This page is out of date, and is to be updated with new procedures
and FAQs due to Coivd-19.
For up to date information please contact [email protected]
HOW DO I MAKE A BOOKING?
All our bookings are processed online in our booking system. This means you can log in to check your bookings, make new bookings, or update your details at any time! To book click here which will take you to our secure online booking site.
Create an account, log in, and get booking!
Create an account, log in, and get booking!
WHAT PAYMENT METHODS DO YOU ACCEPT?
For full information click here.
We accept the following methods of payment:
Please note that card details are not stored online for security purposes, so you’ll have to enter your card details each time.
Please ensure you select the correct payment method when making a booking as it could result in your booking being deleted and your places lost.
Split payments
Please email us if you would like to be considered for our Split Payment Plan option. This is for parents whose booking totals more than £100 and usually pays by card or bank transfer. You can get in touch on 07508 846582 or [email protected]
We accept the following methods of payment:
- Debit/Credit card (directly through our online booking system which uses SagePay. No extra charge for credit cards)
- Tax credits
- Childcare Vouchers and Tax Free Childcare (more info here)
- Student Funding e.g. college, NHS
Please note that card details are not stored online for security purposes, so you’ll have to enter your card details each time.
Please ensure you select the correct payment method when making a booking as it could result in your booking being deleted and your places lost.
Split payments
Please email us if you would like to be considered for our Split Payment Plan option. This is for parents whose booking totals more than £100 and usually pays by card or bank transfer. You can get in touch on 07508 846582 or [email protected]
CAN I CANCEL SESSIONS?
Yes you have up until 7 days before the start of your session to cancel and receive a credit.
The system currently doesn’t allow you to make your own cancellations (we have requested this feature be added asap), so until then if you need to amend or cancel a session, please email [email protected] with your request.
Please bear in mind that if your email is sent after the cancellation cut off, the session will still be payable and no credit will be issued.
Also see the FAQ: 'CAN I AMEND MY BOOKING?'
The system currently doesn’t allow you to make your own cancellations (we have requested this feature be added asap), so until then if you need to amend or cancel a session, please email [email protected] with your request.
Please bear in mind that if your email is sent after the cancellation cut off, the session will still be payable and no credit will be issued.
Also see the FAQ: 'CAN I AMEND MY BOOKING?'
HOW MUCH DO SESSIONS COST?
For up to date prices and the breakdown of our fees please click one of the following:
>> PLAYtarium Holiday Club <<
>> PLAYtarium at Sacred Heart <<
>> PLAYtarium at St Jo's <<
Please note our fees and sessions are reviewed annually and this may result in a fee increase. As we are a non-profit organisation your fees go straight back into PLAYtarium for running costs which include:
Staff wages
Venue rent costs
Ofsted fees per site
Insurance costs per site
Equipment and Resources
Food/Snack costs
Staff training
Marketing
Administration
Website/software costs
>> PLAYtarium Holiday Club <<
>> PLAYtarium at Sacred Heart <<
>> PLAYtarium at St Jo's <<
Please note our fees and sessions are reviewed annually and this may result in a fee increase. As we are a non-profit organisation your fees go straight back into PLAYtarium for running costs which include:
Staff wages
Venue rent costs
Ofsted fees per site
Insurance costs per site
Equipment and Resources
Food/Snack costs
Staff training
Marketing
Administration
Website/software costs
HOW CAN I GET THE COMBO DISCOUNT? (OOSC only)
We no longer offer the Combo Discount
WHAT HOURS DO THE CLUBS OPERATE?
Out Of School Clubs
Our breakfast clubs run from 7.45am-8.45am. The children are escorted from PLAYtarium to their classrooms.
Our afterschool clubs operate from the end of the school day until 6.00pm. The children are collected from their classrooms and taken to PLAYtarium.
Our breakfast clubs run from 7.45am-8.45am. The children are escorted from PLAYtarium to their classrooms.
