Creating beloved memories is one of the greatest parts of our childhood. It is important to fill the scrapbook of your mind with events and moments that will remain long-lasting within our memories as they contribute to future decisions, future relationships and future life experiences. At School of Play, we want to provide as many experiences for the children to add to the scrapbook in their developing minds. From being involved in their first sport to creating their first art piece, we want to make that experience the greatest it can be, allowing the memory to be positive and unforgettable.
Our Core Values are an unwavering guide to fulfilling our goals and consistently going above and beyond for everyone within our community. These values are intimately connected to the vision and mission of our company and are an important foundational element from which employee behaviour and actions will follow. We have built a supportive, fun, and creative family environment within our team and feel lucky to be able to watch that become apparent in the developing relationships within our settings. Whether you are an original member of the School of Play family, or you are coming to join us for the first time, we are excited to share our goals and grow as a team with you by our side!
Everything we do comes from the heart. We work with a purpose and passion and believe in our vision of creating a nurturing world designed to inspire every child within it. The excellent standards of care we provide stem from how much our staff care about each child’s wellbeing, safety, and happiness, inside and outside the club. We assist the children in developing a passion for learning through play, creativity, and imagination. We believe that passion is energy and that continuing to carry that energy throughout the children’s lives will allow them to always strive for the best!
We are always extremely attentive to detail. We believe how we do anything is how we will do everything, so ensuring the simple tasks are done to a high standard plays an important role in delivering the same standards with our greater responsibilities, such as providing exceptional care to all the children attending our clubs. Over the last 5 years, along with our sister company School of Sport, we have built and developed the trust of hundreds of parents across Manchester. We are continuously striving to improve the service we offer by obtaining regular feedback from children and parents, which is then reviewed and implemented at our weekly team meetings and monthly training sessions.
We pride ourselves on working together as a team, to deliver the best possible service to all the children within our care. Our dedicated staff have a great understanding of where their strengths lie and they are always working to ensure a collaborative mindset is embraced to achieve successful results. We want the children to understand the benefits of teamwork and hope they begin to implement this important life skill into their schoolwork and social interactions.
We believe in creativity and the great impact it can have on a child’s enjoyment regarding their learning and development. That is why at School of Play, we challenge convention to spark the children’s innovation. Our team regularly discusses new and unique ideas that will enhance their childcare methods. Therefore, the children will progress and develop positively within our Breakfast, After School and Holiday clubs. Providing a creative environment and innovating their fantastic and inspired ideas is a key to initiating that first step towards developing something amazing!
We encourage all of our team to be leaders through their actions, whether they have the title or not. The greatest leaders set examples through how brilliantly they work and how impeccably they behave. They show emotion, energy, and passion in every area of their lives. They are radiant optimists even in the most challenging of times.
We believe it is our duty to go the extra mile for everyone within our community. Our company caters to each child’s preferences to ensure they are constantly engaged within our care and we pride ourselves on the unique activities we offer at no extra cost to our parents. We run various interactive shows, workshops, and events throughout the school year; these have previously included creepy crawly shows, mad science, magic, lacrosse, yoga, ultimate frisbee, American football, fencing, plus many more. It is also important to note that School of Play is a technology-free zone, which we believe creates a social environment that the children will love and thrive in.
We know that children are the future; they will be the change-makers, future leaders and the key to a better and brighter world. Sometimes all a child needs is an opportunity and we aim to provide that for them with continued support. Finding purpose and building a vision for each child is something of great importance to us and working with them to fulfil their potential is one of the most gratifying parts of our job. Not only does this allow us to get to know the children as individuals, but it also assists in preparing them for what might lay ahead, in their school and professional lives.
Above anything else, we want each child to have fun at our clubs. We know that learning through play has to be engaging, exciting and enjoyable to ensure that every child looks forward to spending their time with us. By offering a range of unique and captivating workshops, activities and interactive shows, we aim to spark the children’s imagination allowing a short escape from schoolwork to have FUN, FUN, FUN!
