Fees & Funding

Funded Entitlement

Parents can check their eligibility or apply for 15 or 30 hours childcare and early education funded entitlement by visiting the government site below:

https://beststartinlife.gov.uk/childcare-early-years-education/15-and-30-hours-support/

Funded Entitlement Sessions at Sandfield Natural Play Centre

Funded entitlement of 7.5 hours per day can be taken between Monday-Friday. The sessions are from 7.30am-3pm and parents may drop or collect their child at times to suit within those hours. Additional privately funded sessions can be booked if required, such as an early start session from 7am-7.30am or a Late Afternoon session from 3pm-6pm. Parents are invoiced for any additional sessions booked.

Best practice is that a child attends a minimum of 2 days per week either term time only or throughout the year. We are closed all bank holidays and the week between Christmas and New Year.

Qualifying parents are entitled to 570 or 1,140 hours of funded provision in a year and can choose to take less than their entitlement if they so wish.

Parents who are eligible for 15 hours free entitlement can book 2 days per week during term time.

Parents who are eligible for 30 hours free entitlement can book either 3 days per week using 22.50 hours of funding or book 4 days per week to use the full 30 hours during term time.

We offer funded entitlement sessions over 38 weeks per year during term time only. Terms are Spring, Summer and Autumn, with holiday periods in between like schools. We offer both term time only or all year contracts. If parents require their child to attend all year, then the sessions outside funded term dates are charged at our usual all-inclusive day rate which includes all meals cooked on site and all consumables provided. Private paid hours are charged according to our usual terms and conditions.  Taking up private paid hours is not a condition of accessing a free place.

If a child proves eligible for Early Years Pupil Premium (EYPP) this provides additional funds from the Local Authority in order to support a child further in the nursery. Please note the funds cannot be used to subsidise fees.

Deposits

We charge parents a £50 refundable deposit to secure their child’s funded place which is automatically deducted from their first invoice. If parents are eligible for 15 hours of Early Learning funded entitlement for 2-year-olds then we will not require a deposit. Parents are requested to notify us if the funded place is no longer required, so we can offer the sessions to another family. If the reservation is for solely funded sessions term time only and no additional hours, then we will refund the deposit providing parents give us one month’s written notice prior to the child’s scheduled start date. If additional hours have been booked over the funded hours and the parent subsequently cancels, we will retain the deposit as an administration charge.

Food, Consumables & Additional Services

Our prices are clear, up-to-date and easily accessible to parents, to enable parents to make an informed choice of provider.

We charge for meals and snacks as part of a funded entitlement place and also charge for consumables such as nappies and sun cream, meals and snacks, and for services such as trips and extra-curricular activities however these chargeables are voluntary for parents.

We detail the amounts charged for all the chargeable extras listed, as well as the pattern of hours that parents can take the entitlements.

Parents can opt out of paying for chargeable extras and the associated consumable or activity for their child. For activities and extra services, participation in any voluntary extra activity is on the basis of parental choice and a willingness to meet the charges. Children who do not participate in voluntary activities continue to receive provision that complies with the EYFS.

We are mindful of the impact of charges on families, particularly the most disadvantaged. Parents can access the funded entitlement sessions for free, as we allow parents to supply their own food and consumables. The chargeable extras are not a condition of taking up a free place. All parents, including disadvantaged families, have fair access to a free place. We deliver the funded entitlements consistently, so that all children accessing any of the funded entitlements receive the same quality and access to provision, regardless of whether they choose to pay for voluntary hours, voluntary extra services, meals or consumables.

Government funding is not intended to cover the costs of meals, other consumables, additional hours or additional services. Consumables to be used by the child, such as nappies or sun cream are charged as extra or parents can opt to provide their own supplies.

Parent Declaration

Parents complete and sign a Parental Declaration on a termly basis, detailing how and when they will take up the free sessions. We ask parents to confirm their contract on a termly basis or notify us of any changes required.

