Holiday schemes provide a solution for parents who are looking for childcare in the school holidays. These are often provided as part of the services of existing out of school clubs although there are also other schemes that only run during the holidays.
These schemes help parents and carers who need formal childcare to help them whilst they work or train or informal schemes where parents can take a much needed break from caring for their child or children full-time. They are a wide variety of activities that come under the banner of holiday care schemes and holiday play schemes - ranging from day trips to sports and drama. They run during the school holidays, and provide another option for parents in caring for a child or children. All play schemes that look after children under the age of eight years old for more than two hours (more than six days per year) must be registered with Ofsted; play schemes for children over eight years can voluntarily register with Ofsted on the childcare register.