Our surroundings have a great deal of influence over us. They can have a psychological impact on our moods, attitudes, and behaviours.
At School of Play, we aim to provide an environment where children can have fun together but also feel safe and secure. Encouraging social interaction that develops into friendships is something we believe is key to creating a friendly and welcoming atmosphere.
Through friendships, children develop confidence, and this confidence can ultimately transpire into other areas of their lives, inside and outside of school. Our staff focus a great deal on the social aspect of our clubs by always keeping well informed about the children’s individual interactions. It is paramount to us that every child stays involved and feels a part of our family!
We only recruit individuals with a genuine passion for childcare and whose core values align with ours. Our detailed interview process determines whether a candidate is the right attitudinal fit before considering their qualifications, skills, or experience.
Our dynamic team provides the perfect blend of enthusiasm, experience, skill and personality to ensure every child in our care enjoys their experience.
Between them, our current employees have over 40 years of experience working in various childcare settings, including nurseries, playgroups, and other out of school clubs. We believe a strong team enables us to deliver a consistently high level of service day in day out.
All of our employees hold an up-to-date Enhanced DBS, Paediatric First Aid, Safeguarding Children, FGM Awareness, Prevent Radicalisation, and Manual Handling. In line with Ofsted guidelines, over 50% of our team have a minimum Level 2 Childcare qualification or above.
Our company supports a balanced and healthy lifestyle. We believe fuelling children with the right nutrition will keep them bursting with energy throughout the day. We offer nutritious snacks that the children will love alongside encouraging sports and outdoor play. Keeping active is just as important as the food we fuel our body with, so engaging the children in exciting physical activity is key.
Legally we are required to have at least one paediatric first aid trained member of staff at each of our settings, but here at School of Play, we don’t take any chances. What if the designated first aider was at the toilet or they can’t get there quick enough? That’s why 100% of our staff are paediatric first aid trained.
We are also legally required to update their skills every three years, but we go beyond that and ensure our team take a two-day renewal every two years. Anyone new to our team that has not taken a course within the last 2 years will be required to attend a 2-day course within the first month of their employment.
When it comes to any of our training, we only use the best! The company responsible for providing all our team with ‘life-saving, quality first aid training’ is MCR First Aid Training. They are a 5-star rated company that provides award-winning first aid training and safeguarding children courses.
We are a fully Ofsted registered wraparound childcare provider, and along with our sister brand School of Sport, we have built the trust of hundreds of parents over the last 4 years.
“Our 4 year old has been going to after school club since September and he absolutely loves it! He settled in so quickly and always comes out with a smile on his face. The activities have been varied.. science shows, treasure hunts, crafts and games and he’s looking forward to the upcoming creepy-crawly show! The staff are brilliant at what they do! Whenever we come to pick him up, it’s always ‘too soon’ which says all you need to know about how much fun he’s having! Everyone is so enthusiastic, encouraging and friendly and they often go out of their way to say hello, even on the days he’s not attending. This seems a small thing but it makes a huge difference and really gives a sense of belonging, which during this strange time is so needed. Any queries we’ve had have always been responded to really quickly and everyone is so helpful. We couldn’t ask for more and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend!”
– Stephanie (Google Review)
Tapestry builds a very special record of your child’s experiences, development and learning journey through early years and primary education. Using photos, videos and diary entries, our staff, along with parents, can weave the story of a child and how they are growing and developing. The Tapestry platform then works seamlessly to enable these memories to be kept as a permanent record of each child’s unique journey.
All information held in the platform is stored securely and can be downloaded and shared as required. Parents are able to view online their child’s progress and how much fun they’re having, whilst also uploading their own comments and media. This service comes at no extra cost to our parents, if you wish to set up an account for your child at Urmston Primary School, simply email our setting leader, and she will be happy to get you started katy@schoolofplay.org.uk
Click the Tapestry logo to login to your account.