What childcare options are available for parents?
As the new academic year kicks off, many parents will be turning their thoughts to school applications for next year. Others maybe looking into childcare options and returning to work. There are many different types of childcare available than the local nursery down the road.
Nanny
A nanny works for a family on a live-in or live-out basis. Their job is to take care of the children in their home environment and take on household jobs allocated to them. They do not need any formal training, but are likely to have hands-on experience.
Mother’s Help
A mother’s help works alongside mothers in the home with childcare and housework. They don’t usually have sole charge of children, functioning more as an extra pair of hands. Unlikely to have formal qualifications other than their own hands-on experience.
Au Pair
An au pair comes from outside the UK and lives with a host family. They usually take on some childcare responsibilities as well as some housework and receive a personal allowance. Au pairs are supposed to work part time and subject to government restrictions.
Childminder
Ofsted registered childminders work from their home to provide childcare for other people’s children. Childminders must register with Ofsted and pass police and social services checks. They can provide more flexibility for working parents than nurseries which operate in sessions.
Sure Start Centre
Some Sure Start Centres offer sessional childcare.
Playgroup
A playgroup is Ofsted registered childcare usually run by a committee of parents on a voluntary rota basis. The groups are usually sessional for 2-3 hours term time only and for children aged between 3-5 years. Playgroups usually meet in community spaces such as church halls and leisure centres.
Private Nursery
A private nursery provides day care for children from around birth to five years. Most operate in morning and afternoon sessions and are open from 7.30am until 6pm. Currently, children are entitled to an Nursery Education Grant (NEG) allowing them 15 hours of free childcare from the term following their third birthday. This can be used at most private nurseries. The NEG entitlement is for all children aged 3-4 years for 15 hours of the week, 38 weeks of the year until the child reaches statutory school age.
Nursery school
A nursery school is usually part of a larger primary school, offering children their free 15 hours a week. It gives children the opportunity of being part of a wider school environment.
Infant School
Infant school is where children start their eduction. They are for children aged from four years to seven years. Children starting reception usually start part time for the first month. This is the final year of the Early Years Foundation. School is compulsory for children in the term following their fifth birthday.
Junior School
Junior school takes children through their compulsory education until the age of eleven.
Primary School
A school with a combined infants and juniors.
Breakfast Club and After School Club
Breakfast club and after school club extends the school day for parents needing wraparound care.
Home Education
Whilst education is compulsory for children of school age, attending a school is not. Parents can choose to home educate their children. It is legal is England and parents do not need to have any special qualifications. There is no financial help or rebate offered for parents choosing to take this option. Home educators do not need to follow the national curriculum and can set their own course of study.
Flexi-Schooling
This is where a child attends a school part time and continues to be home educated. It is entirely at a school’s discretion whether a child may attend part time.
Secondary School
For children aged eleven to 16 years of age, this is where they continue and finish their formal education. When young people reach the age of 16 years, they can choose whether to continue in sixth form, college or further education leading to university. Secondary school follows key stage three and four of the national curriculum.
Private School
Private schools or independent schools are funded by fee paying parents and not subject to government control. Parents choose private schools due to apparent learning quality, a religious affiliation, single sex, or a slant towards arts, theatre or other subject area.
Private Tuition
Parents feeling their struggling children could do with some additional help outside of school hours can hire a private tutor.
Montessori
The Montessori method sees the child as a learner who needs the most amount of freedom to learn and develop. Montessori schools allow the child the independence to learn rather than traditional schools where children learn from teachers.
Steiner
In Steiner schools, children start their formal learning – such as reading and numbers – between the ages of six and seven years. Before then the emphasis is on developing the whole child, languages, creativity and hands on learning activities such as gardening.