KOOSA Kids After School Club FAQs

Booking your after school club sessions is very easy! Simply log into your account and follow the easy to navigate bookings steps. If you are using KOOSA Kids for the first time, you will need to register an account and provide us with all the relevant information requested. You will only have to do this once. 

Alternatively, please call us on 01276 21884 and we will be happy to register your account and take your booking over the phone. You can contact us by phone from 9.30am to 6.00pm, Monday to Friday. Bookings can be made up to 6pm the working day before you need them or, if you require childcare on a more permanent basis, we can set up an agreement for you to guarantee your sessions each week. Click here for more information.

During After School Club sessions, a member of the KOOSA Kids team will sign the child in when they arrive from school by documenting the time. Parents can collect their child at a time that suits them, any time during the after school club session and by 6pm at the latest. A late fee may be charged if children are collected after 6pm. See our Terms & Conditions for further details.

All children have to be signed out of the club at the end of the session. Children on the Compulsory and Voluntary Ofsted Childcare Registers can be signed out by an older sibling, as long as they are at least 14 - 17 years old and KOOSA Kids have prior written consent from the Child’s legal guardian. The child’s legal guardian or another named adult can of course also sign a child out.

Children on the EYFS Ofsted register have to be collected and signed out by one of the adults that have been named as a ‘permitted collector’ in the child ‘All About Me EYFS’ pack.

In all cases, the person collecting must be able to produce the unique ID number related to your child's booking for that day.

Your unique ID code is your booking reference, a 6-digit code starting with KK, which you can find on your booking confirmation. Please note, booking references change with each booking. If you hold a Permanent Places Agreement, your booking reference will change each half term.

Please note, only children aged 10 years or over are permitted to sign themselves out of an after school club with prior written consent from the child's legal guardian.

KOOSA Kids take the health and wellbeing of the children in our care, and that of our staff, extremely seriously. All our clubs will follow the clear & workable sector-specific guidance provided by the Department for Education to continue operating in a safe & Covid-Secure way. 

Below you will find some of the protective measures that will be in place across all our clubs from September:

• We have introduced greatly enhanced daily cleaning routines, including regular cleaning of frequently touched surfaces.
• We will be promoting good hygiene practices with children and staff to include frequent hand washing and adopting the 'catch it, bin it, kill it' approach.
• The activities and resources provided will be adapted for hygiene reasons and ease of cleaning.
• Where the weather allows, staff and children will spend as much time outside as possible.
• CO2 monitors will be provided to all state-funded education settings and Out of School Clubs from September 2021, so staff can quickly identify where ventilation needs to be improved. KOOSA Kids track CO2 levels and take appropriate action when required.

We will be returning to our usual (pre-COVID) collection process from September 2021, meaning parents can collect their child at a time that suits them, any time during the after school club session and by 6pm at the latest. 

A late fee may be charged if children are collected after 6pm. See our Terms & Conditions for further details.

Covid-Secure – Book with Confidence

We recognise that the past eighteen months have been extremely challenging for everyone and although we are now all experiencing a period of relative normality, we further recognise that the coming months ahead are likely to remain uncertain. With this in mind we, are pleased to introduce our Term-Time Book with Confidence guarantee. 

Until further notice, we will guarantee that you will be able to book/pay for your breakfast or after school club sessions, safe in the knowledge that if for reasons beyond our control, your chosen club is unable to open for more than 5 consecutive days, we will provide you with a credit note for any future sessions, that remain cancelled/closed.

Our normal terms and conditions will continue to apply for everything other than enforced closure due to Covid-19.

Please do not send your child in if they are unwell or showing any symptoms of COVID-19, including a fever or high temperature, a new & continuous cough or a loss, or change of, smell or taste. Please stay at home and visit www.nhs.uk for further information and advice on how to get tested.

If your child becomes ill or show symptoms of COVID-19 whilst in our care, you will be informed as soon as possible and asked to collect your child. Your child will be isolated away from other children and KOOSA Kids staff will wear appropriate PPE when required, as recommended by Public Health England.

If a child, or member of staff, tests positive for COVID-19, all relevant government and Public Health England guidance will be followed.

You are able to book your after school club sessions on a half termly basis. When the dates for the next half term have been released, simply log into your online account and you can book all the dates you require in one go, subject to availability. Alternatively, you can call us on 01276 21884 to book your sessions over the phone.

If you require the same sessions on an ongoing basis, we can set up an agreement for you which guarantees your session on an ongoing basis. Please call our Bookings Team on 01276 21884 for more information.

Yes we can! Bookings for our after school clubs can be made by 6pm the working day before you need them, or if you require childcare on an ongoing basis, for the same days each week, we can set up a ‘Permanent Places Agreement’ with you, which guarantees your child’s places every half term. Giving you peace of mind, knowing the sessions you need will always be available to you.

Please call our Bookings Team on 01276 21884 for more information.

Bookings for after school club sessions can be made up until 6pm the working day before the childcare is required, subject to availability. Bookings can be made online or by calling our Bookings Team on 01276 21884.

