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. Both Rachel and Suzy are very proud of the childcare setting that Smiles of Quorn has become.

Providing wraparound childcare since 2018, Smiles of Quorn has continued to grow from strength to strength, and in the summer of 2023 we launched our first ever holiday club. Following the success of that launch, we have expanded our setting to now provide holiday clubs as well as wraparound childcare.

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.

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 enjoy a close working relationship with our local primary school, St.Bartholomew’s Church of England Primary School, but 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 more friends!

What we offer

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. Following the Playwork principles, we offer children free choice and independence through free play whilst still providing a range of adult led activities from our three themes: physical activities, creative activities and fun experiences.

Physical Activities

Children will have the opportunity to get involved in a wide variety of sports and games including football, table tennis, gymnastics cricket and basketball.

Creative Activities

Children will be able to explore a range of creative activities including painting, sculpting, junk modelling, knitting, crafts and performing arts.

Fun Experiences

Children will be able to participate in whole group activities in the community including trips out to the park, ice-cream van, local attractions and nature walks.

Free Play

Children will be able to explore our range of toys and resources with freedom, as they take time to relax and enjoy themselves through play with their friends.

Our holiday club allows children to try a wide range of activities, some known and some brand new. Children refine existing skills whilst developing new ones, which helps them flourish. We are always taking on board children’s comments and any suggestions to ensure all children enjoy the activities we have to offer.

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.

The planning, organisation and leadership of our holiday clubs is the responsibility of our Holiday Club Manager and Deputy Holiday Club Manager, who work under the direction of the setting’s Owner and Managing Director.

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.