The Multi-Sport Business Model
Multi-sport activity businesses occupy a unique position in the children's activity market. Rather than specialising in a single discipline, you offer variety: a mix of sports, games, and physical activities that keep children engaged and give parents a one-stop solution for active entertainment and, in many cases, childcare.
The market divides broadly into three models, and many successful businesses operate across all three.
Holiday Camps
The largest revenue opportunity for most multi-sport businesses. Parents need childcare during school holidays and actively seek active, engaging options. A well-run holiday camp can charge £25 to £45 per child per day (or £120 to £200 per week), and with 30 to 60 children per day, a single venue generates £750 to £2,700 per day in gross revenue.
After-School Clubs
Delivered on school premises, typically for one to two hours after the school day. Schools often subsidise or fully fund these sessions through their PE and Sport Premium, or parents pay directly at £4 to £8 per session. The margin per child is lower, but the volume and consistency are attractive.
Weekend and Term-Time Sessions
Saturday morning multi-sport classes or toddler sessions (often branded as "Mini Movers" or similar) offer a weekend revenue stream. Pricing is typically £7 to £12 per session.
The most successful multi-sport businesses build revenue across all three models. Holiday camps drive the biggest peaks, after-school clubs provide baseline income during term time, and weekend sessions fill the remaining gaps.
Ofsted Registration: When You Need It
This is one of the most commonly misunderstood areas for multi-sport businesses. Whether you need to register with Ofsted depends on the age of children, the duration of care, and how frequently you operate.
You Must Register If
- You care for children under 8 years old
- For more than 2 hours per day
- On more than 14 days per year
If all three conditions are met, you must register on the Ofsted Early Years Register (for under-5s) or the Childcare Register (for ages 5 to 7). This brings significant requirements including staff ratios, qualification standards, premises inspections, and regular Ofsted inspections.
You May Be Exempt If
- You only work with children aged 8 and over
- Sessions are under 2 hours
- You operate on fewer than 14 days per year at any single venue
- You are providing activity provision (coaching/teaching) rather than childcare
The distinction between "activity provision" and "childcare" is important but not always clear-cut. Ofsted's guidance states that if the primary purpose is coaching or teaching a specific activity, it is activity provision. If the primary purpose is looking after children while parents work, it is childcare. Holiday camps almost always fall into the childcare category if they include children under 8.
Ofsted Registration Costs and Process
Registration costs approximately £220, and annual fees are £35 to £220 depending on the register. The process takes 6 to 12 weeks and includes a DBS check for the registered person, a premises inspection, and an assessment of your safeguarding and welfare arrangements. Budget for this timeline when planning your launch.
Venue Partnerships
Multi-sport businesses are inherently venue-dependent. Building strong partnerships with venue providers is one of the most critical success factors.
Schools
Schools are the ideal venue for both after-school clubs and holiday camps. They have halls, playing fields, and existing safeguarding infrastructure. Approach schools with a clear proposal explaining the benefits: additional activity provision for their pupils, potential revenue from hire, and support for their PE and Sport Premium obligations. Venue hire costs range from £15 to £40 per hour, and some schools offer significantly reduced rates for providers who also deliver curriculum-time PE.
Community Centres and Village Halls
Often more affordable than schools at £10 to £25 per hour, but may lack outdoor space and sports equipment. Good for toddler sessions, dance-based activities, and indoor multi-sport programmes.
Leisure Centres
Access to sports halls, swimming pools, and outdoor pitches makes leisure centres attractive for diverse programming. However, hire costs are higher at £25 to £60 per hour, and availability during peak holiday periods can be limited. Some leisure centres offer partnership arrangements where they promote your camps to their members in exchange for a commission or reduced hire rate.
Securing the Best Deal
Negotiate based on commitment. If you can guarantee regular bookings (every school holiday, every weekday after school), venues are more likely to offer favourable rates. Always get agreements in writing, including cancellation terms, access times, and what facilities and equipment are included.
Staffing and Ratios
Staffing is typically the largest single cost in a multi-sport business, and getting ratios right is both a legal requirement and a safety essential.
Ofsted-Required Ratios (If Registered)
- Under 2s: 1 adult to 3 children
- Ages 2 to 3: 1 adult to 4 children
- Ages 3 to 7: 1 adult to 8 children
- Ages 8+: No statutory ratio, but best practice is 1:10 to 1:15
Practical Staffing
Even where Ofsted ratios do not apply, sensible ratios for multi-sport activities are:
- 1:8 for children aged 4 to 7
- 1:10 to 1:12 for children aged 8 to 12
- Plus a dedicated first aider and a senior staff member overseeing the entire operation
Qualifications
Staff should hold relevant coaching qualifications (multi-sport coaching courses are available through organisations like 1st4Sport and Active IQ) plus enhanced DBS checks, safeguarding training, and first aid. A Level 2 or 3 multi-sport qualification costs £200 to £500. You do not need every staff member to be a specialist coach, but you do need at least one qualified lead coach per session with appropriately trained assistants.
