As part of developing safeguarding practices across Luton a Department for Education funded project role is now taking place to look at out of school provisions across Luton in which Luton children may attend out of school hours.
Keeping children safe in out-of-school settings
Information for providers, parents and carers on keeping children safe in community activities, after-school clubs, tuition, sports training and other out-of-school settings.
Keeping children safe – GOV.UK
Many children attend out of schools settings and activities, such as arts, language, music and sports and religion. As part of developing safeguarding practices across Luton a Department for Education (DfE) funded project role is now taking place to look at out of school provisions across Luton in which Luton children may attend out of school hours.
This is part of a whole systems approach to ensure that all children are appropriately safeguarded and protected from the risk of harm.
Schools and childcare provisions are regulated under child protection and childcare legislation and are subject to inspection. These legal powers are not the same for out of school settings.
What an out of school setting is
When referring to out of schools settings this refers to an institution which provides tuition, training instruction or activities that take place without parents and carers supervision that is not:
- a schools
- a college
- a 16 to 19 academy16 to 19 academy
- providing care for children and is Ofsted registered or a childminding agency
The following is a non exhaustive list of what is considered to be an OOSS:
- tuition or learning centres (which may be used to support mainstream or home education) for example:
- in term time or holiday courses in key stage 1 to 4 curriculum
- English and mathematics skills
- examination preparation (ie SATs, GCSE, A Level and 11 plus/school entry exams)
- extracurricular clubs or settings eg ballet classes, gymnastic training, sports tuition, instrumental music tuition, martial arts training, drama classes
- uniformed youth organisations eg Scouts and Guides
- pen access youth providers access youth providers eg centre-based and detached youth work
- supplementary schools or what are sometimes called complementary schools eg those offering support or education in addition to the mainstream, or core learning, and which operate after school hours or during the weekend
- private language schools, including those for children coming from abroad
- religious settings which offer education in their own faith, culture, religious texts, preparation for rites of passage etc – for example, Jewish yeshivas and cheder, Muslim madrassas, Hindu OOSS, Sikh OOSS, Christian Sunday schools
Share information about an out of school activitiy or provider
Training
Online safeguarding training can be accessed through the local safeguarding board training unit as long as it is completed within the set time period. Ensure you read the terms and conditions carefully.
An awareness of the Prevent duty is an important part of safeguarding. Training will support implementation in practice.
Go to WRAP online – a workshop to raise awareness of Prevent.
The NSPCC have updated their resources and information for keeping children safe within the voluntary and community sector. For more information and to access NSPCC's resources, training and policy writing guides, please visit their Voluntary and community groups webpage.