Creating a robust wraparound care parental demand survey that provides reliable feedback

Read on for some key insights based on our experience of working with schools that are starting their own provision.

Getting started

Creating a reliable survey to assess demand for wraparound care can be challenging. Schools often use a survey to test levels of interest, particularly when they have received repeated requests for on-site childcare from a vocal group of parents.

On the surface, this appears to be a sensible approach. It allows the school to assess demand before committing significant time and resources to considering how the club might operate. After all, there is little reason to proceed if demand is too low to make the club viable.

But what happens when the survey results suggest that there is ample demand to make the club work?

Beware of overly optimistic results and responses

We have worked with numerous schools to help them survey parents and have found that, overall, most survey results overestimate likely attendance.

The attendance figures suggested by surveys are frequently higher than those that materialise when the club first opens. That does not mean the club cannot grow into a highly successful provision, and occasionally a club may be busier than the survey suggested from the outset. However, survey responses should always be treated with a healthy degree of caution.

Why might parents overestimate their usage?

We have found that parents may overestimate how frequently they will use the club for several reasons:

1. Encouraging the school to proceed: Parents may indicate that they will use the club more frequently than they genuinely expect to because they want to encourage the school to establish the provision.

2. Existing childcare arrangements: Parents may already have childcare arrangements that are subject to notice periods. This can create a delay before the bookings identified in the survey begin to materialise.

3. Changes in circumstances: A parent’s working arrangements or childcare requirements may change between completing the survey and the club opening.

4. The “wait and see” factor: Some parents will wait until the club is established before committing to bookings, even if they previously indicated that they would require an immediate start.

Do the thinking before surveying parents

Although it may seem counterintuitive, it is better to consider how the club will operate before surveying parents.

A general survey is unlikely to produce reliable results. However, if you are clear about what the club will cost and what the provision will include, such as food, opening hours and planned activities, parents will be better able to provide realistic responses. You can then use those responses to make a more informed decision about whether to proceed.

It is worth developing the basic structure of the club before approaching parents. If you need help working through the options, please get in touch.

So, how can you create a survey that reduces these risks and produces results that are as reliable as possible?

Six key things to include in your survey

1. Take your time to get the survey right

It may sound obvious, but take time to consider the information you need and the best way to phrase each question. A carefully prepared survey is much more likely to produce useful answers on which you can base informed decisions.

2. Ask focused questions

Avoid asking a broad question such as, “Do you plan to use the club?”

Instead, ask more specific questions, such as:

• On which days will you require a regular booking?
• How many days per week are you likely to require ad-hoc childcare?

The more focused the questions are, the more precise and useful the results are likely to be.

3. Be specific about what you are providing

Providing breakfast and after-school childcare is different from offering extracurricular activities, and it is important to distinguish between the two.

We generally recommend charging for the full childcare session rather than treating the provision as a collection of individual activities. For more information, see our blog post on setting prices.

4. Tell parents what it will cost

At the beginning of the survey, provide a brief outline of the proposed club and tell parents exactly what it will cost. Ask them to answer the questions with the proposed prices, opening times and other details in mind.

For help with setting appropriate fees, see our pricing guide.

5. Compare the results with typical attendance figures

Based on our experience, approximately 17.5% of the school roll may use a wraparound childcare service. Parents book an average of around 2.2 after-school sessions per week, while breakfast club attendance is often approximately 60% of after-school club attendance.

Compare your survey results with these typical figures:

School roll	Expected childcare roll	Expected daily attendance
		Breakfast club	After-school club
210	37	10	17
315	55	15	25
420	74	20	33
525	92	25	42
630	110	30	50

6. Secure a deposit

When the survey response is positive and the numbers appear viable, consider asking parents to pay a deposit to secure their place.

Requiring a deposit helps distinguish between parents who are genuinely committed to making a booking and those who expressed interest but are not yet ready to proceed.

Next steps

You have sent your survey, received positive responses and feel confident that the club can succeed. The next step is to establish the provision.

There are numerous tasks to complete to ensure that the club is set up correctly and operates smoothly after opening.

There is no need to reinvent the wheel. Download our free start-up to-do list to help ensure that you have everything covered.

Good luck, and please get in touch if you would like to discuss any aspect of starting or operating your wraparound childcare provision. We would be delighted to hear from you.