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<p>The out-of-hours term time and holiday childcare that schools provide are vital
to working parents. Many parents still find that the high cost and inflexibility of
childcare is a barrier to working, or increasing their working hours. The Government
wants more schools to make their facilities available to the local community. The
Department for Education believes that if schools open up their facilities, it can
make them a valuable resource and can strengthen links with the wider community that
they serve. The Department wants to encourage more schools to offer childcare between
8am to 6pm during term time and during school holidays by removing all unnecessary
red tape and increasing freedoms. For example, we are removing the need for schools
to have to consult when introducing community facilities and to have regard to guidance
from my Rt. hon Friend the Secretary of State for Education or local authorities and
we are clarifying the rules on charging for community facilities.</p>
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