New minibus helping families access childcare in Broads villages
Catfield Primary Academy and Sutton Infant Academy are now able to transport pupils safely and in style thanks to funding received through the government's Childcare Expansion Capital Grant.
The grant scheme is being run alongside the Wraparound Childcare Programme, which is being delivered across the county by Norfolk County Council, and has so far delivered more than 2,000 extra childcare places in the county - supporting families to access childcare before and after school hours.
Norfolk County Council has been working with schools and private and voluntary childcare providers to overcome barriers to accessing high quality childcare and, in rural areas like Catfield and Sutton, transport was seen as a key issue.
The school was awarded £24,995 of funding from the Department of Education capital grant programme to fund the minibus.
The new vehicle will increase pupils access to high quality childcare and extracurricular activities delivered through their breakfast and afterschool clubs.
Councillor Penny Carpenter, cabinet member for Children's Services at Norfolk County Council, said "We are proud that Norfolk was one of four early adopters working to develop the Wraparound Childcare programme, ahead of its national rollout in September 2024.
"The wraparound childcare initiative not only supports working parents but also ensures that children receive high-quality care and educational opportunities."
Natalie Butcher, Executive Head at The Swallowtail Federation, said "The introduction of a minibus to support our wraparound provision has been exceptional. As a federation of small rural schools, we would not be able to offer provision at just one of our sites. The minibus allows the service to be available to all. There are also huge benefits to the children in terms of social development as they are able to interact with peers across the three schools."
Councillor Richard Price, local member for Catfield, said: "It's great to see Norfolk County Council supporting a small rural village school with ensuring wraparound childcare is accessible. This will have a real positive impact on the local children."
The Wraparound Childcare programme aims to support parents and carers by providing primary aged children with access to high-quality childcare before and after the school day. In Summer 2025, an additional 1,943 full wraparound places were delivered across 114 schools. Norfolk now has over 2,000 wraparound places for children and young people, with plans to continue expanding to meet the growing needs of Norfolk families.
For more information about the Wraparound Childcare Programme, please contact [email protected] (monitored Monday - Friday, 9am - 5pm excluding bank holidays). Read our privacy notice to find out how we use your personal information.
