Where is the club based?

Smiles of Quorn is based in the village, just a healthy walk away from St.Bartholomew's Church of England Primary School, within the newly refurbished, modern and fantastic facilities at The Deep End, Rawlins Academy.

Do you offer school pick up/drop off?

Yes! Smiles of Quorn offer drop off and pick up from St.Bartholomew's Church of England Primary School.

Do you accept childcare vouchers?

Yes! Wherever possible we will always try to accept childcare vouchers, please talk to us to check that we are able to accept vouchers from your childcare voucher schemes and to allow us time to register with the required schemes.

What is the cost of a session?

The current fees per session are:

- Breakfast session Mon to Fri - £6.50 per session (includes breakfast)

- After School session Mon to Thurs - £10.75 per session (includes a snack)

- After School session Fri- £12.25 per session (includes a snack)

Do you take the children out for trips?

Yes! At Smiles of Quorn we believe in providing fun and safe activities for the children to engage in. To make this possible, all children will have the opportunity to participate in local trips within the village, with prior consent from their parent/carer, allowing the children to play and explore different areas and participate in a wider range of activities. Examples of local trips include stopping at the Quorn cricket pitch en-route to club, visiting the ice cream van or trips to the park.

Do my children have access to an outdoor play area?

Yes! At Smiles of Quorn, we have great outdoor facilities which we feel benefits the children greatly. Children have use of a range of outdoor facilities whilst at Smiles which includes large grass fields, a 3G football pitch and an amazing outdoor den building and woodland area.

Who is your registered body?

We are registered with Ofsted on the Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register and Voluntary Childcare Register as an out of school club to provide Childcare on Non-Domestic Premises.

For more information please see our Ofsted information page here.

How do I register my child at your setting?

You can register your interest in a place at our club for your child using our online form. If you have any questions about the registration process, please contact us and we will be more than happy to help.

What activities do you offer?

As a breakfast and after school club we follow the Playwork Principles, offering the children a free choice and independence whilst still providing a range of adult led activities. Children will have the opportunity to engage in a range of activities including arts and crafts, construction, small world play, sports, quiet areas, book clubs, board games, literacy and numeracy zones, karaoke, dance, yoga and mindfulness. Children also have access to outstanding outdoor facilities with courts, fields and a den building area. We are always taking on board children’s comments and any suggestions to ensure all children enjoy the activities we have to offer.

Is the club run directly by the school or by a separate organisation?

Whilst the club is run as a separate organisation to St. Bartholomew’s Church of England Primary School, we do enjoy a close working relationship in order to ensure continuity of care, and to maintain good communication links. The club is based just a short healthy walk away from St. Bartholomew’s Primary School, within the newly refurbished, modern and fantastic facilities at The Deep End, Rawlins Academy. At Smiles we see this walk to and from school as a great positive, not only with the obvious health benefits for young children, but we also note the importance of the children not feeling that the club is a continuation of their school day, and that the change of setting helps welcome the children into the relaxed and safe environment where they can play and socialise.

Are all your staff DBS checked?

All staff and regular volunteers at Smiles of Quorn are subject to robust safe recruitment checks prior to starting at the club which includes a satisfactory enhanced DBS check.

Can I book for ad hoc sessions?

Smiles of Quorn offer occasional ad hoc sessions for children who are already registered and attend the club on a regular basis only. These sessions are charged at normal rates to families and are subject to availability.

How far in advance do I need to book my child in?

Once you have booked your child into the club for a number of sessions, we then require four term time weeks’ notice of any changes in attendance or to terminate the contract and leave the club. At the end of each academic year, you will be given the chance to re-book your child’s sessions for the next academic year.

How will you help my child settle in?

We encourage you and your child to visit the club before your child's first day at Smiles. This gives your child the opportunity to look around the club and ask any questions. It also gives you the opportunity to complete the necessary paperwork for registration with the club if this has not yet been done. We also hold an open day before the start of each new academic year, a chance for new families to come and meet the team, familiarise themselves with the setting and help the children settle in. During your child’s first session time will be set aside for an induction. The induction will include running through the club rules and routines (including meal times, collection, children’s meetings), and introducing your child to the staff and other children. Another child will usually be allocated to act as your child’s buddy for the first few sessions. See our Child Induction Policy for more details.

What childcare or play work qualifications do your staff hold?

Rachel holds a Level 3 NVQ in Childcare and Learning Development. A number of staff have also completed a Level 3 Diploma in Childcare. All staff are trained in basic safeguarding and Prevent duty, and continue to develop professionally at the club as they complete regular ongoing training to ensure all our staff have suitable skills and experience to offer high quality care for all our children. Our manager holds a wide range of qualifications relevant to looking after children including designated safeguarding lead, paediatric fist aid, child behaviour, speech and language, provision management and forest school

What are your adult:child ratios?

The legal Ofsted requirement for adult:children ratios for our club are the same ratios set for a class of 30 children. It is for providers to determine how many staff are needed to ensure the safety and welfare of children, bearing in mind the type of activity and the age and needs of the children. We always endeavour to work to a ratio of 1:8 for children in foundation stage (early years) and a maximum of 1:10 for in KS1 and KS2 when we are on site at the club. We operate with slightly different ratios when we are all as one group walking to and from the club. Our adult to child ratio goes above and beyond the expectations set out by our regulatory body. These ratios, we feel, allow our club to operate safely at all times and enable us to meet our aim to recognise each child as an individual with many diverse talents and skills and put them at the heart of all we do.

Do you provide breakfast and snacks?

Yes! Here at Smiles we understand the importance of healthy eating therefore we provide a healthy choice of breakfast and snacks for the children and always make fresh fruit, salad and vegetables available. Breakfast options include a variety of cereals, toast, crumpets, pancakes and waffles. In the afternoon, children enjoy snacks such as tomato pasta with garlic bread, toasted bagels with cream cheese, freshly baked baguettes with a range of fillings - just to name a few examples!

Can you accommodate special dietary requirements?

Yes, we will always meet individual dietary requirements and parental preferences wherever possible.

How do I collect my child and can I pick them up at any time?

Parents and carers can collect their child from the after school club at any time up until 5:30pm. All children must be signed out by 5:30pm. Only people listed on the registration as a parent/carer or an emergency contact, and who are 16 years of age or older, can collect a child. If you require somebody else to collect your child form the club, you must contact us in advance so the correct procedure can be followed.

Can my child also attend an extra curricular club after school?

Unfortunately, we cannot return to St Bartholomew’s and collect your child after a extra curricular club at the school. However, if your child is interested in a club or group activity based on the Rawlins Academy site after school during our hours, for example Mayes Dance and Gymnastics Academy, we are normally able to drop them off to this club for you. Please contact us to discuss this and make the necessary arrangements.

Do I need to tell you if my child won’t be attending?

Yes! Please remember that we need to know if your child will not be attending the club for any reason. Even if you have informed your child’s school, you still need to notify us as the school does not automatically pass this information on to us.

What sanctions does your club use for inappropriate behaviour?

At Smiles, we promote an atmosphere of care, consideration and respect for everyone attending: children, staff and visitors.

Children and staff work together to create rules for acceptable behaviour whilst at Smiles - our ‘Smiles Code’. These are displayed at the club for everyone to see. We reward and champion positive behaviour, for example through the use of Class Dojo to record 'Golden Points'. We also procedures for dealing with unacceptable behaviour in the unlikely event that this becomes an issue using the 'Three Cs'. We recognise that poor behaviour can occur from time to time for reasons that are not always evident. We will try to be flexible in order to accommodate such cases.