Unfortunately we are unable to cancel or move bookings for after school club sessions. If your child is not going to attend their booked session(s), please contact us as soon as possible so we can amend our registers and notify relevant staff.

If your child is unable to attend the club for more than 3 consecutive sessions due to sickness or injury, we can issue a credit note for the remaining missed sessions once we have received a doctor’s note confirming the sickness/injury. We are unable to issue a credit note without a doctor’s note. KOOSA Kids do not offer cash refunds for any cancellations. Credit notes are valid for a 12 month period and can be used for either holiday or term time bookings.

An optional healthy and nutritious snack will be on offer each afternoon. To minimise the handling of products, we have simplified the range on offer from September 2021 to a simple carbohydrate; either toast, crackers or crumpets with butter, and a whole piece of fruit or vegetable, e.g. a whole apple, satsuma, pear or carrot, cucumber, cherry tomatoes etc. 

If you would prefer to pack your own snacks, you are welcome to do so. We recommend a second lunchbox and to consider healthy options which will not require refrigeration or reheating.

Please provide your child with a named, refillable water bottle to use at the club and ensure they have a sun hat with them during warmer days, or warm clothing and a waterproof when the weather is cooler and more variable. Weather permitting, we will aim to go outside as much as possible.

For venue specific transfer arrangements (MPV, Walking Bus, On Foot) please see the relevant venue page. Please find below the general procedure for each transfer type: 

MPV (Multi-Purpose Vehicle) - If your child is to be collected by our MPV pick up service, your child's school will be made aware of this requirement in advance. The school will organise for your child to meet in a pre-arranged location within the school (usually the school reception) and our driver (usually a member of staff who also works with the children) will meet the children at this location. The school will take responsibility for looking after the children if there is an unforeseen delay between the end of the school day and our driver arriving to collect the children. Both the school and the driver will cross reference registers to ensure all children are accounted for and the vehicle will then go direct to the after school club. The vehicles used are seven seaters (6 children seats) and are always less than 3 years old. They are fully insured for their purpose and children are required to use booster seats to meet relevant legislation.

Walking Bus – A ‘walking bus’ refers to after school clubs where we escort the children from a nearby school to the school where the club is actually hosted. Your child’s school will be made aware that your child is due to go to KOOSA Kids and will organise for them to meet at a pre-arranged location within their school (usually the school reception). At least two members of the KOOSA Kids team will meet your children, cross reference expected attendees with the school and walk them safely to the host school. All children and staff will wear high visibility bibs to ensure they are visible at all times.

On Foot – If the after school club is located at your school, they will be made aware that your child is due to attend the after school club. For children aged 4 to 7, the class teacher or classroom assistant will usually escort the children to the after school club. Children aged 8 and over usually make their own way to the after school club. The club staff holds a register to ensure all expected attendees arrive safely at the club.

As KOOSA Kids Ltd is an Ofsted Registered childcare provider, you may be able to subsidise the cost of childcare through the following government schemes, if you are eligible: 

Working Tax Credit - Nine out of ten families could save up to 80% of childcare costs through Working Tax Credit. For more information call 0845 300 3900 or visit https://www.gov.uk/help-with-childcare-costs/approved-childcare.

The Money Saving Expert website has a very user friendly section on their website regarding ways to pay for childcare, which includes a tax credit eligibility calculator https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/family/childcare-costs

Childcare Vouchers - Childcare Vouchers allow employers to help their employees with the cost of childcare. Childcare Vouchers are exempt from National Insurance Contributions (NICs) and Income Tax for employees up to the value of £55 per week, which can mean savings of over £2000 a year for a couple who are both working. All employers are able to run a childcare voucher scheme and employers make considerable savings too. Why not ask your employer if they currently run or would be prepared to run a childcare voucher scheme. Remember KOOSA Kids also offer third child goes free and 8% weekly booking discounts. 

For further information, please see the following websites: 

https://www.gov.uk/help-with-childcare-costs 

https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/family/childcare-vouchers

There are always a minimum of two members of staff on duty at each KOOSA Kids, at all times. The legal Ofsted requirement for adult:children ratios are 1:30, however, we always endeavour to work to a ratio of 1:8 for children aged four to seven years and a maximum of 1:16 for children aged eight and over. We do not allow any care that we provide to children aged eight to 13 years to adversely affect the care provided for children less than eight years of age. This might result in the activity programme being tailored toward the EYFS curriculum where necessary.

We know that great staff make for a great club. All of our coaches possess the mixture of experience, skill and personality necessary to get the most from the children, whilst ensuring all the activities are delivered in a safe and organised manner.

All KOOSA Kids coaches are cleared with the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) and trained in safeguarding and child protection, activity delivery, behaviour management and health & safety. There will always be at least one Paediatric First Aid trained person at each club.

Although there is no legal requirement to ensure staff are qualified, KOOSA Kids believe formal qualifications play an important part in ensuring the care offered is of the highest quality as well assisting our employees Continued Professional Development.

