Frequently Asked Questions
You’ve got questions, we’ve got answers! Hopefully, all the answers you need but if there is something else you want to know, head over to the Contact page to get in touch.
How much will it cost?
Parent fees have been set as:
All day sessions will be £35
Half day sessions will be £20
Where is the club based?
The club rents space is Ysgol Bryn Derw, Melfort Road, Newport, NP20 3FQ. We are, however, entirely independent from Ysgol Bryn Derw and not part of the school.
What are the session pick-up and drop-off times?
Full-day sessions are from 8.30 am to 5.00 pm.
Morning sessions start at 8.30 am and finish at 12.30 pm.
Afternoon sessions start at 1 pm and finish at 5.00 pm.
The earliest time you can drop off in the morning session is 8.30 am but you are welcome to drop off later if that suits you better.
For morning only sessions, please collect your child by 12.30 pm or earlier if you prefer.
For afternoon-only sessions, you can drop off anytime after 1 pm or later if you prefer.
At the end of the day, children must be collected no later than 5.00 pm.
Drop off and pick up will be at the white double doors bottom corridor entrance of the main building at Ysgol Bryn Derw, Melfort Road, Newport, NP20 3FQ.
You will be required to sign your child in at the start of a session and out at the end of a session.
Please remember to observe social distancing when dropping off or picking up.
For all-day sessions, what happens about lunch?
For children staying all day, we ask that you send in a packed lunch with your child and some snacks, if a child is hungry we make sure they have something to eat and water is available all day.
What will the children do when they are with you?
We will develop our full range of activities when we have recruited the core team. Depending on the child’s needs, the activities may be child-led or may be more structured using schedules and choice boards, etc.
We expect it to be a range of typical play activities such as:
sensory play (water or sand play, play dough, jelly, food tasting, etc.),
Sing and dance,
outdoor play or nature walks,
using the soft play and sensory rooms,
Art and craft activities,
reading,
role pay (with toys such as construction sets including bricks, Duplo, etc.)
We expect to use the outdoor space a lot as we know that will suit a lot of children. We will be running some one-to-one activities and some group activities. We will also ask you to let us know what your child enjoys doing when you register and book sessions with us.
How can I book a place for my child?
Click here for registration details.
Are you a registered childcare provision?
Yes, we secured registration with Care Inspectorate Wales (CIW) in 2021.
The fees are higher than I have paid for holiday play sessions, why is that?
These fees are in line with the average cost for (mainstream) childcare provision in Newport.
However, for ASD provision, we need a much higher staff-to-child ratio than mainstream childcare. As much as possible this will be paid for through the Extra Hands grants from Clybiau Plant Cymru Kids’ Club, Oak Hill ASD childcare provision will be a charity (not-for-profit), as such should there be any surplus funds they would remain in the charity to pay for toys, materials (paint, sand, etc.) and, if possible, future trips out.
We expect this to run at a substantial loss, so to supplement the fees, the volunteers on the management committee will be continually applying for funding from charitable organisations, big businesses, and local and national government to keep it running - we are confident that can do this.
Why do I have to pay fees and apply for an Extra Hands grant?
Your fees cover the running of the childcare facility (things like rent, equipment, snacks, and the salary of the core staff). The Extra Hands grant pays for the additional staff we need to recruit in order to provide 1:1 support for your child.
Where will the childcare be run?
Oak Hill ASD Childcare have a tenancy agreement with Norse Newport in order to use parts of the Ysgol Bryn Derw ASD special school and the outside area for the childcare provision. This school is a perfect location for child care of children with ASD and complex needs, having wide corridors, sensory rooms, soft play, fob-secured doors, etc. throughout the building. We are, however, entirely independent from Ysgol Bryn Derw.
Who will be looking after the children?
CIW requires a minimum of 1 adult to 8 children, but we know that this does not adequately support children with ASD and complex needs, so we will be applying for the Extra Hands grant to pay for as many one-to-one support staff that are needed.
The manager and deputy will be qualified playworkers. As far as possible, we would love to recruit teaching assistants and support workers from the Newport special education profession with extensive experience working with young people with ASD. We aim to only recruit people with experience caring for children with ASD and complex needs. We will also provide any ASD training that is necessary and/or beneficial.
Who can use this provision?
You can apply to access Oak Hill ASD Childcare on behalf of children or young people aged 4 - 19 if they have a diagnosis of autism and complex needs and are unable to access mainstream childcare provision (dependant on us being able to meet the child’s needs, this is assessed through home visits, contact with schools and social care).
Will there be transport available?
Unfortunately, we cannot provide transport to and from the childcare provision. In the future, if we were able to raise enough funds, we may consider if this is a service we can offer.
Do you accept childcare vouchers? Is there any assistance available to help pay the fees?
As a registered childcare provider, you may be able to get assistance from schemes such as Tax-Free Childcare, Universal Credit, Child Tax Credit, Working Tax Credit, Care to Learn, Learner Support, and 4 yr old childcare 30hr Grant.
How can ask more questions? How can I keep informed about the provision?
For more information, to express an interest in using the provision and to be kept up to date, you can email the Manager at info@oakhilllasd.com.
Please visit the website and our social media pages for updates.
I haven’t had a response to my question yet - when will someone get back to me?
We are answering everyone’s questions as quickly as possible. At the moment all contacts are being monitored by volunteers so please be patient when waiting for a response.
Is Oak Hill ASD Childcare run by or associated to Ysgol Bryn Derw special school?
No. We are a completely independent business. We are based in part of the school which we rent from Norse Newport (the landlords of the Ysgol Bryn Derw school building).
Is Oak Hill ASD Childcare run by or associated to Newport City Council?
No. We are a completely independent charity.
What should my child bring with them?
For children staying for the full day, you must send their lunch in with them. Please note, we are a nut-free provision - do not send in any nuts or food containing nuts or raw eggs.
Please send an extra set of clothes for your child in case they get wet or dirty and your child wants to get changed.
We will be accessing the outside area as much as possible so please bring wet weather clothing.
For children who are incontinent, please be sure to provide nappies and an additional change of clothes.
If your child has a particular item (e.g. book, toy, blanket) that you feel they would benefit from having with them, please feel free to send them in, however, unfortunately, we can not be held liable should anything happen to that item while it is at the provision.
What do I need to tell you about my child?
We will be washing hands regularly through the day, and also using hand sanitiser. If you do not want your child to use hand sanitiser, please let us know.
We will be providing baking activities during the sessions, please let us know if your child has allergies, or if you prefer them to not take part.
If your child has any allergies - food or otherwise - please ensure we know and you share with us your allergy action plan (if you have one) and complete our medication form for any emergency medication required during club opening hours.
In order to give your child the best possible experience while in our care, please provide us with a “One Page Profile” of your child. Your school may have one they can share with you that you can then send to us or we have an “All About Me!” template file you can complete yourself. The kind of information we are looking for are:
What do they like doing and/or playing?
What don’t they like doing/playing with?
What can make your child happy?
What can make your child sad?
Is there anything we should avoid doing that might upset your child?
If your child gets upset, what is the best way we can support them to make them feel better?
How does your child communicate?How can we best communicate with your child?
What does your child need assistance with?
What does your child prefer to be independent with?
And anything else you can think of that will help us to help them.