The Club is registered with and approved by OFSTED through a programme which includes regular inspection of the Club premises and staff.  OFSTED approves the Club’s Policies, Procedures and Guidelines Folder.  A copy is available for parents to look at and includes details of our:

Administration of Medication Policy: The club will only administer prescribed medication when it is essential to do so, that is where it would be detrimental to a child’s health if the medicine were not administered. Where a child receives medication three times a day, it is reasonable for the club to administered one dose.

Admissions Policy: Axminster out of school club admits children from the age of 4 to 14 years. All club places are allocated on first-come first-served basis and in accordance with the Equal Opportunity Policy.  If there is a waiting list for the club, all applications are dated on receipt. On confirmation of a place, parents are required to pay a week’s fees as a deposit. This is non-returnable in the event of the place being cancelled by the parent.

Aims and Objectives: The purpose of the club is to contribute to the development of children attending schools in the Axminster area by providing quality out of school care and recreational activities taking into consideration the needs of parents who work or are pursuing education and training.

Anti-Bullying Policy: Bullying is the sustained use of aggression with the intention of hurting another person. It may be physical eg pushing, kicking, hitting, punching or any use of violence. It may be verbal eg name calling, including racist and sexist remarks, sarcasm, teasing, spreading rumours. It may be emotional eg isolating, tormenting, hiding property, threatening gestures, being unfriendly. Such behaviour, intended to hurt or exclude, physically or psychologically, will be regarded as bullying.

Behaviour Management Policy: Our ultimate aim is to work in partnership with parents to lay foundations from which children will grow into happy, self-confident, well adjusted children.  We believe that children and adults are happiest in an ordered environment in which everyone knows what is expected of them and children are free to develop their play and learning without fear of being hurt or hindered by anyone else.

Child Protection Policy: The club will appoint a member of staff as the Child Protection Officer. This Officer will have suitable experience, training and expertise, and will be responsible for liaising with social services, the Local Safeguarding Children's board and Ofsted in any child protection matter. The club is committed to reviewing its Child Protection policy and procedures at regular intervals. The policy and its procedures will be shared with parents/carers.

Policy on Complaints: It is clearly of paramount importance that the club should run smoothly and that parents and staff work together in a spirit of cooperation in the children's best interests. In the event of complaints from parents every effort will be made to respond quickly and appropriately. 

Confidentiality policy: Our work will bring us into contact with confidential information. To ensure that all those using and working in the club can do so with confidence, we will respect confidentiality.

Policy on Equal Opportunities: This club aims to demonstrate through its work that it positively values and respects children of all ethnic origins/racial groups, religions, cultures, linguistic backgrounds and abilities. Children of both sexes are positively encouraged by staff to participate in all activities.

Health and Safety Policy: Provision of a healthy and safe environment is essential to the well being of children and adults. Good quality care includes taking steps to prevent illness and accidents, being prepared to deal with emergencies if and when they occur and educating children about health and safety matters.

Healthy Eating Policy: To work in partnership with families and professionals to support children and young people 4 – 14 years to develop healthy eating practices which will become embedded for life.

Illness Policy: When a child becomes ill at the club every effort will be made to contact the parents or carers, who will be requested to collect their children as soon as possible. In most cases when a child is sent home we feel it would be beneficial for them to see a doctor. Parents must notify the club if they are aware that their child has a contagious illness or if a doctor has confirmed the cause of illness. We will expect parents to cooperate with us by not bringing children to the club if they have any infectious or contagious illness. Staff will also be asked not to attend work under the same circumstances. Children suffering form sickness/diarrhea must not return to the club until at least 48 hours have elapsed from the last bout and they are eating normally. 

Inclusion Policy: At AOSC we aim to provide an Inclusive environment understanding that as individuals, children and adults alike all require some form of support. However we recognise that for some this may be specific and sometimes require the help of other outside professionals.

No Smoking Policy: Axminster out of school club complies with the schools no smoking policy. A No Smoking policy operates throughout the whole of Axminster Community Primary School. Smoking is not permitted in the building, outside play areas or any of the school grounds.

Policy on Partnership with Parents: The club recognizes that working in partnership with parents is of major value and importance to the club in enabling it to provide a happy, caring and stable environment for children and their parents. We aim to form a good relationship with parents so that information regarding their children (be it developmental, social or health related) can be exchanged easily and comfortably by club staff and parents.

Recruitment and Retention Policy: AOSC are an equal opportunities employer. We provide equal opportunities and are committed to the principle of equality regardless of race, colour, ethnic or national origin, religious belief, political opinion or affiliation, gender, marital status, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, age or disability. We will apply employment policies that are fair, equitable and consistent with the skills and abilities of our employees and the needs of the business. Staff recruited will be appropriately qualified for the level of employment and recruitment is subject to successful Criminal Records Bureau checks and in accordance with statutory requirements.

Staff Development and Training: At AOSC our staff, are our most valuable resource, as it is only through their commitment and effort that good quality provision can be both established and maintained. We are therefore committed to providing good training and development opportunities for staff so that they are able to perform their roles both efficiently and effectively.

Procedure for Uncollected Children: The club obviously has an obligation to stay with any uncollected child at the end of the day, until that child is collected. The club must not release the child to an unauthorised person, even if the collection is late, unless an authorised person telephones to state that because of an emergency a different person will be collecting. The authorised person should give the name and address and a physical description of the unauthorised person and the officer in charge should check this description before permitting the child to leave. There will be a charge of £10 per nearest quarter of an hour for late collection after 6pm. In the event that a child is not collected by the due time on three occasions the parent could be required to withdraw their child/children from the Club.

MORE DETAILS OF THESE POLICES CAN BE VIEWED AT THE SETTING