'˜Outstanding' rating for out-of-school club

Established in 2001 by Jacqueline Midgley, who was frustrated by the lack of access to high-quality child care that was fun and engaging for her children, The Out of School Experience has become the first chain of out-of-school clubs in Lancashire to achieve the lofty accolade from the regulatory service, with five of its six branches currently deemed ‘outstanding’ and the sixth awaiting inspection in the coming months. I decided that the only way to guarantee that children would be at the heart of everything was to open The Out of School Experience and build a community where children come first,” said Jacqueline.

Ofsted were full of praise for the Cliviger branch, commenting that the staff are ‘excellent’ role models, while children ‘take responsibility for how the club is run’ as they ‘suggest resource ideas’ and ‘develop exceptional levels of confidence and superb emotional security.’

Nicola Green, Senior Manager of the Out of School Experience, said: “It’s a real family business and we are all ecstatic that the hard work we put in each day has been recognized by the Ofsted inspectors.

“The thing that makes our Out of School Experience clubs unique is that we focus on giving the children a voice in everything we do and this is something the inspectors have picked up on.”

As well as the Cliviger branch based in Cliviger Town Hall, The Out of School Experience has clubs in Padiham, Simonstone, Blackburn, Osbaldeston and Samlesbury. “Less than 2 in a 100 out of school clubs have achieved the Outstanding grade,” continued Nicola.

“To have done it on all five of the clubs to date shows we are taking the right approach.”