Information

Fees are payable for all term-time weeks, regardless of absence due to sickness, holidays etc. Once
your child has started at Nursery, any fees due must be paid weekly, monthly or termly, in advance,
whether your child attends or not (e.g. due to sickness or holiday). Failure to keep up fee payments will
result in the nursery having no option but to cancel your child’s fee-paying place. If you withdraw your child
then you must give 4 weeks notice, or you will have to pay for the space for 4 weeks notice, despite non
attendance.

If for any reason expected funding from the Local Authority is withdrawn or cancelled, then parents are liable
for the cost of their childcare place, and must pay the 4 weeks notice period if applicable.

If you cancel your child’s fully funded place during the term, and after the headcount week (your child
attends funded hours only), then you will not have to make any payments when your child leaves. This is
because the nursery will still receive the funding for the term, so you are not liable for any costs. However, if
you move your child to another nursery in the area at this time, please be aware that funding does not have
to be transferred between settings. This is also the same for any child coming into Cherrytree Nursery
School from another setting. Arrangements may be made to pass on funding between settings, but there is
no obligation to do so.

We prefer payment by debit card or direct bank transfer. We will accept payment by cash but no longer
accept cheques. Details for bank transfers are listed on your invoice which is sent to you in advance of
every term or playscheme you have booked in with us. If you have a problem with fee payments, please
speak to a member of the management team immediately who will be able to discuss whether there are any
options available to you.

All children become eligible for a 3 year-old Free Early Education Place from the term after their third
birthday. Every child is then eligible to receive up to a maximum of 15 hours per week, (starting from the
September, January or April after their third birthday), subject to the completion of a parental declaration form. The funding is payable for 38 out of 39 term time weeks over the academic year. Therefore, there
will be five days which remain unfunded in the school year. 

All 3 & 4 year olds are eligible to receive up to 15 hours funding per week for 38 out of 39 term time weeks per year, from the term after their third birthday.

Some children are eligible from the term after their 2nd birthday, depending on whether they meet criteria set by the Government. Detailed information about the funding options can be found on the Government website – www.childcarechoices.gov.uk

We limit the two year old funded places to fifteen per term at our Newtown branch and ten places at our Kingsnorth Road branch, on a first come, first served basis (i.e. the first to ask for the free place who are eligible).

All our FREE 15 hour funded places are offered over any three days, subject to availability, as follows: two days (8:45am-3pm) and a morning session (8:45am-11:30am). Any hours / days over or outside this free entitlement pattern will be chargeable at the nursery’s normal session rate.

Should you wish to send your child to nursery for 15 hours over four or five days per week, you will be charged at the normal nursery rate for the sessions outside of the free pattern (as you have chosen not to access the free 15 hour pattern).

We limit the 2 year old funded places to fifteen at the Newtown branch and ten at Kingsnorth Road branch. Once these have been filled, we may still take children eligible for two year old funding if we have space under our funding pattern and at Management’s discretion.

If your child only attends sessions within the free funding pattern of delivery, they will not be expected to attend, or pay for, the unfunded days in the year. In all other patterns of delivery, your child will be expected to attend on the unfunded days which will be charged at the nursery’s normal session rate. For more details please see the Fees Policy.

Some children may be eligible to receive up to 30 hours free education per week (for 38 out of 39 term time weeks) and this can be confirmed via HMRC, who will supply you with an eleven-digit code to use. We limit the totally FREE 30 hour spaces to 5 children per term (38 out of 39 term time weeks over the academic year), on a first come, first served basis (i.e. the first five people to ask for the free place, with a valid code) at both branches. After the allocated free places have been filled, it is down to Management discretion and space being available if further 30 hours funding is accepted at either branch. There are three options for those on 30 hours at Cherrytree Nursery School. Please refer to the Fees Policy for further details.

Any fees due will be notified to you in advance of the term to which it applies, on your invoice.

Fees are payable weekly, monthly or termly, in advance.

