Smiles of Quorn Ltd is multi-award-winning, independent and family-run Out of School Club that is fully insured and Ofsted registered to provide wraparound childcare and holiday clubs, set up in response to a growing demand from working parents for a safe, fun, and stimulating childcare environment.

Our history

Smiles of Quorn was founded in 2018 by good friends and work colleagues, Rachel Marshall and Suzy Saddington, both of whom had many years experience working with children in a pre-school as well as a primary school setting. Since Suzy's departure from the business in 2021, Rachel has continued to lead Smiles of Quorn as a family-run business carrying forwards the same passion and ethos established when we first opened. In the summer of 2023 we launched our first ever holiday club, and following the success of that launch, we have expanded our setting to now provide holiday clubs as well as wraparound childcare. Both Rachel and Suzy are very proud of the childcare setting that Smiles of Quorn has become.

Our location

Smiles of Quorn is based in the heart of the village within the newly refurbished, modern and fantastic facilities at The Deep End, Rawlins. As well as the spacious and welcoming indoor spaces, we are fortunate to have outstanding outdoor facilities including an all-weather 3G pitch, ball courts, grass fields and a Forest School with outdoor den building and woodland area.

For our wraparound childcare provision this means that we are based just a healthy walk away from the children's school, St.Bartholomew’s Church of England Primary School. Research shows that 4 out of 5 children are not getting enough exercise and at Smiles we see this walk to and from school as a great positive. Just a short walk like this can help improve your child’s mood, self-esteem and energy whilst keeping them healthy. We also note the importance of the children not feeling the club is a continuation of their school day, the change of setting helps welcome the children into the relaxed and safe environment where they can play and socialise.

With great transport links both by road and public transport including a bus stop right outside, our holiday club serves the local village and beyond. We welcome children aged 4-11 from primary schools across the county to our holiday club. This can help build children's confidence in learning how to navigate new situations independently, in a safe environment with similar aged children, which is a great life skill. Furthermore, mixing, and learning how to work together as a team with children from different schools, areas and backgrounds is a valuable lifelong skill, as well as a great opportunity to make new friends!

What we offer

At our wraparound childcare provision, we follow the Playwork Principles, offering the children a free choice and independence whilst still providing a range of adult-led activities with different themes each week. Children will have the opportunity to engage in a range of activities including arts and crafts, construction, small world play, sports, quiet areas, book clubs, board games, literacy and numeracy zones, karaoke, dance, yoga and mindfulness. Children also have access to outstanding outdoor facilities with courts, fields and a den building area.

As a holiday club variety is at the heart of our vision, we want to provide something different to the traditional offer which often focuses on a specific theme or area. We provide a holistic and varied experience for our children so that children of all ages with all different interests are engaged and entertained throughout the day. Like our wraparound childcare provision we offer free choice and independence through free play as well as providing a range of planned activities from our three themes: physical activities, creative activities and fun experiences.

We are always taking on board children’s comments and any suggestions to ensure all children enjoy the activities we have to offer.

What we provide

At Smiles of Quorn, we understand the importance of healthy eating and therefore we provide a wide range of healthy and tasty breakfast and snacks for the children attending our wraparound childcare provision and always make fresh fruit, vegetables and salad available. We promote independence, by encouraging the children to prepare their own snacks, another fun activity for the children, and to clear away after themselves with the supervision and support of the team. Children are encouraged to sit and enjoy their breakfast or snack within a social environment at the snack table. We use fresh ingredients and follow statutory food hygiene guidelines, something that has been recognised by our achievement of a 5 star food hygiene rating at both of our previous inspections. We will always meet individual dietary requirements and parental preferences wherever possible.

Organisation

Smiles of Quorn is run as a private business, owned and managed by Rachel, who holds a Level 3 qualification in the Early Years along with Paediatric First aid, Enhanced DSB certificate, safeguarding and many other related qualifications for childcare.

Our Awards and Recognitions

In 2021 we were inspected by Ofsted, achieving the highest possible outcome for out of school care providers and outstanding feedback. As we are registered to provide the snacks we offer, we are routinely inspected by Environmental Health in October 2019, June 2021 and June 2024 when on all occasions we achieved a top food hygiene rating of 5. In 2022, after an expert review of all our safeguarding arrangements and successful submission of the SAFE risk assessment, we were officially awarded the the Safer Activities for Everyone 'SAFE Award' which recognises excellence in safeguarding. The Out-of-School Club Awards, or OSCAS (a shameless appropriation of the OSCARS), are a national award organised by Club Central that celebrates all that is brilliant about our sector. In 2023, Rachel was crowned Manager of the Year at these awards, a huge achievement! The judges said, “The winner of the Manager of the Year Award was selected because she is passionate about improving children’s experiences in life, she cares about the wellbeing of her staff and values feedback from external stakeholders.”

Our aims

We recognise each child as an individual with many diverse talents and skills. We want children to be truly happy and content in our setting so that you as their parent/carer feel confident that your child is well looked after and enjoys the club.