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Resources

This section contains links to other useful organisations or information sources. These links are reviewed regularly, but because of the unregulated nature of the internet, we cannot take responsibility for the content of the external links. All links open in a new window.

If you find a broken link, or want to suggest a link that we should include, please contact .

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Strategic guidance

Early Years Foundation Stage
The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) Statutory Framework, EYFS Practice Guidance and EYFS Principles into Practice cards are essential information for any out of school setting that caters for early years children (ie up to the end of the Reception year). You can download all of the above information from the Department for Education website:
www.education.gov.uk

ContinYou
ContinYou provides support for schools and children's centres in developing their extended schools services. On their website you can find case studies and reports, plus lots of sample job descriptions, consultation questionnaires, policies etc from other extended schools settings. www.continyou.org.uk

4Children
4Children works with Government and local authorities to ensure joined up support for all children and young people in their local community. Their website provides high level information and guidance about childcare in extended schools.
www.4children.org.uk

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Practical advice and ideas

Play England
Play England is one of the leading publishers of play news, information and research. Its free resources include reports, good practice guidance, policy summaries and newsletters. These cover a range of topics from play and health to open space.
www.playengland.org.uk

Play Wales
Play Wales is the national charity for children's play. It provides advice and guidance to support all those who have an interest in, or responsibility for providing for children's play so that one day Wales will be a place where we recognise and provide well for every child's play needs.
www.playwales.org.uk

Play Scotland
Play Scotland works to promote the importance of play for all children and young people, and campaigns to create increased play opportunities in the community.
www.playscotland.org

Safe Network
Safe Network is jointly managed by the NSPCC and Children England and provides information and resources regarding child safeguarding issues to community and voluntary groups.
www.safenetwork.org.uk

Fairplay for Children
Fair Play for Children is a charity which promotes a child's right to play. It lobbies for change in government policy and practice, provides advice on play-related issues, and brings playworkers, other professionals, organisations and activists together to share information, experiences and resources.
www.fairplayforchildren.org

KIDS / Playwork Inclusion Project
KIDS is a charity which works to promote inclusive play and childcare through its Playwork Inclusion Project (PIP). PIP provides support, training, consultancy and a wide range of resources to help organisations deliver inclusive play and childcare for children with disabilities.
www.kids.org.uk

Day Care Trust
The Day Care Trust provides help and advice to parents looking for childcare, including out of school care. They have a particularly useful factsheet for parents which explains what help is available towards childcare costs, covering the childcare element of Working Tax Credit as well as childcare vouchers and salary sacrifice schemes. This could be very useful to print out and give to parents at your club.
Help with childcare costs for working parents (factsheet)
www.payingforchildcare.org.uk
www.daycaretrust.org.uk

Stonewall's Education For All campaign
Out of school clubs need to be welcoming to all children, whatever their race, religion or sexual orientation. Stonewall provides a range of guidance, information, posters etc on how to tackle homophobic bullying and promote inclusion.
www.stonewall.org.uk/education_for_all/resources

School's Out
School's Out provides a support network for all people who want to raise the issue of homophobia, transphobia and heterosexism in education. They have some information on tackling homophobic bullying, as well as a telephone helpline.
www.schools-out.org.uk

Open Family Services
OpenFamilyServices is a national online directory of accredited family services, information, child care and positive activities including out of school clubs. The information comes directly from participating Local Authorities across England.
www.openfamilyservices.org.uk

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Training and qualifications

Teaching Agency
The new Teaching Agency took over CWDC's responsibility for publishing the qualifications List for those delivering the Early Years Foundation Stage from the start of April 2012. This tells you which qualifications you need for certain job roles, or which job roles you are qualified for if you hold a particular qualification.
www.education.gov.uk/eypqd/qualification-search

SkillsActive
SkillsActive works across the UK leading the development of playwork education and training for all those working with children and young people. It works with suppliers of vocational education to meet the skills and training needs of the sector.
www.skillsactive.com/playwork

National Extension College
The National Extension College (NEC) provides distance learning courses for a wide range of childcare qualifications.
www.nec.ac.uk/childcare