At each KOOSA Kids club, the Regional Coordinator will always be qualified to a minimum of Level 3 in Playwork or equivalent. We endeavour to ensure that at least one other member of staff at each club holds a Level 3 in Playwork or equivalent, with the aim for 50% of the remaining staff at each club to be qualified to Level 2 in Playwork or equivalent.

KOOSA Kids are only able to accept and administer prescribed medication. If your child is likely to require prescribed medication of any sort throughout the day, please inform the site manager on arrival, who will complete the necessary paperwork. All medication should be handed to the site manager and must be in its original packaging, with the prescription label.

If your child may require emergency medication (e.g. EpiPens or hypodermic injections) whilst they are with us, we may require you to complete specific paperwork prior to your child attending. Please contact KOOSA Kids head office on 01276 21884 to inform us of your child’s requirements and to complete the relevant paperwork before your child attends. 

Please note, if your child carries an EpiPen, you will need to provide KOOSA Kids with two, in-date EpiPens. KOOSA Kids reserve the right to refuse admission if fewer than two EpiPens are supplied, or if the supplied epipens are not in full working order (e.g. cloudy or discoloured liquid). Both EpiPens must be in-date, in their original packaging and be prescribed to your child. It is the parents responsibility to collect the EpiPens from the after school club at the end of each half term. 

We are unable to share medication with your child's school. We recommend asking your child's GP for extra medication so we can store it directly at the after school/breakfast club premises. Please note , we will be unable to accept your child into our care without the required medication being present at the relevant club.

Due to safeguarding procedures, we can not allow the use of electronic devices (phones or hand held games) with a camera. 

Please be aware that if your child attends KOOSA Kids with such a device, they will be asked to keep it in their bag for the entire session. We recommend that children do not bring any expensive belongings with them, as we cannot be held responsible for their damage or loss.

For your children, our after school clubs have a very relaxed feel. We fully appreciate that children may be tired at the end of a long school day and may simply just want to 'chill out' during their time with us. Unlike our bustling holiday club programme, children are encouraged to choose the activities they wish to take part in and the emphasis is very much on supervised free play, giving children a chance to catch up with old friends or make new ones. 

For this reason, each and every day, we schedule in Free Time Zone, straight after school (school finish until 4.15pm) and last thing (5.15pm until 6.00pm). Free Time Zone is exactly as it sounds, children choose what they want to do and have the choice of playing board games, drawing, reading, Lego, Giant Jenga, puzzles, extensive art areas, Playstation Zone, watching a DVD, Homework areas (optional) or just simply chilling out. 

In between Free Time Zone, the children may either choose to take part in a group activity from our Discovery / Endeavour Zone, or have supervised Free Play, utilising the extensive range of equipment we have available at each of our after school clubs.

If your child wishes to do their homework whilst at KOOSA Kids, they can. A quiet space can be made available for your children. However, there is no organised homework club and our staff can’t instruct your child to do their homework if they choose not to do so.

If your child attends the school the club is located at, then yes, they can. However, KOOSA Kids will not be able to collect your child from the school run club. It will be your responsibility to arrange drop off at the after school club with the class tutor, teacher or coach (most schools are happy to do so). If you are able to arrange this, please inform KOOSA Kids in advance that this will be happening so we can add this to our registers and the club staff know when to expect your child.

We would kindly request to always notify us of your child's absence. Please notify us by email (info@koosakids.co.uk) or by phone (01276 21884) if your child is going to be absent from the after school club, ideally by 11.00am on the morning of the absence, or as soon as reasonably possible. 

As an Ofsted registered provider, we have a legal obligation to record absences. If you child is absent and we have not been made aware, it can also greatly inconvenience all the other children attending as we are unable to start the after school club until all children who are booked in are accounted for. 

Please note, notification of absence must come be made to our head office and cannot be passed through our on-site after school club staff or the child's school.

A ‘casual booking’ refers to bookings made as and when you need them and you do not hold a ‘Permanent Places Agreement’ which guarantees your sessions on an ongoing basis.

KOOSA Kids after school clubs only run when the schools are open. We do not cover inset days. During every school holiday, we operate Holiday Clubs across Berkshire, Hampshire, Richmond & Surrey. Please see our Holiday Clubs pages to find your local club.

In the unfortunate situation where you think you might not be able to pick your child up on time (6:00pm), please contact KOOSA Kids Head Office on 01276 21884 as soon as possible.

We will then contact the club manager to inform them of your situation. We will always keep your child safe, with two members of staff, until your arrival. Please note we may charge a late fee if you arrive at the club after the agreed 6.00pm pick up time.

A late fee is charged to cover the additional staff costs incurred by a late pick up, as well as further associated operational costs. See our Terms & Conditions for further details.

Being fully Ofsted registered, we can accept all types of childcare voucher as full or part payment towards your bookings. Please speak to your employer to find out which childcare voucher company they are registered with.

Most childcare voucher companies allow you to transfer voucher payments to us through their online portals. We recommend this as the easiest way to make your voucher payments.

Please click here for detailed information on how to pay  with childcare vouchers, including a full list of voucher providers we are registered with and their unique payment reference numbers.

If your voucher provider is not listed, please call us on 01276 21884 so we can register with them.