National Minimum Standards for Regulated Day Care - Open Access Play for children aged 5 years to 12 years: statutory guidance - Audience and overview
Standards of care open access play providers must meet to look after children age 5 years to 12 years.
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Standard 17: Environment
Child’s Voice: I play in a space that’s safe, interesting, and gives me lots of choice.
Well-being Outcome: Children access safe, stimulating indoor and outdoor environments supporting exploration, movement, creativity and play.
The registered person is responsible for ensuring that:
17.1 The setting is welcoming and friendly to children and parents and provides a rich environment for play.
17.2 The physical (whether indoor and outdoor) environment is safe, secure and suitable for its purpose. The provision provides adequate space in an appropriate location, is welcoming to children and offers access to the necessary facilities for a range of activities that promote their play.
17.3 Play areas are large enough to give scope for free movement and well spread out activities.
17.4 A separate space is available for children who want to relax or play quietly.
17.5 The number or children cared for in an outdoor space should be clearly considered in a risk assessment. The risk assessment should set out how many children can be cared for safely at any one time.
17.6 Exceptionally, where outdoor play space cannot be provided, children are safely escorted to local parks, playgrounds or the equivalent on a regular basis.
17.7 Within the services’ operational plan, it is clear how the play space will be used to provide activities for groups of children and how staff will be deployed.
17.8 Indoor playing space in open access play provision provides at least the following minimum space per child:
- 3 to 12 years - 2.3 sq. metres.
17.9 In calculating the space requirement for indoor space the calculation must exclude toilets, storage areas, thoroughfares, dedicated staff areas, cloakrooms, utility rooms, and kitchens.
17.10 Indoor premises that are part of the provision are clean, well-lit with adequate natural lighting, adequately ventilated and maintained in a suitable state of repair and decoration.
17.11 There is access to a telephone.
17.12 In line with the service provided there are suitable arrangements for the use of toilets and hand-washing facilities.
17.13 There are arrangements in place where confidential information and necessary records can be stored securely and where staff may talk to parents confidentially.
To assist providers, the principal regulatory requirements underpinning this standard are outlined below, followed by relevant guidance. Providers should note that neither list is exhaustive, and that providers must have regard to all standards relevant to their service and the circumstances concerned.
Related Regulations
Further Guidance
Balancing risk in outdoor learning
Promoting physical activity through outdoor play
Developing and managing play spaces
Creating accessible play spaces - a toolkit
Managing Risk in Play Provision: A Position Statement
Managing Risk in Play Provision: Implementation Guide
Risk Benefit Assessment Form - Blank
Risk Benefit Assessment Form - Worked Example