Wraparound Care
Childcare Bookings for Schools – booking partners for our new wraparound care
Chigwell Primary Academy will begin running on-site wraparound childcare from Thursday 3rd September 2026. As part of this service, the school have taken the decision to outsource the booking, payment & administration to Childcare Bookings for Schools.
Who are Childcare Bookings for Schools (CBfS)?
CBfS support schools with running their own wraparound childcare, by dealing with all of the booking, payment and associated admin. They are experts in this field, with over 20 years’ experience in the management of childcare.
What is provided for parents?
CBfS support parents with all aspects of booking, payment & administration. This includes:
- The use of a simple, intuitive online booking system, which provides;
- 24/7 access to make & amend bookings, update details, or download financial statements, with;
- Further phone or email support available from 9am-5pm, Monday to Friday, all year round.
For any queries related to the running of the club itself (e.g. food, activities, welfare, or lost property) your point of contact will be the school.
How do parents' book?
You can access the system by visiting: https://chigwell.cbfs.uk/ or using the QR code below:
The account registration process should take no longer than 5 minutes to complete. All that is required is for you to provide details for yourself, your child(ren), emergency contacts, and payment information.
Childcare Bookings for Schools – Frequently Asked Questions
What types of booking will be available?
Permanent bookings – the same sessions each week, guaranteed on a rolling and ongoing basis.
- Cancellation terms: to amend or cancel your whole Permanent Booking, you will need to give 1 months' notice; any individual session cancelled within the booking is non-refundable.
Ad hoc bookings – individual dates with no ongoing commitment, subject to availability at the time of booking. Please note: Ad-hoc sessions cannot be booked further than 5 weeks in advance.
- Cancellation terms: any individual session cancelled with 5 days’ notice will be credited back to your Childcare Bookings account.
When will payment be due for any bookings made?
For permanent bookings – Monthly bills, for the exact amount of that month’s childcare, are processed in advance on the 1st working day of each month. For example, a permanent booking made now will not incur any charge until the 1st of the month it is due to begin. At this point, you do not need to do anything – payment will be taken automatically for all booked sessions falling within that month.
For ad hoc bookings – Payment is due at the time of booking, in order to checkout and complete the process.
What payment methods are available?
We can accept payments via Card, Tax-Free Childcare scheme, or Childcare Voucher scheme.
Our service is also setup to support parents with reclaiming fees via Universal Credit or the Childcare Grant Payment Service (Student Finance).
Please see some further information provided below – after these FAQs, titled ‘Help with Childcare Costs’ – to ensure you are accessing all of the correct available support for paying your childcare fees.
How do I pay via Tax-Free Childcare or a Childcare Voucher scheme?
Once you have registered an account on our online booking system, simply send a payment via Tax Free Childcare or Childcare Voucher, directly to your school.
Once your payment arrives, these funds will be automatically credited to your Account Balance in our online booking system. Your Account Balance can then be used as a payment method when making bookings.
Please note: Tax Free Childcare usually take 2 working days to reach us, and Childcare Voucher payments may take up to 4 working days to reach us. Please bear these time frames in mind when planning your payments. To avoid any further delays, please provide your child’s unique Tax-Free Childcare reference when registering our online system; or use your child’s full name as the reference for any Childcare Voucher payments.
Can I send Tax-Free Childcare or Childcare Voucher payments without making a booking?
Yes – you can make Tax-Free Childcare or Childcare Voucher payments at any point.
Indeed, many CBfS customers build and maintain a surplus in their Online Account Balance to prepare for their monthly bill or avoid waiting for individual payments to clear when making ad-hoc bookings. This credit can be returned to you at any point.
Help with Childcare Costs
Below is a list of payment schemes available to support with childcare costs, together with how to access them.
1. Tax-Free Childcare Scheme
What is it? This government initiative assists parents by topping up their childcare payments. For every £8 a parent deposits into their account, the government adds £2 (up to £2,000 per child, per year).
More information via the government website.
2. Childcare Vouchers
What is it? Although closed to new entrants since October 2018, this scheme allows parents that are already registered to pay for childcare from their pre-tax salary, resulting in savings.
More information via the government website.
3. Universal Credit
What is it? Parents receiving Universal Credit can claim back up to 85% of their childcare costs, offering substantial support for families.
More information via the government website.
4. MOD’s Wraparound Childcare Scheme
What is it? Tailored for military families, this scheme offers completely free childcare for children aged 4-11 years, acknowledging the unique challenges faced by service families.
More information via the government website.
5. Childcare Grant Scheme for Students
What is it? This is a vital resource for full-time students with children, covering up to 85% of childcare costs during both term time and holidays.
More information via the government website.
Any queries
Should you have still have any questions about the service, or registration & booking process, please do not hesitate to get in touch with Childcare Bookings directly at [email protected] or 01444 523335. One of their customer service administrators will be happy to help.