Childcare

We have now have rooms available where mothers can breast feed their babies.

Details are as follows:

City Campus - mothers should contact The Rose Bowl Student Hub.

Headingley - mothers should contact The Student Hub to be allocated an available room.

Baby changing facilities are available at:

2 High chairs are available in the refectory at City Campus and Headingley Campus.

A childminder is someone who is registered to provide home-based care for children under the age of eight, for more than two hours a day, and receives a reward for this care.

Many childminders also provide before- and after-school care. The law requires childminders to be registered and annually inspected by Ofsted's Early Years Directorate, to ensure that they provide a quality childcare service and meet the 14 National Day Care Standards.

All childminders are self-employed and offer flexible hours. In Leeds, their fees start from around £3.50 per hour, depending on the area.

Out of school clubs are registered childcare provision which provides play opportunities for children before or after school.

They take place in a variety of settings - schools, community centres, church halls, or they may have their own premises.

At the club children will usually receive a snack or a hot meal, and are able to participate in a wide variety of activities including arts and crafts, games, sports and drama until they are collected by their parents or carers.

Independent/private nurseries and those run by the voluntary sector offer both full-and part-time day care for children aged 3-6 months to below school age.

Trained and qualified staff provide for the needs and interests of young children.

Private nurseries are run as businesses; those within the voluntary sector aim at least to cover their costs.

Leeds City Council also run local nurseries, See below:

North Leeds Community Nursery

There are 37 Early Years Centres are managed by the Childcare and Early Development Service of the Leeds City Council.

They provide quality pre-school experience that offers a balance of care and education for children under five.

Some EYC's also provide an out of school facility, which caters for school age children up to the age of 11 years.

Playgroups are community-based groups whose aim is to provide play and learning opportunities for children with support and flexibility for parents.

Typically they operate on a sessional basis in community or church halls.

The majority open during term time only, usually in the mornings. Groups take children from the age of two and a half to rising-five.

The groups are predominantly funded by parental contributions and government grants where applicable.

Groups operating for more than two hours are required to register with Ofsted.

A Playscheme offers day care for children during the school holidays.

Some offer full day care (looking after children from 9am until 5pm) and some offer sessional care only (morning or afternoon).

All holiday Playschemes that cater for children from the age of four years and those that run for more than six days are required to be registered and inspected by Ofsted.

How can I tell if a day care provider or childminder is registered with Ofsted?

Registered providers will have a Registration Certificate - parents should ask to see this. If the provider refuses, you can contact Ofsted on 0300 123315 or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk to check that they are registered.

What are Ofsted's responsibilities?

In September 2001, Ofsted became responsible for the registration and inspection of day care and childminding. Previously these services were regulated by local authorities, who each set their own criteria and procedures.

In May 2001, following extensive consultation, the Department for Education and Skills published the first national standards for childminding and day care for under-eights.

In its new role as the single regulatory body, Ofsted checks that day care providers and childminders throughout England meet the national standards. This means that parents can be confident in the standard of childcare wherever they live.