Invitation to Tender for After School Care Service in N.E.T.N.S.

The Board of Management of Newbridge Educate Together National School is inviting applications from within the school community to provide an After School Care service for the 2010/2011 school year with an option to extend to 2011/2012 school year.

The Board envisages that the service will be provided within the following parameters:

· The service will be provided from a room on the ground floor near to the Junior and Senior Infant classrooms or such other location as the Board may determine.

· It is anticipated that approximately 20 siblings will avail of the service.

· The ratio of children to carers will not exceed 10/1.

· Garda vetting of the supervisors engaged by the service provider will be required.

· It will be a matter for the service provider to set a fee (though it is anticipated that the fee should not differ substantially from the fees charged to date).

· It will be a matter for the service provider to manage the financial aspects i.e. to collect payments from parents / guardians and to discharge any accounts or invoices that may arise.

· The Board is facilitating the service only and the service provider will not be an employee of the Board. Furthermore the Board of Management will not be involved in settling or mediating any dispute which may arise between the service provider and any parent/guardian availing of the service. This will be in internal matter for the service provider.

· The service provider will be responsible for insurance, for payments to any other minder(s)/carers and for additional equipment / materials. A copy of the appropriate insurance policy must be provided to the Board.

· The service provider will not be responsible for heating / electricity costs but it is envisaged that a contribution of 15% of the fee charged by the service provider to parents/guardians will be paid to the Board of Management as a contribution towards the maintenance costs of the school.

· The service provider will liaise on a regular basis with the Board chairperson / school Principal to address any issues that may be of concern to the Board or to the service provider.

· The service provider will have available at all times in the After School Care room a basic first aid kit.

· The service provider will be responsible for ensuring that the After School Care room is cleaned after the children have departed.

· Supervisors engaged by the service provider shall ensure that school classes are not interfered with.
The willingness of the Board of Management to facilitate the After School Care service will be withdrawn if either a serious issue arises, or a series of minor unacceptable ones occur.

The service provider and any supervisors engaged by them are obliged to familiarise themselves with and strictly adhere to the relevant Board Of Management  policies including the Health and Safety policy, the Code of Behaviour, the Positive Language policy, the Anti-Bullying policy, and the policy on Home / School Communication. The guidelines in relation to the safe pedestrian route within the school car park should also be strictly adhered to in relation to the transfer of children to their buses.

The service will be provided in accordance with the attached guidelines in relation to its conduct.

The Board reserves the right to terminate the service in the event of failure to adhere to these parameters, for persistent breach of the aforementioned guidelines, or in the event that the school relocates to a premises that is not suitable to facilitate the service.

Any parent/ guardian or other member of the school community who is interested in providing the service should apply in writing by no later than the 25th June 2010 and should address their application to the Chairperson of the Board. They should state in the application their relevant experience and also their vision for the service.

Applications may be left in the school office, sent by post or emailed to the Board of Management at bom@netns.ie

Sandra Murray

Chairperson, Board of Management.

After School Care Guidelines

The After School Care service is facilitated on school premises and should be run in accordance with the following procedures.

The After School Care hour should engage the children in appropriate activities for their age and ability. The activities should also take into account the time limitations of the After School Care hour.  Notwithstanding the requirement that continuing school classes not be interfered with, it is encouraged that the children avail of fresh air and playtime during this period.

Procedures.

· The room(s) used should be ventilated for a few minutes before 1:10pm, by opening at least one window in each room.

· Children’s behaviour will be of the same standard that is expected of them in classes.

· Supervisors engaged by the service provider will ensure that materials are handled carefully.

· No object relating to the group should be on the floor outside the rooms.

· Broken, incomplete or dangerous toys should not be in the rooms.

· The service provider will have an incident report book and any accidents, breakages, incidents or unruly or unacceptable behaviour will be recorded.

· The service provider will have a roll book recording the names and presence of each child availing of the service. In the event of a child being absent on any given day the class teacher will communicate this information to the service provider.

· Supervisors engaged by the service provider will provide water to the children daily.

· It will be the responsibility of the service provider to ensure the children availing of the service are safely and appropriately transferred to their bus or to the safekeeping of their parent/guardian at the end of the service time daily.