Smallville
Nursery
Admissions
Policy
2021
Revised September 2022
It is our intention to make our nursery accessible to all
children and families in our local community. We are committed to being as
inclusive as possible in regard to our admissions for our nursery. We also
strive to be a provider of funded childcare without it impacting the quality of
our provisions. This policy outlines our approach to nursery admissions, our
admissions criteria, and our plans for offering funded childcare in a
sustainable and inclusive manner.
Legal Framework
This policy relates to sections 3.28 and 3.57 of the Early
Years Foundation Stage.
Aim
To ensure that Smallville Nursery is accessible to all
sections of the community, through open, fair and clearly communicated
procedures. To promote smooth and stress-free transitions to the setting,
ensuring both children and parents/carers are happy. We care for children
between the ages of 2 and four years of age and the numbers and ages of
children admitted to the nursery comply with the legal space requirements set
out in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). When considering admissions, we
are mindful of staff: child ratios and the facilities available at the nursery.
We are registered with Ofsted to provide up to 20 places at any one time. We do
not require children to be toilet trained on admission.
Accessibility
Smallville Nursery aims to ensure its services are accessible
to all sections of the community as per the Equal Opportunities Policy. The
setting will attempt to communicate its services in locations throughout the
community, in more than one language as appropriate.
The nursery thrives to provide resources, facilities and
expertise locally to meet the needs of people in the surrounding area.
The nursery advertises through the Childcare Information
Service, the local school and places accessible to the community.
Our nursery welcomes both fathers and mothers, other
relations and carers, including childminders.
We describe our nursery and its practices in terms of how it
treats individuals, regardless of their gender, special educational needs,
disabilities, background, religion, ethnicity or competence in Spoken English.
Our manager takes responsibility for meeting with new
families ensuring they have the correct literature regarding the nursery and
collating information, including a waiting list.
Offering Places
Smallville Nursery the following priority for admissions has
been agreed:
1. Birth Order
2. On a first come first
serve basis.
3. Waiting list children will be given a place before
existing additional places
Places will always be confirmed by a member of staff by
telephone.
Government funding for early education can be used for hours
within funded sessions and the additional paid-for hours will be charged at the
amount required.
Funded sessions may be available for three and four-year
olds, subject to eligibility and the availability of sessions and staffing
arrangements. Please note we ask for a £1 voluntary contribution per funded
hour to cover the cost of snacks and consumables provided in the session as
well as additional extracurricular activities.
All funded sessions are now in line with the flexible
arrangement as specified by the Government. When you register your child for
their funded place, we will discuss your needs and, as far as possible with
availability and staffing arrangements, we will accommodate your wishes.
Prior to a child attending nursery, parents must complete and
sign a contract and registration form. These forms provide the nursery with
personal details relating to the child. For example, name, date of birth,
address, emergency contact details, parental responsibilities, dietary
requirements, collection arrangements, fees and sessions, contact details for
parents, doctor’s contact details, health visitor contact details, allergies,
parental consent and vaccinations etc.
Settling in
Once a place has been offered each child is assigned an Early
Years Practitioner as a key person. The manager will take responsibility for
contacting families and arranging appropriate settling in sessions A meeting
will be arranged to discuss your child’s interests and gather more information
about your child to help settled your child. You will then be asked to attend a
stay and play session so your child can explore the nursery but have the
reassurance of their parent being with them. IF your child is happy they can
then begin nursery, if they require a longer settling in period this can be
arranged. The important part is the child’s wellbeing.
The settling process is viewed as an essential part of
ensuring children have a positive time at nursery and we will be flexible in
extending this period and offering families additional support
Early Years Education Funding (EYEF)
Smallville Nursery are in receipt of EYEF for 3- and 4-year
olds. All 3- and 4-year olds are entitled to the Universal 15 funded hours
during term time, this is available from the term following your child’s third
birthday. We offer a very limited number of Free For Two spaces.
To access this funding,
you need to complete a EYEF form and show your child’s birth certificate to the
setting manager.
30 Hour Funded / Stretched Offer Agreement:
Smallville nursery is open 50 weeks of the year. Funding is
stretched over 48 weeks of the year which equates to 12 or 24 funding hours a
week.
Each child’s maximum free entitlement for both the
‘Universal’ and the ‘Extended’ offer will be the same, 570 hours per year.
You can take up to 1140 hours free funded childcare across
the 48 weeks, within the hours of 8:30am and 3:30pm.
Fees and session times
We accept children from 2 years old to 5 years old.
Up to 30 funded hours available stretched over 48 weeks.
Which equates to 12/ 24 hours a week funding. Universal and extended funding is
available a term after a child turns 3.
Session Times & Fees
Extended Day – 7:00 -19:00 £60 / £65 Breakfast, Lunch and Tea
included
Full Day Care – 8:30 – 15:30 £38.50 / £42.00 Lunch and Tea
included
Working Day – 8:30 – 17:30 £50.50 / £54 Lunch and Tea
included
Breakfast Club 7:00 – 8:30 £9 Breakfast Included
Morning session 8:30 – 11:30 £16.50/ £18.00
Lunch 11:30 – 12:30 £6 lunch included
Afternoon session 12:30 – 15:30 £16.50/ £18.00
Tea Time Club 15:30 – 19:00 £21 Tea included
*Please note we ask for a £1 voluntary contribution for each
funded hour to help pay towards consumables used including snack, uniform and
extra – circular activities. If you are unable to pay this voluntary
contribution, then other arrangements can be arranged.