Charges

There are no charges in respect of free sessions as detailed in the Parental Declaration, but we are entitled to make a reasonable charge for meals and snacks if parents require us to provide them during each funded session attended. Alternatively, during the funded entitlement session, parents may choose to provide breakfast, two snacks and lunch by following the guidance provided. We provide suncream and nappies for which additional charges apply or parents can provide their own instead.

We provide examples of healthy snacks and packed lunch, plus nappy and suncream products allowed. We are a Nut and Egg free environment to protect children with allergies. On days that we have a child in attendance with a risk of anaphylaxis due to a severe allergy who is prescribed an Adrenaline auto-injector, snacks or packed lunches are not allowed, and parents are required to purchase nursery meals. This is to ensure we maintain the safety of the child, as we prepare all the meals ourselves in the food safe nursery kitchen. Children eligible for 15 hours of Early Learning funded entitlement for 2-year-olds and solely attending the free entitlement session, will be provided the meals free during the funded sessions this applies.

During funded entitlement sessions parents have the option to fund Natural Play Session costs of private woodland sessions, challenging outdoor activities for all ages, specialised clothing and equipment, bikes and trikes, den-building, campfires, birdwatching, growing vegetables and plants.

During non-funded sessions, parents may still choose to provide their own alternative nappies, wipes, suncream, but the usual full day rate remains payable, and all meals are included in the daily charge.

Prices

Full day Session 7.30am-6pm £85

This is an all-inclusive price covering all meal and snacks cooked on site, nappies, suncream, wipes, liquid paracetamol, bite and sting cream, waterproof outdoor clothing, wellies, gloves etc. This applies to all non-funded sessions booked during the advertised 38 weeks of term time or during all out of term weeks.

Early Start Session 7am-7.30am £4

Meals and Snacks

These are cooked fresh daily by our full time cook, in our fully equipped food safe kitchen. All allergies and dietary requirements are catered for.

During the 7.5 hour funded entitlement sessions, we provide the following:

Breakfast, Snacks and milk £2.50 - Served between 8am-9.30am; 

Afternoon snack £2.50 - Served between 2.00pm- 2.45pm; Two Course

Lunch £6 -Served between 11.30am -12.15pm

Suncream £1

Nappies £1

Natural Play Session £5

Late Afternoon Session 3pm-6pm £29

Covering the additional hourly costs of £8 and including all consumables and £5 for a 2-course nursery tea cooked on site.

Late Child Collection Charge

If parents arrive late to collect their child, we charge £20 per 15 minutes late, beyond the booked session times of either 3pm or 6pm finish. Two staff legally must always remain with an uncollected child, so this fee covers additional operational costs.

Invoices

Invoices and receipts are itemised allowing parents to see that they have received their child’s entitlement completely free of charge and understand any fees paid for additional hours or services.

Invoices show:

• the free entitlement hours, showing the hours accessed during the billing period with no monetary value.

• additional private paid hours

• food charges

• non-food consumables charges

• activities charges

Terms of Payment

Invoices are emailed to parents mid-month, and fees are due cleared in our bank by 1^st of the following month in advance of sessions attended. Fees can be paid by bank transfer, tax-free childcare, student childcare grant, or childcare vouchers.

Late Payment Charge

Without restricting any other legal right that we may have, if you fail to pay us on time, we may: Make an interest charge of up to 1.5% per cent per month or part month on late payment. Unless otherwise notified to you in writing, interest shall accrue on a daily basis from the due date until the date of actual payment of the overdue amount, whether before or after judgment. You must pay us the interest together with the overdue amount. In addition, we will be entitled to recover from you the full amount of our administrative and other costs incurred in recovering any unpaid sum including legal costs and disbursements on an indemnity basis and Suspend all Services until payment has been made in full, which will include the suspension of the Child, or even terminate the contract permanently. If you owe us any money, and make a claim against us, we may offset what you owe us against what you are claiming from us.