Unfunded Days:
For all those who are on Government funding, it is parents’ choice whether a child attends the extra week which is unfunded over the academic year. This occurs as the Government pays for 38 out of 39 weeks of term time. These days would be charged at the usual rate for sessions at this time.

Playscheme sessions are all unfunded as they occur within the school holidays. Government funding only occurs during a school term, therefore any days that are booked are to be paid for.

Absence
When your child is absent from nursery, we are obligated to record the reason why. Please call us before
9.30am each day your child is absent so we can record the reason for absence. We also appreciate you
letting us know in advance of any term-time holidays or appointments.

Late collection
Children must be collected promptly at the end of their session. Should you fail to collect your child at this time a late collection charge of £5.00 per 5 minutes or part will result. If you are delayed collecting your child, you must phone the Nursery to advise us so that suitable cover can be provided, as staff are only employed to cover the hours you have booked. 

A child’s paid place at Nursery may be lost if this becomes a regular occurance.

The duty Social Worker may be called if your child is still at nursery at 3.30pm.

Deposit

A deposit of £150 is taken at the induction session to secure your child’s place (unless accessing a 2 year
old Free For 2 place, within the 15 hour funding pattern). Please note the working families 9 month / 2 year
old funding still requires a deposit, the same as the 3 & 4 year-old funded sessions (see below).

If your child is due to attend 3 & 4 year-old or 9 month+ working families Free Early Education funded
sessions only, the deposit of £150 will be required to hold the place. This will be refunded within six weeks
of attending their first session, unless otherwise agreed with parents in writing, to pay for playscheme etc. If
after the deposit has been returned, and you wish to increase your child’s attendance beyond the free 15
hours / move to Option 2 on 30 hour funding, then the £150 deposit will again be required.

A deposit for a child whose place is part or fully paid for by parents / carers is refundable if the required four
weeks’ notice of leaving is given, if applicable, and any fees due for the notice period are paid. The deposit
is otherwise automatically refunded when your child goes to Reception or Year 1 of Primary School,
provided there are no outstanding fees. If a child whose fees are part / fully paid for by parents / carers
leaves without notice, or with fees owing, then the deposit will be forfeited as well as the 4 weeks notice
period of any fees for provision parents / carers had booked their child in for.

Only children accessing the Free for 2 funding for 2 year olds, who are attending funded hours only, need
not pay a deposit.

Additional Costs:

We do not currently require parents / carers to provide further payments through the term for consumables,
except for the cost of nappies / wipes not brought in for children at 50p per day.

Those children who are usually funded but attend the unfunded sessions (as the Government only pay the
38/39 weeks) must pay for these sessions at their usual cost, as with any hours not covered by funding.

We also welcome voluntary donations to cover the cost of providing a healthy and varied snack to all
children and to cover special sessions that the children benefit from such as cooking sessions. We suggest
a simple donation of £1 a week to cover these where possible which can be made in cash at either branch.

We also accept donations of drawing paper and nappies etc as spares for those occasions when children
who have forgotten to bring their own with them and extra emergency supplies!

We only require the cost of any optional outings & trips or special days not funded in the year such as our
Christmas Party.

A Playscheme (for children from 2 years old up to their 8th birthday) is run each holiday
period except during the Christmas / New Year break, and Bank Holidays. We usually offer places at
Newtown on Tuesdays & Wednesdays, and at Kingsnorth Road on Mondays & Thursdays. Sessions must
be booked in advance and are subject to demand. Please note that Government Funding (Free Early
Education Hours) does not cover playscheme sessions, however you can still use the tax-free childcare
voucher system!

Playscheme fees, from the start of our Spring (Easter) Playscheme (7th April 2025), are as follows (fees for
two year olds are shown in brackets):

• 8:45am – 11:30am – £20.50 (£24.00)
• 8:45am – 1:00pm – £28.50 (£31.50)
• 8:45am – 3:00pm – £38.50 (£42.00)