Purpose

Childcare provider JPAC, have submitted 2 x
funding applications through the wraparound childcare programme to
set up new wraparound childcare provision providing after school
childcare at Coit and St. Mary’s primary schools.  Each school is to host a 60
place breakfast and afterschool club run by JPAC. The
provision at St Mary’s will also be opened up to other primary schools in the High Green
area and children will be transported by walking bus. Sheffield
City Council has received wraparound programme funding to
allocate to schools and providers to increase the amount of
wraparound care. These new provisions will commence delivery by
April 2026 or sooner dependant on when Ofsted registration and
staff arrangements are complete.

Content

That a 2 x grant
payments of £90,000 each be made to Wraparound
Childcare provider JPAC Ltd as a one-off payment to deliver:
• a new 60 place wraparound childcare
service on site at Coit Primary School (£90,000).
• A new 60 place wraparound provision at
St Mary’s school High Green (£90,000).
The grant will be subject to a legally binding
funding agreement.

Reasons for the decision

Sheffield City Council is delivering the
Government’s Wraparound programme, to increase the amount of
wraparound childcare for parents of primary aged children. Plans
for delivery of the wraparound programme were approved at Education
Children and Families Policy Committee on 8 February 2024. There is
currently no wraparound provision at the schools but surveys have established that there is a
high level of demand from parents. The schools have both determined
that they would like to work with an on-site provider and selected
JPAC to deliver. The provision at St Mary’s will be open to
families attending 2 other High Green primary schools where there
is not sufficient demand to set up their own provision. This
reputable provider has long standing experience in delivering good
quality wraparound care for several schools in Sheffield. The grant
funding will help with set up and delivery costs until the
provision becomes financially sustainable.

Alternative options considered

Options were: a)
Allocation of full funding request (£2000 per place-
£120,000 per provision), b) Refusal of application or c)
Approval with reduced funding allocation.
Option C reduced allocation based on average
costs of £1500 per place was selected. Option A was rejected
in order to ensure sufficient funding to
establish more wraparound places for other schools, option C was
rejected as the provision is needed.