KOOSA Kids Holiday Club FAQs

Your child needs to bring a packed lunch, several healthy snacks and plenty of non-fizzy drinks to make sure they have all the energy they need to fully enjoy their day at KOOSA Kids. Drinking water is always available but a refillable water bottle is recommended. KOOSA Kids promote a healthy and balanced diet, when packing your child's lunch box for the day, you might wish to include fresh and non-processed food products such as fruit, vegetables, wholemeal bread and crackers, natural yoghurts, cheese, raisins, fruit drinks and water. 

There are no refrigeration facilities available at our venues. Therefore, please also consider including ice packs, frozen water / juice drinks or frozen yoghurts to keep your child’s lunch cool & fresh.

Due to acute allergy issues, please do not to include any items containing nuts e.g. Nutella or peanut butter on sandwiches.

Please ensure your child wears appropriate clothing for indoor and outdoor activities, with footwear suitable for active and non-active games (e.g. trainers). Please also include a sun hat and sun cream during warmer days, or warm clothing and a waterproof when the weather is cooler and more variable. Weather permitting, we will always aim to go outside during the activity day.

Our standard holiday club activity day runs from 10.00am to 4.00pm. Registration opens at 9.45am and we request that you arrive no later than 9.55am please, so your child is ready to take part in the activities from 10.00am. Pick up is at 4.00pm, once all the activities have finished.

If you need to collect your child early, please inform the site supervisor in the morning. We kindly ask that parents collecting early do so during planned break times, so as not to interrupt the activities which are taking place. If you do need to collect during an activity, it might take a little longer for the doors to be opened for you as the team will be busy delivering the activities. 

The fully extended activity day runs from 8.15am to 6.00pm. If you have booked an AM extension, you can drop your child off any time between 8.15 and 10.00am and collect at the end of the standard activity day (4.00pm). If you have booked a PM extension, you can pick up any time between 4.00 and 6.00pm.

We ask parents to collect promptly and by 6pm at the latest please. A late fee may be charged if children are collected after this time. See our Terms & Conditions for further details.

We operate a strict and secure drop off and collection system and it is necessary for a parent/guardian to sign all children in and out every day. On arrival on your first day, you will be asked to check a form to ensure we have the correct contact details for you, as well as providing us with consent to administer/arrange medical treatment in case of an emergency.

You will be issued with a unique security pin number which you will need to collect your child. This will be the same code as your unique booking reference number, found at the top of your booking confirmation.

If a friend or relative is due to collect your child, please ensure this number is passed securely onto them as we will not be able to release your child unless the pin number is accurately quoted by the person collecting.

There are always a minimum of two members of staff on duty at each KOOSA Kids holiday club, 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 the number of children attending dictate we run as one group.

We know that great staff make for a great holiday 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 holiday 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 as assisting our employees Continued Professional Development.

At each KOOSA Kids club, the Regional Manager 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 breakfast club at the end of each period.

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.

In order for your child to get the most out of their time at KOOSA Kids, they will be grouped based on their school years. Each age group has its own identity and is allocated coaches, who best suit their needs. Please see age groups for more specific information on individual groups.

If children specifically want to be with friends or relatives of a different age, it may be possible to arrange this on the day, subject to the age of the children already attending. Please note, for safety and fairness reasons, it is not sensible to group children of vastly differing ages, even if they are friends or relatives.

You can find a copy of our holiday club activity programme here.

In the unfortunate situation where you think you might not be able to pick your child up on time (4:00pm for the standard activity day or 6:00pm for the extended activity day), 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 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.

Booking your holiday club sessions is very easy! Simply log into your account and follow the easy to navigate bookings steps. If you have not used KOOSA Kids before, you will need to register for 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.

Holiday club sessions can be booked up until 6pm the working day before you need them, subject to availability. Please note that many of our clubs reach capacity, especially during the busy holiday periods, so we do advise customers to book their sessions as soon as they know their childcare requirements, in order to avoid disappointment.

With more than 14 days notice, you are able to cancel your holiday club sessions, upon which we will credit your account with a 100% credit note.

With 7 to 13 days’ notice, you are able to cancel your holiday club sessions, upon which we will credit your account with a 50% credit note.

We are unable to accept cancellations for bookings with less than 7 days notice. Please let us know if your child is not going to attend, so the site supervisor knows not to expect them on the day.

Please 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 breakfast / after school club bookings.

We may be able to change the date for your booked session if we receive more than 7 days’ notice, subject to availability and a £5 admin fee.

Please contact our Bookings Team on 01276 21884 at the earliest opportunity to cancel or amend your booking.

Being fully Ofsted registered, KOOSA Kids accepts 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 us with childcare vouchers, including a full list of voucher providers we are registered with and their unique payment reference numbers. We kindly ask parents to transfer their vouchers on the day of booking, and within 3 working days. If you no longer require your sessions, please call us on 01276 21884 so we can cancel them for you.

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

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. 

Tax-Free Childcare - Tax-Free Childcare is available for children up to the age of 11 years old.  The scheme is set up and run by the government and is aimed to help working families with the cost of childcare. For every £8.00 you pay into an online account, the government will add an extra £2.00, up to £2,000 per child, per year. 

For further information, please see the following websites: 

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

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

All KOOSA Kids holiday clubs are registered with Ofsted. This means each of our holiday clubs adhere to the guidelines and standards set out to safeguard the welfare of your child during their time with us.

In September 2014, the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) was updated, providing a new set of standards for children aged 0-5 years. For more information on how KOOSA Kids work with Ofsted, please follow the link to KOOSA and Ofsted.

Please view KOOSA Kids Holiday Club Ofsted registration and inspection reports here.

On 1st September 2008, the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) was introduced for all children aged from birth to 5 years,to ensureconsistency of care and development, wherever a child may be - with a childminder, a day nursery, holiday or after school club or at school.

In line with this framework, KOOSA Kids are required by law to request further information on your child to ensure we are meeting these standards and providing the best level of care for your child.

If your child is in Reception Class, or has not yet started school, you will be asked to complete a 'KOOSA Kids EYFS All About Me Pack'. The EYFS pack is downloadable via a link in your booking confirmation. Please complete and return the KOOSA Kids EYFS Pack to the club when your child first attends.

If for any reason you are unable to download the EYFS pack, please call 01272 21884 or email info@koosakids.co.uk and we will send you a new one. Each sibling in this age groups requires their own pack and a separate pack is required if your child attends more than one KOOSA Kids setting.