Fees & Funding
Nursery fees are split according to half day and full-day sessions.
The nursery day runs from 7.30am- 6.30pm and the nursery is open 51 weeks, closing for a week between Christmas and New Year (chargeable).
All fees are due, and payable, one full month in advance by BACS, cash or childcare vouchers. For a breakdown of our fees, please contact us.
15 Hours Funding
All children become eligible to receive 15 hours of universal funding the term following their 3rd birthday. We can offer this stretched over 51 weeks, which amounts to one funded day per week, plus additional floating days depending on the surplus hours accrued over relevant weeks in the term(s).
As our day is 11 hours, there would be a charge for the additional hour, which is in the middle of the day. Alternatively you could opt for two half days per week, where there would be no additional charge. There are set 5 hour sessions for these. Nursery meals can also be purchased at a cost of £1.50.
30 Hours Funding
Some parents may be eligible for the further 15 hours extended funding. Like the universal funding, we can offer this stretched over 51 weeks which equates to 2 days per week, plus additional floating day, depending on the surplus hours accrued over relevant weeks in the term(s).
Again, as our days are 11 hours there would be a charge for the additional hour, which is in the middle of the day. Alternatively you could opt for four half days per week, where there would be no additional charge. There are set 5 hour sessions for these. Nursery meals can also be purchased at a cost of £1.50.
Alternatively, if a child is offered a place that includes the setting’s normal lunch or tea times, but should the parent not wish to pay for this, or the meal, then the parent can collect the child and return them after 1 hour, for no charge, or children can remain for the hour at a charge.
If parents would prefer to provide a packed lunch, these must be brought into the setting in disposal containers/ clear bags and clearly labelled with the child’s name. No products containing peanuts should be brought into the setting.
The Tax Free Childcare Scheme is the most recent scheme from the government, in an attempt to help families to afford childcare. There are some criteria to meet before financial support is awarded. Primarily it benefits working parents, or those who are on sick leave, annual leave, shared paternity leave, maternity leave, paternity leave or adoption leave. However there are some circumstances where you can still apply if you are not working, such as: if you are on furlough through the coronavirus job retention scheme, a self employment income support grant, if your partner is working and you are receiving incapacity benefit, severe disablement allowance, carers allowance or contribution based employment and support allowance.
The scheme can benefit a family with an income of between £1,813.76 (over 3 months, the equivalent of 16 hours per week at the national minimum wage for someone over the age of 25) and up to £100,000 per year.
It is available until your child turns 11, unless you have a child who is disabled then the amount received is slightly higher and it can be claimed until they are 17. There are further requirements to meet surrounding immigration status.
You can get up to £500 every 3 months (up to £2,000 a year) for each of your children to help with the costs of childcare. This goes up to £1,000 every 3 months if a child is disabled (up to £4,000 a year).
(Accurate at time of publication, March 2021)
Working tax credit is available to boost the earnings of people who are on a low income, however this is now being replaced by universal credit so it is unlikely that you can put in a new claim however a few people may still be eligible for this benefit under certain circumstances.
Universal credit is a payment that can be received to help financially support people who are on a low income, out of work or are unable to work. It is now replacing many of the benefits that were once well known, such as Child Tax Credit, Housing Benefit, Working Tax Credit and some income related benefits too. It is a very useful type of support for single people and single parents. As with all government initiated benefits there are certain criteria to meet when applying. Families who are eligible to claim universal credit are able to get up to 85% of the cost of their childcare paid back to them. They must pay the cost of the childcare in the first instance and then claim it back as it is paid in arrears. The amount that can be claimed is up to £645.35 a month for one child or £1108.04 for two or more children, therefore if your total childcare bill is more than this you will have to pay the rest yourself. Any childcare provider you choose to use must be approved, which in England means they must be registered with OFSTED.
(Accurate at time of publication, March 2021)
This type of financial support is offered by some employers and allows employees to sacrifice part of their pre tax salary in exchange for childcare vouchers. This allows them to make savings on their tax and national insurance. This scheme has been closed to new employees since October 2018, as it has been replaced by the government’s tax free childcare scheme. However, if you were already claiming vouchers before october 2018 you are still able to be a part of the scheme.
Parents who are in higher education and have a child who is under 15 years old, or 17 if they have special education needs, may be eligible for a childcare grant, in order to qualify for this you need to be in receipt of student finance. The grant is non repayable and depending on the number of dependents and your household income you can get up to 85% of your childcare costs paid for you. The grant is paid into a Childcare grant payment service (CCGPS) account. Your chosen child care provider can then request the money from the CCGPS which can then be authorised by the person who was awarded the grant. You may also get financial support in the form of a non repayable bursary if you are accepted on to an NHS funded course that meets the criteria.
All of these schemes are put in place to provide some help with childcare costs, however they all have criteria that needs to be met first and in most situations you can only access one scheme. It’s important to work out which one would be most beneficial for you and your personal situation. The GOV.uk website has a calculator that can help you to do this.
Frequently Asked Questions
The government offers childcare funding for families in England with 3 and 4-year old children.
All 3 to 4-year-olds in England can get 570 free hours per year, full details of which can be found on the Gov.uk website. Alternatively, your child may be eligible for 30 hour funding, where you can get 30 hours of free childcare per week for 38 weeks of the year (during school term time).
We can offer 15 Hour funding stretched over 51 weeks, which amounts to one funded day per week, plus additional floating days depending on the surplus hours accrued over relevant weeks in the term(s).
For 30 Hour funding, eligible working families with 3 and 4-year old children are entitled to 1,140 hours per year free childcare. Typically this is spread out over 5 days for a duration of 38 weeks. Alternatively, this can be stretched over 51 weeks, which equates to 2 days per week, plus additional floating day, depending on the surplus hours accrued over relevant weeks in the term(s).
The government funding is not intended to cover the costs of meals, other consumables (such as nappies, to be provided by parents), additional hours or additional activities (such as trips).
As our day is 11 hours, there would be a charge for the additional hour, which is in the middle of the day and nursery meals can be purchased at a cost of £1.50.
You can apply from when your child is 2 years and 36 weeks old, using the advised dates on the Government website.
You, and any partner, must each expect to earn (on average) at least £139 per week but you, or your partner, each individually, must not expect to earn £100,000 or more. If you, or your partner, are on maternity, paternity or adoption leave, or you’re unable to work because you are disabled or have caring responsibilities, you could still be eligible.