School-age childcare: information for parents
School age childcare (SAC) refers to childcare for children who have reached compulsory school age (4-11 years old), typically before school, after school, and during school holidays. This is different from out of school activities or school clubs, which may be occasional, short term, or less frequent. It plays a crucial role in supporting children’s development, enabling parents to work or study, and ensuring accessible support for families.
All childcare providers should ensure provision is accessible for all children. This includes children with SEND and children considered to be vulnerable. Schools and providers should consider the individual needs of the pupils who will be accessing the provision and make sure the provision is inclusive.
Schools and providers should ensure that SAC is enjoyable and engaging, offering an environment children want to attend.
The school-age childcare lead for Derbyshire is Claire Colson, Early Years and Childcare Sufficiency Manager in the Early Years Service.
Wraparound care
Wraparound childcare is before and after school childcare for primary school aged children in England. The provision typically runs from around 8am until 6pm, during term time, either on a school site or another local setting such as a community centre, a nursery, or a childminder. This is different from out-of-school activities, or school clubs, which are less frequent and can be a one-off activity.
Right to request
If wraparound childcare is not currently available to you, you can request that your child’s school consider setting up wraparound childcare for your child if they don’t already provide it.
The following link provides further information regarding this Wraparound childcare - Best Start in Life
Free breakfast clubs
From April 2026 the government began introducing a free, universal breakfast club scheme to support primary school children and their families. The clubs will provide food and run for a minimum of 30 minutes, helping to ensure pupils start every day ready to learn and, in turn, improving behaviour, attendance, and attainment.
For a full list of Derbyshire schools who have been accepted onto the programme, please click here. This is part of a phased national roll out which will see free breakfast clubs in every primary school in England in due course.
More detailed information about the breakfast club scheme, including how it works and how it may benefit your family, is available here.
Holiday activities and food programme (HAF)
The holiday activities and food (HAF) programme, known locally in Derbyshire as ‘It’s About Me’, provides support to children from low-income families during the Easter, Summer and Christmas holiday periods.
The HAF programme provides free nutritious meals, enriching activities and safe environments for eligible children, benefiting their health, wellbeing and learning.
For more information, please click here
Finding school-age childcare
If you are looking for school-age childcare for your primary aged child, the first step is to speak to your child’s school who will have local knowledge about school-age childcare available in your area. You can also use the Families Information Service (FIS) ‘search for childcare’ tool for further support.
- Email: info.fis@derbyshire.gov.uk
- Telephone: 01629 535793 (Monday–Friday, 9am–5pm)
- FIS Facebook page
Support with school-age childcare costs