The government have created the Wraparound Childcare Scheme which funds out of school hours childcare for eligible children.
The Wraparound Childcare Scheme funds wraparound childcare during term time for eligible Service children aged 4 to 11 years old (up to capped rates).
You can apply for up to 20 hours per week, term time only (39 weeks per year) of wraparound childcare funding for 4- to 11-year-old children attending before and after school clubs in the UK.
Eligibility criteria
At least one partner (or single parent) must be serving as an Armed Forces
Regular (including Full Time Reserve Service Full Commitment).
· Dependent children aged 4 to 11 must attend school (including home schooled children) and be living with the Serving person for the majority of the time unless separated due to service commitments (deployment, residential courses), or when on serving on unaccompanied assignments overseas involuntarily with the family in the UK.
· The partner of the Service person must be in paid employment, starting or restarting work within the next 31 days (earning the equivalent of 16 hours at national minimum / living wage). Both partners must each have an adjusted net income of £100,000 or less per annum.
· The WAC provider must be Ofsted, or equivalent, registered, including schools and childminders.
· A Tax-Free Childcare (TFC) account must be set up with HRMC for each child that Service Personnel wants to claim the funding for.
· The childcare provider must also be signed up to the TFC scheme.
· The Service parent has either an assignment order to a UK based unit or is serving on an unaccompanied assignment overseas involuntarily with the family residing in the UK.
Service families can check if they are eligible and how to claim WAC funding by visiting the Discover My Benefits website.
Under The Equality Act 2010, a school must take positive steps to ensure that disabled pupils can fully participate in the education provided by the school, and that they can enjoy the other benefits, facilities and services that the school provides for pupils, including extracurricular activities and after school clubs.
Reasonable adjustments during the before/after school club is down to the company providing this service but access to the club is the school's responsibility. So any company that a school permit to provide clubs must be willing to admit all children and to make reasonable adjustments.
Your child should not be denied access to wrap around childcare due to their SEND needs. If this happens, you can make a complaint.