Our afterschool clubs operate from the end of the school day until 6.00pm. The children are collected from their classrooms and taken to PLAYtarium.
CAN I AMEND MY BOOKING?
You have up until 7 days from the start time of the session in which you can cancel the session and you will receive a credit to be used at a later date. Please note that if you make a booking and the session is within the 7 day cancellation period, once you have completed the booking process you will not be able to get a refund, so please double check your booking before completing it.
If you want to 'swap' a session, you will need to first email us at [email protected] to cancel the session you no longer want, then with the credit issued rebook the new session. If the session you want to swap has missed the 7 day cut off, unfortunately you will not receive any credit for it so you will have to pay for the new session outright.
If you need to amend the session you have booked e.g. you need to reduce or extend your child's stay, as long as you have not missed the 7 day cancellation cut off, you can email us to request this change. If you need to extend a booking, you can do this on your account.
If you want to 'swap' a session, you will need to first email us at [email protected] to cancel the session you no longer want, then with the credit issued rebook the new session. If the session you want to swap has missed the 7 day cut off, unfortunately you will not receive any credit for it so you will have to pay for the new session outright.
If you need to amend the session you have booked e.g. you need to reduce or extend your child's stay, as long as you have not missed the 7 day cancellation cut off, you can email us to request this change. If you need to extend a booking, you can do this on your account.
CAN I BOOK ONLY PART OF A SESSION?
We are unable to offer bookings for partial sessions. Parents/carers are however able to pick up and drop off children mid-session.
WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY 'SNACK'?
OOSCs
A healthy breakfast, drink and afternoon snack are offered each day. Breakfast is served until 8.15am. Using fresh ingredients, afternoon snack is available between the start of the session to 4pm where children can help themselves to what they fancy eating. Fruit is available for the rest of the session.
A healthy breakfast, drink and afternoon snack are offered each day. Breakfast is served until 8.15am. Using fresh ingredients, afternoon snack is available between the start of the session to 4pm where children can help themselves to what they fancy eating. Fruit is available for the rest of the session.
Holiday Club
We offer 2 healthy snacks during the day; one at 10.30am and the other at 3.30pm. Using fresh ingredients, snack is often run as a cooking activity where the children can take part and learn all about healthy eating and cooking for themselves!
This is in addition to the packed lunch that you send in with your children. You can send extra snacks too if you worry about your child getting peckish.
We offer 2 healthy snacks during the day; one at 10.30am and the other at 3.30pm. Using fresh ingredients, snack is often run as a cooking activity where the children can take part and learn all about healthy eating and cooking for themselves!
This is in addition to the packed lunch that you send in with your children. You can send extra snacks too if you worry about your child getting peckish.
Your child is encouraged to fill their own plate, pour their own drinks, and to clear away after themselves. This is a great way of promoting independence and self-confidence.
I NEED TO BOOK MY CHILD IN LAST MINUTE! - 'LATE/EMERGENCY BOOKINGS'
We try to be as flexible as possible which means you can book into PLAYtarium the evening before right up until 5.30pm online or 6.00pm in person/on the phone! If you have missed this deadline please refer to "I'VE MISSED THE 5.30PM BOOKING CUT OFF, WHAT DO I DO?" section.
If you need to make an emergency booking for the same afternoon, please call us on 07508 846582 and leave a message. Someone will get back to between 12.00-1.00pm to let you know if we have space. You can also text the mobile of your club so they receive a message.
When a child is brought to the club without the parent/carer having first making a booking or contacted us via email or text, if our club is fully booked we will not be able to accept them. If we have space and you confirm with us that you want your child to attend that day, the session will incur a £5.00 non-booking fee in addition to the session charge, per child.
If the club is fully booked and you fail to collect your child from school, we will not be able to accept your child at PLAYtarium. The school will implement their uncollected child procedure.
For a full list of our additional fees see our Price / Fees list at the bottom of the 'Parent Info' page
If you need to make an emergency booking for the same afternoon, please call us on 07508 846582 and leave a message. Someone will get back to between 12.00-1.00pm to let you know if we have space. You can also text the mobile of your club so they receive a message.
