Rocketeers Childcare Blog

We're Hiring: Out of School Club Manager

Thu, 09 Oct 2025 12:36:54 GMT

Role Details

Out of School Club Manager – Term Time Only

Inspiring Play, Leading Teams, Making a Difference

Location: Horsham, West Sussex Hours: 30 hours per week

7.00am – 9.00am (Before School)
2.30pm – 6.15pm (After School)
Plus 1.25 hours per week working from home for planning and admin

Salary: £23,400 pro rata

About Us

Rocketeers is a trusted local childcare provider with over 10 years’ experience delivering high-quality wraparound care. We’re passionate about creating safe, welcoming, and fun environments where children can thrive before and after school. You’ll be joining a supportive and experienced team who will make sure you feel equipped and valued from day one. This is a fantastic opportunity for someone who loves working with children and wants to play a key role in supporting families in the local community. Whether you’re an experienced club manager or a deputy ready to take the next step, we’d love to hear from you.

The Role

As our Club Manager, you will:

Lead the day-to-day operations of the club, ensuring a safe, caring, and inclusive environment
Plan and deliver engaging play opportunities that spark creativity and support wellbeing
Supervise and motivate a team of playworkers, supporting their growth and development
Build positive relationships with parents, schools, and the wider community
Manage registers, paperwork, and compliance with Ofsted and company policies
Keep the play space welcoming, organised, and safe for all
Promote a culture where children’s voices are heard and respected

About You

We’re looking for someone who is:

Experienced in working in a childcare or play based setting
Passionate about working with children and committed to their safety and wellbeing
A natural leader with good communication and teamwork skills
Organised and confident with administration and basic IT
Calm under pressure, with a sense of fun and creativity

What We Offer

Competitive pay, with potential for a higher rate for experienced candidates
Holiday pay and five days paid absence through the year
Voluntary workplace pension scheme available
Paid induction and funded training in essentials like First Aid and Safeguarding
A welcoming, supportive team and positive working environment
Opportunities for ongoing professional development
Consistent term-time hours (30 per week), with optional extra hours in school holidays
The chance to be part of a trusted, growing organisation that makes a real difference for families
Free childcare available

Wraparound Programme Funding Grant Update

Tue, 30 Sep 2025 09:13:53 GMT

Wraparound Programme Funding Is Being Extended

The Department for Education (DfE) has confirmed a more flexible approach to the final stages of the Wraparound Programme Funding. Importantly, any unspent grant can now be carried forward into 2026/27. As a result, applications for grant funding have been reopened. These will be reviewed term by term and processed on a first come, first served basis until the remaining funding is allocated.

Funding can now be offered to schools that do not yet meet the DfE’s expectation of full wraparound. While the aim remains for schools to provide the full offer for parents, operating 8.00am to 6.00pm, Monday to Friday, the DfE recognises that in some cases this is not necessary to meet parental demand, or is too difficult to provide at present. In these circumstances, schools are encouraged to offer some childcare rather than none.

The updated approach allows funding for partial wraparound places where this supports the ethos of the programme. This can include:

Creating or expanding provision where there is clear evidence of local demand, such as unmet need for after-school places
Increasing availability of places through new provision, longer hours or more hours in existing settings
Ensuring funded places are consistently available during term time to support working parents
Viewing partial places as a pathway towards full wraparound provision
Providing childcare at least three days per week, even if the availability varies by day
Offering before-school care (minimum 30 minutes) and after-school care (minimum 90 minutes), potentially with different providers and varying numbers of places
Allowing special schools, by exception, to offer shorter hours or fewer days while working towards a fuller offer.

For more information, contact equiries@rocketeerschildcare.co.uk

Wraparound Care with Rocketeers is Coming to Rusper Primary

Mon, 21 Jul 2025 09:54:33 GMT

Exciting News

Hello families,

We’re thrilled to announce that Rocketeers Childcare will be providing wraparound care for children attending Rusper Primary School , starting this September.

Our sessions will run from Bohunt Horsham , with both breakfast and after-school clubs available. Whether you need care in the morning, after school or both, we’ve got you covered.

Here’s how it’ll work:

Drop-off and pick-up will take place at Bohunt Horsham
After school, children will be collected from Rusper Primary and brought to Bohunt by Rocketeers
Please note that children with us after school won’t be able to attend clubs at Rusper on those days
All transport between sites is arranged and managed by us
Booking and communication will be handled directly by our team

We’re really looking forward to welcoming new faces and becoming part of the Rusper Primary community.

�� To find out more or to book a place, just get in touch at: enquiries@rocketeerschildcare.co.uk

Warm wishes,
The Rocketeers Team ��

Children's Parade 2025

Mon, 16 Jun 2025 18:26:48 GMT

We're back as Headline Sponsor!

We're thrilled to announce that Rocketeers will once again be a headline sponsor for the Horsham Children’s Parade , returning on Sunday 6th July 2025 , themed “Celebrating Sussex.”

Expect hundreds of vibrant costumes and artworks crafted in partnership with community artists, plus live music from Boom Tribe , Brighton School of Samba , and Kings of Dhol

The parade starts at 11 am on Denne Road and winds into Horsham Park , marking the opening of Rotary Club’s Funday Sunday, and wraps up by midday . And best of all it's free to watch !

Why We’re Involved

We believe in celebrating and championing our local communities. Supporting this event means:

Empowering creativity through engaging arts workshops in schools.

Bringing families together in a joyful, inclusive public celebration.

Investing in local identity, helping children learn and express what makes Sussex special.

Our very own Ciara Keene summed it up best: “We’re immensely proud… as it celebrates the communities we serve and ignites the imagination of local children in such a big way.”