Welcome to the Sessional Care Information Pages
Introduction
The Government is committed to promoting the welfare and development of all young children. Children who receive good quality early years education and care stand a better chance of achieving higher grades in school and having better employment opportunities later on in life.
The Government is also determined that all childcare services provide a safe environment for children so that parents can have confidence that their children are well looked after. To make sure that all childcare provision is of good quality the Government introduced the National Standards for Under 8s Daycare and Childminding
What is Sessional Childcare
Sessional care is intended to cover provision which offers children part-time care and the opportunity to engage in activities with other children. An example of sessional care is playgroups.
Sessional Care is defined by the Offices for Standards in Education (OfSTED) as being care which is provided in facilities where children under 8 attend day care for no more than 5 sessions a week, each session being less than a continuous period of 4 hours in any day. Where 2 sessions are offered in any one day, there is a break between sessions with no children in the care of the provider.
Who works in sessional care?
Pre-School /Playgroup Leaders - work in pre-schools and playgroup settings. These can be full day or for part of the day e.g. for two hour sessions. Playgroup Leaders supervise staff, plan a programme of activities for the children and report to the pre-school committee.
If you would like more information about the qualifications you need to work as a pre-school/playgroup leader click here.
Pre-School /Playgroup Assistants
Work in the same type of settings as the pre-school leader however, as a pre-school assistant you will work under the supervision of the Pre-School leader.
If you would like more information about the qualifications you need to work as a pre-school/playgroup assistant click here.
Want more information? Why not...
- Use the search facility
- Look on the document list for checklists, forms, tables, policies etc
- Get an expert's opinion on the expert direct forum
- Or find out if another provider of sessional care in the region may have useful information or experience on the provider's forum
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