Staff Costs
Typical hourly rates for multi-sport coaches are £10 to £15 per hour for assistants and £13 to £20 per hour for lead coaches. A holiday camp running from 8:30am to 5:30pm with a team of four staff (1 lead coach, 2 assistant coaches, 1 admin/first aider) costs approximately £400 to £550 per day in staffing alone.
Activity Programming and Risk Assessments
The variety of activities is your competitive advantage, but each activity carries its own risk profile that must be assessed and managed.
Programming Principles
- Variety within structure: A typical holiday camp day might include football in the morning, dodgeball and team games before lunch, cricket or rounders after lunch, and a creative/arts cool-down session in the final hour. Rotate activities daily to maintain interest.
- Age-appropriate challenge: Split groups by age (5 to 7 and 8 to 12 is a common division) and adapt activities accordingly.
- Inclusive by design: Not every child is sporty. Include non-competitive games, creative activities, and team challenges alongside traditional sports.
- Themed weeks: Olympics, Jungle Adventure, Space Challenge. Themes increase excitement and give marketing material for social media.
Risk Assessments
You need a site-specific risk assessment for every venue and an activity-specific risk assessment for every sport or game you deliver. These are living documents that should be reviewed regularly and updated after any incident.
Key areas to cover:
- Playing surface condition (glass, animal fouling, wet surfaces)
- Equipment condition and age-appropriateness
- Weather conditions and thresholds for outdoor activities
- Participant-to-staff ratios for each activity
- Emergency procedures (first aid, evacuation, missing child)
- Activity-specific hazards (heading in football, projectiles in archery, water proximity)
Pricing, Payments, and Booking
Getting your pricing and payment systems right from the start saves enormous headaches later.
Pricing Structures
- Holiday camp day rate: £25 to £45 per day, with early-bird and sibling discounts common
- Holiday camp week rate: £120 to £200 (5% to 15% discount on the daily rate)
- After-school club: £4 to £8 per session, often invoiced half-termly or termly
- Weekend sessions: £7 to £12 per session or £60 to £100 per term
Payment Models
Upfront booking with online payment is the standard for holiday camps. Parents expect to book and pay online, and chasing cash payments is neither professional nor efficient. For after-school and term-time sessions, block bookings or monthly direct debits provide predictable cash flow.
A booking and management platform like AMES handles online bookings, payment processing, waitlists, and parent communications. For a multi-venue, multi-session business, this kind of system is not a luxury but a necessity. Manually managing bookings across three venues and five holiday weeks with 40 children per day is a recipe for errors and missed payments.
Childcare Vouchers and Tax-Free Childcare
If you are Ofsted-registered, parents can use Tax-Free Childcare (where the government tops up every £8 a parent pays with an additional £2, up to £2,000 per year per child). This is a powerful incentive for parents choosing between your camp and a non-registered competitor. Accepting childcare vouchers and Tax-Free Childcare payments can increase bookings by 15% to 25% according to industry surveys.
Insurance Considerations
Multi-sport businesses face higher insurance complexity than single-sport providers because of the range of activities delivered.
- Public liability insurance: £5 million minimum cover. Ensure your policy covers ALL activities you deliver, including any higher-risk options like archery, trampolining, or water-based activities.
- Employers' liability insurance: Required by law if you have any employees (not just self-employed contractors).
- Professional indemnity: Covers you if a coaching decision leads to injury.
- Equipment insurance: Worth considering as your equipment stock grows.
Specialist providers include SportsCover Direct, Howden, and Bluefin Sport. Premiums for a multi-sport business typically range from £300 to £800 per year depending on turnover, staff numbers, and activities covered.
Key Takeaways and Next Steps
- Decide your model: Holiday camps, after-school, weekends, or all three. Start with one and expand once it is profitable.
- Check Ofsted requirements before you launch. If you serve under-8s for more than 2 hours per day on more than 14 days per year, you must register. Allow 6 to 12 weeks for the process.
- Secure venue partnerships early. Schools are your best bet for both venues and built-in audiences. Approach them with a clear, professional proposal.
- Budget staffing realistically. Staff costs will be 40% to 55% of your revenue. Price your sessions with this in mind.
- Write thorough risk assessments for every venue and every activity before your first session.
- Accept Tax-Free Childcare if you are Ofsted-registered. It is a significant competitive advantage.
- Invest in proper booking systems. Manual booking management becomes unworkable surprisingly quickly when you scale to multiple venues and sessions.
- Start small, prove the model, then grow. One venue, one holiday week, excellent delivery. Then add venues and weeks based on demand.
