1. Registration and Admission
When the offer of a place has been accepted, a start date has been agreed between the Parents and the Nursery, and the Deposit has been paid by the Parents, the Child’s place is guaranteed and the relevant information and forms will be sent to the Parents via email. The following documents must be submitted prior to the Child starting at the Nursery:
· A signed copy of these Terms & Conditions
· A signed Child Information Record
· A copy of the Child’s birth certificate or passport
The Child’s start date can only be deferred once. Further deferments will result in the Child losing their guaranteed place.
2. Bookings Patterns, Cancellations & Changes
· The Nursery will confirm the Booking Pattern which has been agreed with the Parents prior to the Child’s commencement date at the Nursery.
· Any changes to the agreed Booking Pattern are subject to availability and will be confirmed, if available, by the Nursery to the Parents.
· There are separate Waiting Lists at the Nursery for Full Time and Term Time places.
· Changes in fees due to changes in Booking Patterns will come into effect during the invoicing period following the event.
· Booking Pattern changes that affect Early Education Entitlement funding allocations cannot take place during the course of a term but can only take effect from the following term (terms commence on the 1st of September, 1st of January and 1st of April each year).
· Extra days, sessions and hours outside those of a Child’s Booking Pattern may, from time to time, be available and booked on an ad-hoc basis. These sessions and hours are subject to availability and staffing requirements and confirmation of a Child’s permission to attend these can only be obtained from the Nursery’s Principal or Deputy Manager.
· Where the Child attends during the Nursery’s published Nursery Term Time or School Term Time dates only, a terms’ notice (in advance) is required prior to withdrawing the Child (e.g. should the Child not be returning in the Autumn Term, notice must be given at the beginning of the Summer Term).
· Where the Child attends Full Time, a full calendar months’ notice is required prior to withdrawing the Child.
3. Security and Collections
· The Parents agree to arrange for drop off and collection of the Child at the correct time according to their Booking Pattern and further agree to inform the Nursery of the identity of the person who will be collecting the Child if they are not signatories to this document. It is understood that the Child will not be permitted to leave the Nursery with anyone other than the Parents, known or unknown, without prior notification.
4. Illnesses and Absences
· If the Child has an infectious illness, they must be kept at home and the Parents should inform the Nursery as soon as possible of the absence and nature of the illness (please see the Nursery’s Infection Control Policy for exclusion periods).
· The Parents agree to keep their Child away from the Nursery if they are ill with a temperature.
· To help prevent the spread of communicable illnesses and diseases, any child suffering from vomiting or diarrhoea must be kept at home until symptom-free for a minimum of 48 hours.
· The Parents agree to collect the Child from the Nursery in the event that they are contacted to inform them that their Child has become ill on the Nursery’s premises.
· Fees are payable by the Parents during the period of the Child’s absence from the Nursery due to illness or absence (including holidays taken during the Child’s Booking Pattern).
· As the Nursery must adhere to strict Child:Teacher ratios and in order to keep all children and staff safe on the premises, ‘make-up’ sessions for periods of absence cannot be offered.
5. Medical & Safety Information
The majority of the teachers at the Nursery have up-to-date paediatric first aid training and the equipment and environment are assessed for safety and suitability daily.
· The Parents agree to list any and all relevant medical information on the Child Information Record.
· The Parents agree to inform the Nursery of any changes to the Child’s medical information.
· The Parents agree to complete an ‘Administration of Medicine’ form should they require that any teacher at the Nursery administers medication to the Child.
· The Parents agree that teachers at the Nursery may administer first aid if needed and that the Nursery may seek emergency medical treatment for the Child including, but not limited to, calling 999 or escorting the Child to an Emergency Department at a local hospital where any decisions regarding the Child’s welfare will be made by the medical staff in attendance.
6. Fees, Deposits and Other Payments
· Fees are payable in accordance with the published tariff.
· Costs for Nappies and Meals will be itemised on each invoice and are separate to the published fee tariffs.
· Fees and other costs are only payable via BACS into the Nursery’s account by bank transfer.
· The Parents agree to arrange for payment of all fees and other costs in full according to the relevant invoice’s due date.
