivated
- Why older children can be helpers but are never counted in ratios or left supervising younger ones
- What to do when a child expected at your club has not arrived and the school cannot account for them
Who this course is for
- Breakfast club, after-school club and holiday club staff, including those new to childcare
- Volunteers and seasonal holiday scheme staff
- Club leaders and managers responsible for registration, ratios and handovers
- Schools, private providers, childminders and community groups that run clubs
How it works
- OnlineStudy on any device and pick up where you left off.
- 6 short lessonsAbout 45 minutes in total.
- 10-question assessmentPass mark 80%. Resit as many times as you need.
- CertificateIssued when you pass. NFAQ accredited.
Training your team
Clubs often rely on part-time and seasonal staff, so it helps when everyone on shift knows the same collection, allergy and safeguarding routines. Choose the number of learners at checkout, with group rates from 3 learners, or get it as part of the Training Portal for £5 per learner per month. It pairs well with Safeguarding for Childcare Practitioners (Level 2) and Allergen Awareness (Level 2).
Frequently asked questions
Do early years rules apply to reception children in our club?
Partly. The early years safeguarding and welfare requirements still apply to them, such as safer recruitment, child protection, suitable premises and managing medicines. The learning and development requirements are disapplied for wraparound and holiday provision, so you do not have to teach them.
What ratio does our club need to work to?
It depends on your registration category, the ages you care for and any conditions on your certificate. Around one adult to eight children is commonly used for three to seven-year-olds, but the course shows you how to verify the ratio that applies to your own club.
I’m new to childcare. Is this course suitable?
Yes. It is written for people who have come into club work from other backgrounds, and it starts with the basics of where your duties come from and who to go to.
Can older children help look after younger ones?
They can help with things like setting up snack or running a game, but they must never supervise other children, count in ratios, take children to the toilet or carry responsibility for safety.
What happens if I don’t pass the assessment?
You can resit it as many times as you need until you pass. Your certificate is issued as soon as you reach the 80% pass mark.
Will this help at Ofsted?
Ofsted does not approve training providers. Your certificate is evidence that the training was completed and can go on your staff training records.
