Out of School Services

Out of School Services may be provided by a variety of centres or groups:

• Childminders
• Community Groups
• Day-care/Créche Centres
• Family Resource Centres
• Schools
• Pre-School Service Providers

What types of Out of School Service are there?

There is a wide variety of Out of School Services and they are organised in many different ways and settings. The most common types of service available include:

• A setting where children can play and are cared for in a safe, secure play based environment.
• Mixed environments where children can play, do homework and are supported in all activities.

Play Centred Service

• Research has shown that play is an essential need of all children and those children who have not had the opportunity to express themselves through play may not develop all the skills needed to reach their full potential.
• Play is fundamentally involved in the creation of survival skills and developmental learning.A rticle 31 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the child, clearly sets out the child's right to "engage in play, and recreational activities appropriate to the age of the child".
• An Out of School Service should be meeting the individual needs of each child in a variety of ways. Those delivering the service should seek the views of all children and parents in order to ensure they have sufficient input into the programme.

Service Providing Homework Facility

• While the emphasis should be on providing a recreational, relaxed environment, one must acknowledge the fact that older children may need to do their homework. If childre n and parents indicate that a homework facility would be helpful, the opportunity should be available in order to ensure that the children do not feel pressured either fro m their home or school. If a Homework facility is provided within the service then support should be available for the children should they need this.
• Staff in the services providing this homework facility should work in close collaboration with teachers from local schools. This is particularly useful for older children where they may not otherwise have the facilities or opportunities to complete their homework in a quiet environment. The group should provide an atmosphere that is conductive to learning, a space for work and, as far as possible, relevant materials to support their study. They should also provide opportunities for recreational activities in order for children to relax and develop in other areas.

Mixed Environments

• Many would agree that the after school environment is best organised to include facilitation of appropriate play opportunities and the completion of homework. The ISPCC warns against the provision of educational tasks that expect "continual or prolonged concentration" in out of school settings. They advise a "balance of activities".
• The service should respond positively to the needs of the children involved. The environment should be organised to create a variety of opportunities for children, suitable to their age, ability and stage of development. Separate a reas should be set aside for homework and quieter activities, in addition to more active pursuits and games. Furniture should take account of the growing physical development of children and a combination of comfortable and more formal furnishings should be p rovided in adult and child sizes.
• The ethos here should be a combination of educational activities, homework completion and encouraging and developing the ability of children to engage in social and creative activities with their peers.
• As with all out of school services, children should be empowered to make their own decisions, express their own needs and take responsibility for their own actions in an environment structured in a flexible way to meet the needs of an entire age group of children, taking into account individual capabilities, and how best to encourage exploration, investigation and emergent skills.

An out of school service is provided and takes responsibility for children when they are not in the school setting, e.g before school, after school, during school holidays.

Out of School Services should be fully staffed and operate on the basis of an agreement between parents/carers and staff, which includes the hours/days that the children will attend and the type of programme offered.

The National Children's Nurseries Association has published an informative book on Out of School provision in the Republic of Ireland entitled "After School the Way Forward". In this it is suggested that the aim of any Out of School service and a good indicator of quality may include "Providing for the needs of children, including play, safety and security, personal, nutritional, behavioural, recreational, leisure and educational".

Points to remember...

• Children may need to be collected after school by the service organisers.
• Children need to be given a substantial snack on arrival at the Out of School Service from where they are collected by parents/carers.
• In the case of Breakfast Services, staff should provide a nutritious breakfast, activities, and then a staff member/service organiser escort the children to school.
• At least one member of staff with a current, valid First- Aid Certificate should be on the premises during opening hours.
• All Out of School Services should have written policy statements and procedural guidelines that have been drawn up in conjunction with staff, parents and childre n . A copy of these should be made available to all.
• Staff should have a qualification that gives an understanding of the process of play in addition to training that addresses dealing with parents, supervisory/management skills, and be physically and emotionally able to care for young people, their welfare and development.
• Adults should view themselves as facilitators for the children, offering assistance, advice and support when needed. They should act as positive role models and strike a balance between being involved with the children without being intrusive and making themselves available to the children at all times.
• All children should be treated with fairness and consistency. Adults need to recognise and respect the values and beliefs which result from the child's cultural, ethnic and religious background.