Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's)

How do I apply for a place for my child?

In order to enrol your child at Raising Explorers a simple straight forward registration form needs to be completed. Upon completion of the application form, your child will be given a place in a class depending on space availability. If the maximum capacity has been reached for the centre then your child’s name will be placed on a waiting list with an expected enrolment date provided.

We encourage parents to come with their children and visit our centre in order to fully appreciate our friendly, safe and nurturing environment. It is highly recommended that you call the centre first, rather than just turn up. Since we are a very busy centre, making an appointment will prevent long waiting times. A visit to the centre can help alleviate any worries or concerns that you may have and give you an opportunity to ask any relevant questions.

What age groups do you cater for?

We provide our services for children and young people between the ages of 5 – 15.

When do I need to pay?

Payments are to be made on a weekly or monthly basis and the preferred mode of payment is via a standing order setup with your bank. There is no reduction in fees for temporary absence due to holidays or sickness.

Receipts are prepared monthly for payments received and will be available to collect from the office at the beginning of each month.

What services do you offer?

Raising Explorers offers parents 5 core services:

Childcare services available 7 days a week with extended opening hours - Our dedicated childcare team is available every day to cater to your child’s needs. We recognise that working parents have varying schedules, so we offer extended opening hours to accommodate everyone.
Homework Support Service available 7 days a week - We provide qualified teachers every day to help children with their homework in a dedicated homework room, complete with IT facilities. This setup enables working parents to pick up their children and spend quality time together without the stress of homework.
School Holiday Club and Activities - During each school holiday, we extend our opening hours to support parents with childcare from 8:30 am to 7:00 pm. We plan a fun-packed timetable to ensure children enjoy their time off school with planned activities such as arts and crafts, baking, games rooms, sports, and much more. Additionally, we offer a breakfast club to start the day right.
Quran and Madrassah Service - We provide dedicated Islamic and academically qualified staff for parents looking for Quran, Tajweed, and Islamic Studies for their children. Our teaching approach mirrors the classroom format used in schools. We offer four alternative options to accommodate your needs: Weekday Madrassah, Weekend Madrassah, SEND Madrassah, Sunday Madrassah
Language School (Available each Sunday) - Children have the opportunity to learn a new language by attending our Urdu School and Arabic School, both taught by qualified subject teachers. Each language school follows a well-developed curriculum, and we aim for every child to be able to converse fluently in their chosen language.

Do you DBS check teachers and other members of staff?

We use safe recruitment practices to ensure that all people working with children in our care are safe and qualified to do so. All our dedicated and qualified staff hold a satisfactory enhanced DBS check in accordance with Ofsted regulations.

Pick up Service

As part of our childcare service, we provide transport for children to be collected from their schools and dropped off at Raising Explorers.

This service is provided by Raising Explorers staff and one of our trusted partners. All transport vehicles are fully insured and the drivers hold an enhanced DBS check. We put passwords and checks in place to ensure the safety of your child is always put first.

Hot Meals

Here at Raising Explorers we believe that it is essential that all meals children have are well balanced and packed with nutrients so that they have adequate energy levels until their next meal time.

Taking this into consideration we believe that it is fundamental for children to be provided with healthy and nutritional hot food during their time at the club.

Children that arrive straight from school are provided with a hot meal. We also provide balanced nutritional snacks which include fresh fruit, toast, fruit juice and fresh drinking water is available at all times. Individual dietary requirements and parental preferences are met wherever possible.

Do you open in the school holidays?

Raising Explorers is open during school holidays and we follow the holiday dates listed by Bradford Education. We are open for extended hours during the holiday periods. The centre opens from 8:30am – 7:00pm (Monday to Friday) and weekend timings remain unchanged. We will be closed on days that are marked red on most calendars - Christmas day, Easter weekend, Bank holidays and Eid days. We remain open throughout the school summer break.