When a child is brought to the club without the parent/carer having first making a booking or contacted us via email or text, if our club is fully booked we will not be able to accept them. If we have space and you confirm with us that you want your child to attend that day, the session will incur a £5.00 non-booking fee in addition to the session charge, per child.
If the club is fully booked and you fail to collect your child from school, we will not be able to accept your child at PLAYtarium. The school will implement their uncollected child procedure.
For a full list of our additional fees see our Price / Fees list at the bottom of the 'Parent Info' page
WHAT HAPPENS IF I FORGET TO BOOK MY CHILD IN? - 'Non-booking'
Children who attend the club without the parent/carer having first booked and paid for them through our website or contacted us about an emergency/late booking will taken to the school who will implement their not-collected procedure and contact the parent.
If we have space at the afterschool club and have received the parent's permission, we can accept the child. The parent/carer will incur a £5.00 non-booking fee in addition to the session charge, per child. If the club is fully booked they will have to remain in the school's care.
For a full list of our additional fees see our Price / Fees list at the bottom of your club's 'ABOUT' page
If we have space at the afterschool club and have received the parent's permission, we can accept the child. The parent/carer will incur a £5.00 non-booking fee in addition to the session charge, per child. If the club is fully booked they will have to remain in the school's care.
For a full list of our additional fees see our Price / Fees list at the bottom of your club's 'ABOUT' page
WHAT HAPPENS IF I AM LATE COLLECTING MY CHILD?
If you are late for a 4.30pm, 5.00pm or 5.30pm session you will simply be charged for the next session plus a £1 admin fee. This will be added to your account and will need to be paid before you can make a new booking.
However if you are late after 6.00pm we have a strict late collection policy where you will be charged £1 per minute per child after 6pm. This will be according to the clock in the club. This will be payable immediately. If unable to pay then it will be added to your online account and will need to be paid before another booking can be made.
We fully understand that occasionally parents/carers find it impossible to collect their child(ren) on time. However, when a child is left after the last collection time, PLAYtarium staff must:
Consistent late collections may result in the remainder of your booking being cancelled and future bookings into PLAYtarium being refused.
For a full list of our additional fees see our Price / Fees list at the bottom of your clubs 'about' page.
However if you are late after 6.00pm we have a strict late collection policy where you will be charged £1 per minute per child after 6pm. This will be according to the clock in the club. This will be payable immediately. If unable to pay then it will be added to your online account and will need to be paid before another booking can be made.
We fully understand that occasionally parents/carers find it impossible to collect their child(ren) on time. However, when a child is left after the last collection time, PLAYtarium staff must:
- Ring all known contact numbers incurring telephone costs
- Arrange for the school to remain open incurring premises costs
- Stay with the children until a parent/carer arrives incurring staff costs
- Take the child to a place of safety if the school has to close
Consistent late collections may result in the remainder of your booking being cancelled and future bookings into PLAYtarium being refused.
For a full list of our additional fees see our Price / Fees list at the bottom of your clubs 'about' page.
WHAT HAPPENS IF MY PAYMENT DOESN'T GO THROUGH?
If you are paying through our website with your credit or debit card, your booking will simply not be made. You will need to process your booking again. Always check your 'Summary' page for upcoming bookings, and your email for the booking confirmation if you are unsure if your payment went through.
If you are paying by bank transfer and payment doesn’t go through because your bank declined the payment or there were insufficient funds, you will be charged an administration fee for each instance. The charges were set, after careful consideration, to cover our costs relating to declined payments. As a non profit organisation, we must pass on the costs of additional and avoidable administration because the alternative is that these costs would have to be shared by all parents through fee increases. If there are extenuating circumstances we are very happy to help and please contact us to explain the reason. If your bank is liable for the charges we will provide evidence that you were charged so you can reclaim it from your bank.
