Bath Area Play Project

 

 

Importance of play


Bath Area Play Project

has been in existence since 1979 providing open-access holiday playschemes across the city - mainly residential areas, areas where there is little if anything organised for play. Please see our History section for more information.

 

Today BAPP provide five different playschemes in different communities across Bath. These are funded in the main through grants by B&NES Early Years, Childcare and Play Team which determine which areas we work in. All the areas are deemed to be areas of disadvantage and are in the top priority for service provision for the local authority Play Policy.

 

 

BAPP’s inclusive holiday playschemes are open to all children aged 5 - 12 years of age. There are 4 open-access and 1 closed-access.

 

The open-access playschemes are FREE of charge; closed-access there is a small charge and all provide qualified and CRB checked playworkers to facilitate and support children’s play.

 

The playschemes are all registered with OFSTED and can be inspected when they choose. Recent reports are available on the OFSTED website.

 

▪ Closed-access means that children have to be pre-registered with BAPP and the setting has a pre-determined maximum number of children they can have attending one session (the capacity). Information has to be provided by the child’s parent or carer about the child including contact details and details of any allergies.

 

▪ Booking forms are usually sent out from the BAPP office 5-6 weeks prior to the playscheme starting. There is limited transport provided to enable disabled children to access the playscheme, many of whom come from across B&NES and not just in the immediate locality. Approximately 70% of children attending this playscheme are disabled.

 

▪ Open-access means that children are free to come and go as they choose, they are free to choose what and who they play with and the playschemes are free of any costs. The “3 frees” will be used as indicators for Quality Play being developed by the Government to add to Council’s Performance Assessments in 2008.

 

▪ Children just turn up on the first day the playscheme is open to register giving details to the staff which are entered into the register including Name, address, telephone number, date of birth and any allergies or medication they need to have. There is a maximum capacity for open-access determined by the number of staff; the leader carefully monitors numbers to ensure that safety is maintained at all times.

 

For all playschemes staff undergo rigorous training to ensure they are fully aware of their responsibilities; health & safety where staff undertake daily checks and risk assessments of activities; child protection where staff understand their responsibilities; disability awareness where staff develop understanding of inclusion and the social model of disability; behaviour management where they develop strategies for dealing with unacceptable behaviour. There will always be a qualified first aider at each playscheme who has undertaken a 12 hour Paediatric First Aid training.

 

 

All our playschemes follow the 7 Best Play objectives which are:

 

  1. The playscheme offers choice and control that children have over their play, freedom to enjoy and satisfaction they gain from it.

  2. BAPP recognises the child's need to test boundaries and responds positively to that need.

  3. Playscheme manages the balance between risk and keeping children safe from harm.

  4. Playscheme maximises the range of play opportunities.

  5. Playscheme promotes independence and self-esteem.

  6. Playschemes encourage children's respect for others and offers opportunities for social interaction.

  7. Playschemes foster child's well-being, healthy growth and development, knowledge and understanding, creativity and capacity to learn.

 

This means that whilst there is no curriculum for play, no pre-conceived idea of what children should be doing or achieving, there is an understanding by the playwork profession that what we are providing for children is a range of experiences and opportunities for children to develop skills and confidence through play. Playworkers have a very clear role - to facilitate and support children at play; playwork is not about controlling or dictating what children should and shouldn’t do, it is about ensuring children have access to appropriate resources and equipment, that they have space for play and there are people available if they choose to play with someone else.