Funded Placements
- Parents can check their
eligibility via https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/
- Eligible parents will
be given an 11 digit code by HMRC which will normally be valid for 3 months.
- Funding can only be
accessed from the term following their eligibility e.g. if a parent checks and
is eligible in September, they will not be able to take the funding up until
January so parents need to apply the term before they want to access childcare.
- No funding is available
for parents who do not renew their eligibility and invoices will be raised for
sessions committed to under this contract.
- Parents/Carers will be
required to email the 11 digit eligibility code each term before their valid
period draws to a close for the next term eligibility.
- We also require Parents NI numbers. You must email these to
Kelly@smallville-nursery.com If the 11 digit code is not received in time or we
are unable to confirm the funding is available Parents /Carers remain under
this contract and will receive an invoice.
*We have capacity for a very limited amount of Free For 2
spaces. Please speak to nursery manager to discuss availability of these
spaces.
Nursery Fees: Fees are invoiced on the 1st
day of each month and are due to be paid 10 days after.
The initial payment of fees will be determined by the child’s
commencement date with us and will include all sessions booked from that date,
up to, and including the remainder of that particular month.
Breakfast lunch and tea are included in the price for those
sessions however, nappies are to be provided by the child’s parent or carer.
Payment may be made by BACS and card payments.
Returned payments from the bank may incur an administration
charge equal to any charges the nursery may be charged by the bank
Please Note: On commencement of a child attending the
nursery, the nursery fees shall be made in full and any voucher payments made
will be deducted from subsequent months.
The nursery reserves the right to review the fees. In the
event of there being changes to the fees one calendar month’s written notice
shall be given.
A refund will not be given where a child is absent from the
nursery due to sickness or holiday.
If fees remain outstanding for more than 5 days:
The nursery reserves the right to charge a late payment fee
of 10% on any outstanding balance The nursery may serve 14 days notice in
writing to terminate the contract. Upon termination of this contract the child
shall cease forthwith to be admitted to the nursery and the nursery’s notice to
terminate shall be
regarded as a formal demand for all outstanding monies. Your child will only be
able to attend their Free Funded Early
Types of Sessions & Conditions of Booking: The session
types available are set sessions. Further details of these, accompanied by the
Fees Schedule, can be obtained from the nursery or viewed online.
Set sessions are permanently booked recurring sessions or
days requiring one full calendar month’s notice in writing should this be
necessary to change.
Extra Sessions/Hours: We are happy to offer extra sessions
and hours if they are available:
Please try to give as much notice as possible if you require
extra sessions so that we can organise staff and food for your child.
Extra sessions booked but not taken are not refundable or
transferable unless agreed by the nursery Manager due to exceptional
circumstances.
Cancellation/Termination of Contract: After the child’s
initial admission to the nursery either party may terminate this contract by
giving one calendar month’s notice in writing. This period is subject to the
termination not being due to non payment of fees as outlined above. During that
said one month period the nursery undertakes to continue to admit the child and
the parent/carer undertakes to pay for all fees due. In the event of the
parent/carer failing to pay the month’s fees the child’s place shall be
immediately withdrawn and the nursery shall be entitled to serve a formal
demand for payment of such monies.
In the event of the parent or carer giving notice of
withdrawal of the child and immediately withdrawing the said child there shall
be due to the nursery one calendar month’s fees in lieu of notice. Failure by
the parent/carer to provide one calendar month’s notice or any notice at all
shall render the parent/carer liable to the nursery for one month’s fees. One
month’s notice must also be given if sessions are requested to be reduced.
Notice must be made in writing to the nursery manager.
Sibling Discount: Where there is more than one child from the
same family attending the nursery on a full time basis a discount of 5% will be
applied to the fees.
Late Collection Policy: The nursery reserves the right to
charge parent or carers when they do not collect their child at the agreed
time, a charge at the rate of £7.50 for the first 15min then £15 for every 15
minutes thereafter.
Notification of Absence/Lateness: –The parent/carer is
expected to notify the nursery if their child is going to be late or absent
from the nursery.
Unforeseen Closure: – In the event of closure of the nursery
due to extreme weather conditions, flooding, loss of utility supplies, heating
failure, or other causes beyond the reasonable control of the
nursery, the nursery will
close and the parent/carer accepts that no refund of fees will be made due to
continued operational costs.
Sickness or Emergency Treatment: – Children must not attend
the nursery when they are unwell or suffering from a contagious illness or
infection. In the event of a child becoming ill whilst at the nursery, the
parent or nominated carer will be contacted to arrange to take their child
home.
In the case of an infectious condition the recommended
exclusion time must elapse before the child can be readmitted to the nursery
(the nursery can advise on this).
In the case of an emergency nursery staff will call health
professionals. A senior member of staff will accompany the child to the
hospital until the child’s parent/carer arrives. The nursery will continue to
make contact with their parent/carer if they had not been able to reach them
immediately.
Complaints Procedure: The nursery complies with a laid down
complaints procedure, a copy of this is held in the nursery.
Safeguarding Children Policy: The Nursery follows the Child
Protection Guidelines that are set out by local authorities.
Loss or Damage The nursery does not accept responsibility for
any loss or damage of property on its premises.
Nursery
Policies and Procedures: All nursery policies and procedures can be viewed
online or they are available at the nursery. It is the responsibility of the
parent to read these and familiarise yourself with all policies and procedures.
If you require clarification on any policies and procedures then please speak to
the management team. The policies will be reviewed on a yearly basis.
Download Admissions Policy