childcare vouchers for online activities

[Marasme]

we have a glut of childcare vouchers which have accumulated since the first lockdown.
DH has changed his job and we are not planning to use after school anymore (or holiday clubs)

I am looking for providers who offer tutoring or activities online in the evenings, WE or holidays - DD would like to do more around creative writing, art or coding (although she already does plenty of coding).

Can anyone recommend any where there is a good interaction with the tutors online?

I don't think you can use them for online activities as they are not providing childcare.

The process for registering to accept childcare vouchers is quite onerous and its unlikely a private tutor will find it worth their while. Some dance/drama/sports providers register, but for in person group classes only.

I've just checked for you (I'm a member of a group of dance/drama providers) and childcare vouchers can only be accepted by OFSTED registered providers for in person classes held at the registered venue. They can not be used for online activities.

You can use them for online courses. We have used them for coding courses - funtech and firetech both accept them so I’m sure others do too.

Hmmm, OFSTED might have something to say about that.

Surely it would be the Treasury rather than OFSTED? They’re OFSTED registered already so I find it hard to be bothered by it. As I understand it there were discussions with relevant parties, I don’t think they just decided to do this.

You have to be OFSTED registered in order to be allowed to accept Childcare vouchers. Most activity OFSTED have informed providers that they can only accept vouchers for in person provision.

They are OFSTED registered so I presume they have come to an arrangement because they aren’t allowed to deliver in person to a group. There is no reason why coding and tutoring can’t be delivered online - the medium lends itself very well. As a user of online drama classes, they work much, much less well as a group activity. Individual online lessons for drama and music do work well though. Sporting based activities obviously don’t work. For once then it seems like someone has applied some rational thinking by allowing the vouchers to be used.

thanks for this info!
i ll go dig a bit deeper - for now, a tutored interactice activity for the DC would be great while I WFH - school does not do anything live, just drop worksheets on them to re-upload.
They miss having the focus of a teacher or tutor or club worker (DDs ballet is on zoom, and she loves to see / hear her teacher in the interactive session)

They can only be used by an OFSTED registered childcare provider for childcare.