Klabb 3-16

Klabb 3-16 is Malta's national after-school programme. It looks after children in the hours between the end of the school day and 18:00, and it is run by the Foundation for Educational Services, a public entity within the Ministry for Education and Sport. For a British family arriving on the island, it answers a very practical question: what happens when school finishes at lunchtime or mid afternoon and you are still at work? Centres operate in State schools in dozens of localities across Malta and Gozo, and children can also attend in school holidays when demand is high enough.

This page is written for UK parents who are planning a move or have just arrived. It explains the hours, the pick-up system, where the clubs run, the activities, the main rules and the application steps. You will find other family services in our directory of children's activities in Malta, and our guide to relocating to Malta from the UK covers the wider move.

What Klabb 3-16 is and who runs it

The Foundation for Educational Services, usually shortened to FES, works with the Education Directorates to provide informal educational initiatives. Its aims include a high quality, affordable, national after-school service in Malta and Gozo that complements formal schooling, alongside childcare for babies and toddlers and the summer programme Skolasajf. FES operates 38 Klabb 3-16 centres, including one in Lija that is new this year, and its head office is at the Zentrum Business Centre on Mdina Road in Qormi.

The centres are meant to be welcoming places where children feel safe and cared for, where their physical needs for health, safety and nutrition are protected, and where staff keep in close contact with parents and guardians. Children are encouraged to keep growing through learning that feels informal rather than like a second school day.

FES also invests in its people. It holds seminars for educators on topics such as inclusion, communication in a multicultural setting and keyword signing, and in 2026 its Erasmus+ project, Is the grass greener on the other side, was given the European Innovative Teaching Award. It also runs a Playworker Development Course of six sessions that prepares people without the usual qualifications to work at Klabb 3-16.

Ages and who can attend

Klabb 3-16 takes the span of 3 to 16 in its name, and the summer service, Skolasajf, confirms that range: it is a programme for children between 3 and 16 years of age. The after-school service runs in State schools, and a child must be fully toilet trained to be accepted. Children with a statement of needs can attend, and parents are asked to hand the centre coordinator the statementing report, the psychological report and the individual education programme. Support workers for children are allocated by FES, and a child entitled to one-to-one help is approved once a support worker has been assigned.

Parents who need medication to be given to their child, in an emergency or otherwise, must say so on the application and complete the relevant form so that staff can follow the foundation's procedures.

Hours and pick-up arrangements

On school days the service runs from the time school finishes until 18:00, depending on demand. Pick-up follows a staggered pattern so that the activity programme is not constantly interrupted. Until 15:00 you may collect your child at any time. From 15:00 to 17:00, children are released every half hour, and from 17:00 to 18:00 you can collect at any time. The start time shown on an application is an estimate, because school dismissal times differ and the club may begin a little earlier or later.

Only people named on the Authorised Pick-Up form can collect a child. FES issues pick-up cards according to the number of people listed, up to four cards, and extra cards cost €5.00 each. If a child is collected after the 15 minute grace period beyond closing time, a late fee of €25 applies. Where the club is not offered at a child's own school, transport is provided from that State school subject to route availability. It runs in one direction only, so you must collect your child from the Klabb itself. If a transport day is not needed, tell the coordinator three days beforehand.

Activities and homework

The programme begins with time for homework. Qualified tutors who hold a teaching warrant help children with homework and other academic work, and children can complete all or part of it at the centre. Alongside this there is a calendar of informal activities built around a monthly theme: arts and crafts, drama and storytelling, physical education and games, cookery sessions, science experiments, technology activities and educational talks.

The mix is supervised homework time followed by play based learning. During school holidays the programme continues with a wider range of activities, as the opening hours are longer.

Where Klabb 3-16 runs

Centres are spread across the islands to make the service easy to reach. They include Attard, Fgura, Għargħur, Għaxaq, Gżira, Ħamrun, Lija, Luqa, Marsa, Mellieħa, Mġarr, Mosta, Mqabba, Msida, Naxxar, Paola, Pembroke, Qawra, Qormi, Rabat, San Ġiljan, San Ġwann, Siġġiewi, Sliema, St Paul's Bay, Santa Venera, Tarxien, Żabbar, Żebbuġ, Żejtun and Żurrieq, as well as Victoria in Gozo. The localities offered each year are listed on the online application form.

If you are still choosing where to live, our guides to the Mellieħa area guide, the Valletta guide and the guide to Gozo, and the overview of where to stay in Malta, describe the main areas. Centres open according to demand, and FES may decide not to open one that does not reach the required numbers.

Holiday service and Skolasajf

When there is enough demand, Klabb 3-16 also runs during school holidays from 07:00 to 17:30 for children whose parents are working or following a course with a registered educational organisation. Holiday applications are taken in separate windows announced by FES, and notifications are sent to the email addresses of both parents. Holiday bookings are not refundable or transferable once bookings close.

The summer service, Skolasajf, is a separate programme. In 2026 it ran for eight weeks from 13 July to 11 September, with a closure from 10 to 14 August, and a core service from 08:30 to 12:30 in all centres, plus extended hours in selected centres for working parents. Its registration fee is €25 per child, and the 2026 theme was Reach for the Stars. If your child enjoys the outdoors between terms, our guides to the best beaches in Malta and things to do in Malta are useful for the days when they are not at a centre, and the Malta weather guide helps you plan around the summer heat.

How to apply and what it costs

Applications are made online through the Klabb 3-16 registration e-form. Download the Authorised Pick-Up form from the FES website, have it signed by both parents or legal guardians, and upload it with the application. The service is not provided without that signature unless court documents say otherwise. Places are offered first come, first served, and a waiting list is kept for centres that are full.

The service is prepaid. Your child's profile must hold a positive balance, and the service may be suspended if the balance falls more than €10 below zero. Time is charged per quarter of an hour, and staying beyond the booked hours costs €0.20 for each quarter of an hour or part of one. Each child must attend at least once a week and for a minimum of 2.5 hours a week, otherwise the difference is deducted from the profile.

If you are moving as a family, our guides on working remotely from Malta and living in Malta give the background. To ask Klabb 3-16 or FES about a place, use the VisitMalta.co.uk enquiry form on this page and we will pass your message to the foundation.