The Play Professionals
The Play Professionals is a UK-registered charity providing Ofsted-regulated wraparound childcare (Breakfast Club, After School Club, Holiday Playscheme, INSET Days, and Superheroes emergency care) for children aged 3-11 across 10 South London primary school sites, with bookings managed through the Magic Bookings online platform.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1995
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What The Play Professionals does
The Play Professionals is a UK-registered charity (Charity No. 1108509; Company No. 5347511) operating since 1995 to deliver Ofsted-regulated wraparound childcare for children aged 3-11 across 10 partner primary school sites in South London, with one new Central London site at King's Cross Academy opening January 2026. Its core services comprise Breakfast Club (£5-£7/session), After School Club (£15-£17/session), Holiday Playscheme (full-day structured activities with arts, sports, and trips), INSET Day provision (£25-£35/session), and a differentiated 'Superheroes' emergency same-day childcare service (£8-£21). Parent-facing transactions — registration, session booking, change/cancellation requests, and payments — are handled through the third-party Magic Bookings online platform, supplemented by Microsoft Forms for Special Educational Needs intake.
Commercial mechanics are direct-to-consumer: parents register online, book sessions on a pay-as-you-go basis, and can apply childcare vouchers via providers such as Sodexo, Edenred, and Computershare. The company has ten named management team members (Heads of Service, Operations, SENCO, Finance, HR) and a Board of Trustees chaired by Nick Mason (since 2014). As a non-profit, the entity reinvests all surpluses into services; free taster sessions and 10% sibling/full-week discounts are offered. Pricing is published across all services, and all Ofsted-registered centres have achieved MET ratings in their most recent inspections (most recent: St Leonard's 19/09/2025). The website emphasises trust signals — 30-year history, qualified staff, robust safeguarding, and Charity Excellence Framework recognition — over growth marketing.
The Play Professionals firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Play Professionals
- Legal name
- The Play Professionals (Trading as Trojans Scheme)
- Website
- https://playp.org.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1995
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- The Play Professionals is a UK-registered charity providing Ofsted-regulated wraparound childcare (Breakfast Club, After School Club, Holiday Playscheme, INSET Days, and Superheroes emergency care) for children aged 3-11 across 10 South London primary school sites, with bookings managed through the Magic Bookings online platform.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Play Professionals industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Out-of-School Childcare Services
- NAICS
- Child Care Services (62441), Child and Youth Services (62411), Child Care Services (624410)
- SIC
- Services-Child Day Care Services (8351), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Drop-In / Flexible Before/After Care Services (Early Years) (EDACAHAF)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Holiday, Inset-Day & Break Coverage Programs (Early Years) (EDACAHAK), School-Age Wraparound Childcare Centers (Holiday/Break Care) (EDACAAAL)
Keywords
Where The Play Professionals is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices10 records
Markets served
The Play Professionals business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Childcare Session Fees: Fees charged per session for Breakfast Club, After School Club, and Holiday Playscheme. Pricing varies by location and service type. Regular bookings generate recurring revenue through term-time sessions. Emergency 'Superheroes' service provides premium-priced same-day slots at higher rates.
- Holiday and INSET Day Provision: Holiday club sessions and INSET day childcare offered during school breaks, providing additional revenue outside term-time with full-day and half-day session options.
- Voucher Scheme Partnerships: Accepts childcare vouchers from multiple employers and voucher providers including Sodexo, Edenred, Computershare, and others, providing parents flexible payment options.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Breakfast Club - Standard Session |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | After School Club - Standard Session |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Superheroes Emergency Childcare |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Stay & Play Extended Sessions |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Holiday Playscheme Sessions |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | INSET Days Provision |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels5 records
The Play Professionals product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Play Professionals provides before-school, after-school, holiday, INSET-day, and emergency childcare programmes for children aged 3-11, delivered on-site at 10 partner primary schools across South London. Services are booked and paid for by parents and carers through the proprietary Magic Bookings online platform, which supports one-off and recurring session reservations across all locations.
Product overview
The Play Professionals operates as a unified childcare service provider offering Breakfast Clubs, After School Clubs, Holiday Playschemes, and INSET Days Provision across multiple school locations in London. The core offering consists of professional out-of-school childcare services for children aged 3-11, complemented by a unique Superheroes emergency childcare add-on for last-minute bookings. All services are managed through the Magic Bookings technology platform for registration, booking, and payment processing.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Breakfast Club
Quantifiable outcome
- All Ofsted-registered centres rated MET in latest inspections
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use The Play Professionals
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
The Play Professionals technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration4 records
Feature1 record
The Play Professionals partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
The Play Professionals competitors and assessment
Company assessmentMarket position
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
The Play Professionals social profiles
Digital presenceThe Play Professionals compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
The Play Professionals financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Play Professionals leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
The Play Professionals funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Play Professionals M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The Play Professionals
What does The Play Professionals do?
The Play Professionals provides before-school, after-school, holiday, INSET-day, and emergency childcare programmes for children aged 3-11, delivered on-site at 10 partner primary schools across South London. Services are booked and paid for by parents and carers through the proprietary Magic Bookings online platform, which supports one-off and recurring session reservations across all locations.
Is The Play Professionals a public or private company?
The Play Professionals is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was The Play Professionals founded?
The Play Professionals was founded in 1995. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is The Play Professionals based?
The Play Professionals is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does The Play Professionals make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Childcare Session Fees are the primary driver. The others are holiday and INSET Day Provision and voucher Scheme Partnerships.
Does The Play Professionals have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Play Professionals.
What industry is The Play Professionals in?
The Play Professionals's product category is Out-of-School Childcare Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDACAHAF, Drop-In / Flexible Before/After Care Services (Early Years), with a secondary code of EDACAHAK, Holiday, Inset-Day & Break Coverage Programs (Early Years). Its NAICS code is 62441 and its SIC code is 8351.