As a brand-new primary school, Cringleford Prep opened its doors with a clear understanding of modern parent expectations.
For many families, wraparound care in schools is essential- not optional.
Headteacher Carmel Greene recognised this early:
“Parents would want wraparound care… I wanted to be in a place where we could have that ready from the get go.”
With no existing infrastructure, the school needed a reliable, high-quality before and after school care provision in place immediately – one that would reassure parents and support working families.
At the same time, Cringleford Prep wanted to build a strong enrichment offer without compromising the quality of care or overextending internal staff.
To meet demand from day one, Cringleford Prep partnered with Premier Education to deliver a fully managed, outsourced wraparound care solution.
While in-house provision was considered, the school quickly identified the challenges, ranging from safeguarding responsibilities to operational strain.
“I very quickly arrived at the decision that it was not best… having a provider whose sole purpose is delivering high-quality wraparound care was a major consideration.”
By outsourcing, the school was able to:
At the heart of Cringleford Prep’s approach is child wellbeing.
From the earliest conversations, the school and Premier Education aligned on a shared priority: ensuring every child feels safe, supported, and cared for beyond the school day.
“The priority had to be around wellbeing… parents needed to be assured that their child would be really well taken care of.”
This was especially important for younger pupils adjusting to longer days in a new environment. The consistent, nurturing approach from Premier staff helped build immediate trust with families.
“Parents were worried about leaving their four-year-olds… they were immediately reassured by the warmth and care that the staff gave them.”
Daily communication between wraparound staff and teachers ensures continuity of care, supporting both safeguarding and a positive parent experience.
A key goal was ensuring wraparound care felt like a natural extension of the school, not a separate service.
“I wanted Premier to feel like an extension of our school rather than a bolt-on.”
This was achieved through:
Children move seamlessly from classroom to care provision, while parents benefit from a consistent and familiar experience.
By choosing an external wraparound care provider, Cringleford Prep unlocked the ability to grow a separate enrichment programme.
“Wraparound care is a non-negotiable… but we also wanted to build an enrichment offer alongside it.”
The result is a flexible model where:
This ensures that primary school childcare provision and enrichment opportunities coexist, rather than compete.
As Cringleford Prep continues to expand, demand for wraparound care is increasing – reflecting wider trends in working parent needs and school childcare expectations.
“As we grow as a school… that demand is there, and we expect that need to replicate year on year.”
Premier Education’s model has enabled the school to scale provision in line with pupil growth, without compromising quality or increasing internal workload.
Since opening, wraparound care has become a core part of the school’s offering:
“I’m really glad we made the decision… I can clearly see the benefits and the challenges we would have faced doing it ourselves.”
With a strong foundation in place, Cringleford Prep is well-positioned to meet future demand.
By embedding high-quality wraparound care from the start, the school has created a scalable, sustainable model that supports both families and staff, while continuing to grow its wider school offering.
By combining reliable childcare, enriching activities, and a safe and nurturing environment, Premier Education helps schools offer wraparound care that working families can truly depend on.
If your school is looking to introduce or improve its before and after school provision, we’d love to show you what’s possible.
Explore our wraparound care and find out how we can support your school.
Happy Kids. Healthy Futures.