Each school holiday we extend our opening hours to support parents with Childcare from 8.30am to 7.00pm. We plan a fun packed timetable to ensure children are enjoying time off school with fun childcare activities such as arts and crafts, baking, games rooms, sports and much much more...

What happens if my child was to become ill whilst at the club?

We keep a record of your contact details and the child’s next of Kin in case we can't reach you in an emergency and those of the family doctor. We also keep a record of any medical conditions your child may have. If your child becomes ill or sustains an injury we would make contact with you using the information provided on your registration form and ask for them to be collected or taken to the hospital. There will always be a First Aider on the premises.

What happens if I am running late to collect my child?

Please inform us as soon as you can if you are running late.

If you are going to arrive later than our closing time we will need to keep 2 members of staff onsite until all children have been collected. If we know you are going to be late we can make an arrangement with our staff team and ensure your child knows that you will be arriving late. We could impose a late payment fee. If we do not hear from you after 20 minutes then a next of kin will be contacted to collect the child.

How is the progress of students learning assessed?

All learners undertake a comprehensive initial assessment where we assess their current strengths and weaknesses. Subsequently an individual learning plan is compiled by the subject teacher detailing both short and long term targets and an appropriate timescale to achieve them.

Do you have parents' evenings to discuss students' progress?

At Raising Explorers we make sure that your child receives very focused and levelled reports. Parental involvement is highly encouraged hence parents evenings are held every quarter where we offer parents the opportunity to discuss their child’s progress and go through any concerns that they may have.

Is there any financial support available?

If you're a working parent, you might be eligible for financial support with childcare costs. Schemes like Tax-Free Childcare can contribute towards your childcare fees, while some families may qualify for Universal Credit, which can cover a large portion of childcare costs. Seek advice from our experienced team who can help determine your eligibility and the specific support available to you. Working parents may eligible for extra support through Universal Credit to help with childcare costs. This has now replaced Tax Credits, you might be able to claim up to 85% of your childcare costs if you are eligible for Universal Credit. The amount of help available to you is dependent on your personal circumstances, which includes your household income and your childcare costs.

Universal Credit Childcare Support

Working parents may eligible for extra support through Universal Credit to help with childcare costs. This has now replaced Tax Credits, you could be able to claim up to 85% of your childcare costs if you are eligible for Universal Credit. The amount of help available to you is dependent on your personal circumstances, which includes your household income and your childcare costs. In order for this extra support you would need to fit the following criteria:

Single parents must be working, it does not matter how many hours you work but must be in paid employment. You can also get support towards childcare the minute you have a job offer. If you are part of a couple, both you and your partner need to be in paid employment, it does not matter how many hours you work. However, you will also be eligible if one of you works or and the other does not work, but is in hospital, in prison, entitled to Carer’s Allowance or incapacitated for childcare purposes. To find out if you might be eligible, visit the gov.uk website, which has a calculator.
Universal Credit and childcare (Gov.uk)

Student Finance Childcare Support (CGPS)

As a student, juggling childcare responsibilities can be challenging. The government provides schemes through student finance supporting students with childcare costs of upto 85%. It's worth exploring all options like student finance or bursaries. Some universities or colleges may offer support services or information on childcare options. Additionally seek advice from our experienced team who can help determine your eligibility and the specific support available to you.

Tax Free Childcare

Tax-Free Childcare is a government scheme that can help you pay for approved childcare costs. The government contributes 20% towards your childcare fees, up to a maximum of £2,000 per child per year. This scheme is available for working parents with children aged 0-11.

Can I see your policies?

Below are List of Policies that are used at Raising Explorers:

All our policies are available for viewing at the Raising Explorers Office. These can be made available to view at a time to suit you; all we ask is that you let us know you wish to see them prior to dropping in, so that you do not endure any unnecessary waiting for someone to assist you.

Travelling by train?

You can book family train tickets to help you get to Raising Explorers. You will save money on train tickets and child fare by visiting the following website.
Family train tickets (thetrainline.com)

Bradford

Leeds

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s)