If you are paying by bank transfer and payment doesn’t go through because your bank declined the payment or there were insufficient funds, you will be charged an administration fee for each instance. The charges were set, after careful consideration, to cover our costs relating to declined payments. As a non profit organisation, we must pass on the costs of additional and avoidable administration because the alternative is that these costs would have to be shared by all parents through fee increases. If there are extenuating circumstances we are very happy to help and please contact us to explain the reason. If your bank is liable for the charges we will provide evidence that you were charged so you can reclaim it from your bank.
CAN I GET A REFUND IF MY CHILD IS SICK?
We do not issue refunds when your child is sick.
We recommend you cancel any sessions if you know your child will not be attending - any sessions before the 7 day cancellation cut off will be credited to your account.
We recommend you cancel any sessions if you know your child will not be attending - any sessions before the 7 day cancellation cut off will be credited to your account.
CAN YOU GIVE MY CHILD MEDICINE?
We can only give medicine to a child if it is prescribed by a Doctor. You will need to complete a 'Permission to Administer Medicine' form and hand it into the manager on site first. You can download it here.
MY CHILD IS VERY SHY – WILL HE/SHE BE OK?
PLAYtarium understands the importance of helping children socialise. Our staff make a huge effort to get to know individual children to help them feel welcome and enjoy the time they spend with us. We also have a settling in policy which includes a buddy system to help give a gentle nudge in making new friends!
WHAT DOES MY CHILD NEED TO BRING? (PHC ONLY)
If your child is attending PLAYtarium Holiday Club, please make sure they bring the following:
Please note that the school we operate in requires the indoor shoes to protect the school flooring, so your child will not be accepted without them.
We don’t allow children to bring their mobile phones or other personal belongings to the club.
- a healthy packed lunch - NO NUTS
- a named water bottle - no fizzy drinks
- indoor shoes
- weather appropriate clothing for season
Please note that the school we operate in requires the indoor shoes to protect the school flooring, so your child will not be accepted without them.
We don’t allow children to bring their mobile phones or other personal belongings to the club.
WHAT ARE YOUR STAFFING REQUIREMENTS?
All PLAYtarium staff have an Enhanced DBS check, are interviewed, referenced, trained and experienced in working with children. We have a Manager in charge at all clubs, with at least one trained first aider in attendance at all times.
We operate a 1-8 ratio for children.
When on a trip we have a 1-6 ratio to ensure your child's safety whilst outside of the club. (Holiday Club only)
We operate a 1-8 ratio for children.
When on a trip we have a 1-6 ratio to ensure your child's safety whilst outside of the club. (Holiday Club only)
WHY MUST I PAY IN ADVANCE?
There is a high demand for a limited number of places in our clubs. To make sure that our services are used by parents/carers who really need them, we require advance payment. It also means we can provide food and resources for your child.
I'VE MISSED THE 5.30pm BOOKING CUT OFF, WHAT DO I DO?
After this online booking cut off time you will have to call or text the mobile of the club you wish to attend to see if there is space in the session. This will be checked between 5.30-6.00pm and then 7.30-7.45am the following morning. If you haven't had a response you can also try giving them a call.
If there are spaces available you will be charged a £3.00 late-booking fee in addition to the session charge, per child. This fee is only charged if you contact us after closing time of 6.00pm.
If you arrive without making a booking or contacting us via email or text, you will either be refused entry if we are fully booked, or if there is a space available, you will be charged the 'Non-Booking fee' of £5.00 in addition to the cost of the session.
For a full list of our additional fees see our Price / Fees list at the bottom of the 'BOOKING' page
If there are spaces available you will be charged a £3.00 late-booking fee in addition to the session charge, per child. This fee is only charged if you contact us after closing time of 6.00pm.
If you arrive without making a booking or contacting us via email or text, you will either be refused entry if we are fully booked, or if there is a space available, you will be charged the 'Non-Booking fee' of £5.00 in addition to the cost of the session.
For a full list of our additional fees see our Price / Fees list at the bottom of the 'BOOKING' page
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