"City Kids Playcentre" was registered with the Charities Commission and Ofsted in 1981 by a group of parents wanting quality after-school care for their children and is committed to providing a comfortable and stimulating environment for children as well as always aiming to achieve high standards of excellence in childcare provision. To this end we provide a minimum staffing ratio of 1 Playworker to every 8 children. 

From September 2023, we started to operate under a new identity: "City Kids Playcentre CIO" to reflect a change to being structured as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation. This change of identity also resulted in a new Ofsted registration, as well as with the Charities Commission and HMRC. Our every day operations, our play team and our care for the children of St Albans remains unchanged. For the purposes of general description, we like to continue to be known as "City Kids"

City Kids continues to be managed by a small group of parents on behalf of all the parents who access the club and this management Committee has legal obligations.  We are a registered charity (strutured as a charitable incorporated organisation),  run by a committee on a volunteer basis, comprising of parents of children attending St Albans RC Primary. 

City Kids offer two sessions a day, Monday to Friday during term time (excluding bank holidays and teacher-training days). Breakfast club runs from 7.30am – 9.00am and after school club runs from 3.15pm – 6.00pm. We are also offer a limited number of half sessions from 3.15pm – 4.45pm.

Breakfast is provided during the breakfast club and a light snack during the after school club.  We follow the Cambridgeshire County Council guidelines to ensure we offer the children a healthy buffet style menu. In the morning this includes a choice of cereals, fresh fruit, yoghurts and toast. In the afternoon snacks include pitta bread and tortillas with various fillings such as ham, chicken or cheese and salad items. The children always have access to water, juice and milk throughout the session as well as fresh fruit.

Weather permitting, key stage 1 and 2 children attending breakfast club play outside before the school day begins.  At 8.45 the key stage 2 children are supervised into the school and the Key stage 1 children are escorted to their classrooms.

Children attending the after school club are collected from St Alban’s School by City Kids staff at the end of the school day, and are escorted to the Parish Hall which is situated next to St Alban’s school, key stage 2 playground.

Activities
Our team at the Playcentre have a range of qualifications in childcare as well as other subjects that benefit the children. They enthusiastically engage with the children providing a mixture of adult led activities, and child initiated activities. Our ultimare goal is happy parents/carers and children. In addition to structured activities planned every day, a wide selection of other activities are always available, including:

Dress up and role-play                                                       Outdoor play and sports including:
Toys and games                                                                Roller skating
Arts and crafts                                                                   ‘Tag’
Quiet area for reading books
Lego
Kitchen and shop
TV, DVD’s