Keeping Children Safe in Holiday and Out of School Activities - information for parents/ carers and schools

Keeping children safe in holiday and out‑of‑school activities

What we mean by “out‑of‑school provision”?

This includes holiday clubs, sports activities, tuition, arts and cultural activities and community groups that take place outside normal school hours.

Who is responsible for ensuring safety?

Parents have primary responsibility for choosing out‑of‑school and holiday provision.
Schools are not responsible for checking external holiday clubs/ provision unless they take place on school premises.
Schools should be mindful that, by sharing information on external providers, parents/ carers may assume that this is an endorsement and/ or that safeguarding checks have been undertaken.
Schools must act if they become aware of safeguarding risks.

When does a school have responsibilities?

If provision uses school premises (e.g. hired halls, sports pitches, classrooms)

Schools are expected to:

Carry out safeguarding due diligence
Make safeguarding expectations explicit in hire agreements
Seek assurance that the provider has:
- A safeguarding / child protection policy
- A named safeguarding lead
- Appropriate safer recruitment and vetting arrangements covering employees and volunteers, including DBS and barred list checks where required by legislation and guidance.
- Procedures for reporting concerns
Make clear that school DSLs are not responsible for provider‑run activities

If the school promotes, recommends, or signposts parents to provision

This is a key area of confusion. Parents may assume that the school has undertaken safeguarding checks and not undertake their own due diligence.

Schools should avoid implicit endorsement of provision they have not assured themselves is safe
If signposting:
- It should be clear the provision is not school‑run
- Schools should encourage parents to carry out their own checks
- Schools should not use language that implies approval (e.g. “trusted”, “approved”, “recommended”) unless due diligence has been completed

Safeguarding duty where concerns arise

Regardless of the relationship:

If a safeguarding concern comes to light about an out of school provider:
- The school must follow local safeguarding procedures
- Concerns should be referred to the Local Authority, LADO, or Police as appropriate
Schools should not investigate providers themselves

Good practice

Use neutral signposting statements (e.g. “parents/ carers are responsible for checking suitability”)
Provide checklists rather than recommendations
Avoid advertising ‘unverified’ clubs

More information:

Information for parents/ carers;

Choosing safe holiday clubs and activities for your child

Key questions for parents

Before booking, ask:

Does the club meets my child’s interests and individual needs. Choose a club that aligns with your child’s hobbies and interests. Contact the club to talk through any specific needs or preferences your child has.
Who runs the activity and how long have they been operating? Is there a named organisation or individual with clear contact details?
How are children kept safe? Is there supervision, appropriate staffing and safeguarding arrangements? Are staff DBS checked and vetted.
What happens if something goes wrong? How are concerns, accidents or complaints handled?

Good signs to look for

✅ Clear contact details

✅ Clear information about the provision and who it is for

✅ Written safeguarding policy  

✅ Clear information (dates, times, locations, activities) and pricing  

✅ Willingness to answer questions

✅ Staff are DBS checked, supervised and suitable for working with children

Warning signs

⚠ No named organiser or contact details

⚠ No information about safeguarding or supervision

⚠ Pressure to pay quickly or upfront without information

⚠ Children of very different ages grouped together with minimal supervision

⚠ Unwilling to answer questions

If you are worried

Speak to your child
Contact the provider to raise concerns
If concerns remain, contact your local authority safeguarding team.

Local Offer

Each local authority area shares details of the support available for children and young people (0-25yrs) with special educational needs and/ or disabilities (SEND). This includes what is going on in your area, how to access services, organisations and activities. This is known as the Local Offer.

You will also find information about childcare settings, childminders and early help support for all families.

Bedford Borough Local Offer

Central Bedfordshire Local Offer

Luton Local Offer

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Keeping your child safe in holiday clubs and out‑of‑school activities

When choosing holiday or after‑school activities, parents and carers are encouraged to ask providers about safeguarding and supervision arrangements. If you are unsure about an activity, please speak to the school before booking. On occasion, the school may share information about local clubs; however, unless the provision takes place on the school site, safeguarding checks have not been carried out by the school and any information shared is for awareness only and should not be taken as a recommendation.

What we mean by out‑of‑school provision: This includes holiday clubs, sports activities, tuition, arts and cultural activities, community groups and childcare that take place outside normal school hours.

When choosing holiday clubs or out‑of‑school activities, parents and carers are encouraged to check that providers have appropriate safeguarding and supervision arrangements in place.

Schools are not responsible for vetting external providers (unless they are using school premises). If you are unsure about an activity or have concerns about a provider, please contact the school for advice or speak to local authority safeguarding team.

You do not need to be an expert, but it is important to ask a few questions before booking activities for your child. Choose a club that aligns with your child’s hobbies and interests. Contact the club to talk through any specific needs or preferences your child has.

Three key questions to ask before booking;

Who runs the activity and how long have they been operating? Is there a named organisation or individual with clear contact details?
How are children kept safe? Is there supervision, appropriate staffing and safeguarding arrangements? Are staff DBS checked and vetted.
What happens if something goes wrong? How are concerns, accidents or complaints handled?