· If an invoice remains unpaid, the Nursery reserves the right to suspend or terminate the Child’s place.
· Invoices for fees and other costs associated with a Child’s Full-Time place are payable twelve times a year, on the first day of each calendar month, in advance.
· Invoices for fees and other costs associated with a Child’s School Term Time place or Nursery Term Time place are payable in nine instalments per year, on the 1st day of the following months: September, October, November, January, February, March, April, May and June.
· Invoices are sent electronically via email to the Parents.
· Changes in fees, as a result of a sibling joining the Nursery or when the Early Education Entitlement funding becomes available to the Child or due to a change in Booking Patterns, will take effect at the beginning of the billing cycle following the event or on the next invoice, whichever is the sooner.
· It is only possible to change Early Education Entitlement (EEE) funding allocations at the beginning of each term (for the purposes of these Terms & Conditions, terms commence on the 1st of September, 1st of January and 1st of April each year). In-term changes to Booking Patterns cannot affect the EEE allocation.
· Reductions in fees, e.g. for sibling discounts, are not applied to extra sessions billed or any additional services rendered.
· Additional fees (and other associated costs) for ad-hoc attendance are payable upon receipt of the relevant invoice.
· Where a Child attends Full Time and fees are paid monthly, these fees are calculated across 12 months and, therefore, fees remain payable during the Nursery’s published closure dates (bank holidays and Christmas Closure).
· While the Nursery accepts full or part-payment via Tax Free Childcare or certain Voucher schemes (please check with the Principal to confirm which schemes the Nursery participates in), these payments can take up to five working days to be received by the Nursery. Therefore, the Parents agree to ensure that all payments via these schemes are sent at least five days in advance of each invoice’s due date.
· A £500 deposit is payable when the Parents agree to accept a place for the Child. Upon receipt of this deposit, the Child’s place is guaranteed.
· The deposit will be returned to the Parents via the following methods when the appropriate notice period has been given of their Child’s withdrawal from the Nursery as per Section 2 above, and when all payments have been received in full:
- a £500 reduction on their final invoice when all other payments have been received in accordance with their due dates.
- a £500 refund into their bank account when payments have not been received in accordance with the relevant invoice’s due dates.
· Deposits will not be refunded if:
- the Parents decide not to take up a place which has been offered to the Child. However, should the Parents notify the Nursery at least six weeks before the Child's anticipated Start Date, the Nursery will refund half of the retained deposit (£250).
- the Child’s place is rescinded by the Nursery due to unpaid fees or in accordance with Section 12 below.
- the Parents fail to inform the Nursery of the Child’s withdrawal within the appropriate notice period as detailed in Section 2 above.
· The Nursery reserves the right to review and change the published fee tariff with three full calendar months’ prior notice.
· Any refunds due to the Parents as a result of overpayments of fees will incur a £25 administration charge and will be refunded to the original payment method.
7. Early Education Entitlement funding (EEE)
The Nursery delivers up to 30 hours per week of EEE to eligible families free of charge, but must charge Voluntary Parental Contributions (VPCs) to remain sustainable. By signing their agreement to these Terms & Conditions, the Parents agree to the model adopted by the Nursery and to pay the VPCs charged by the Nursery. For more information on the VPCs and what they cover, as well as eligibility criteria, please see the Nursery’s EEE Policy. The following applies to the EEE allocated to the Child:
· Any changes to Booking Patterns which affect the EEE allocations may only take effect at the beginning of each term (for the purposes of these Terms & Conditions, terms begin on the 1st of September, 1st of January, and 1st of April each year).
· The EEE is allocated before any reductions are applied.
· The EEE is not applied to extra sessions or services.
8. Disruptions to Services (Force Majeure)
In cases of any disruption to service, the Nursery will do everything in its power to continue operations where it is safe to do so. However, severe disruptions may require the closure of the Nursery or a reduction in its services. In such cases, the Parents will be informed via email and via the Nursery’s App. All fees remain payable during any period of closure. Examples of Force Majeure include, but are not limited to, extreme weather conditions, gas leaks, terror attacks, disruption to utilities and other acts of God or third parties outside the Nursery’s control.
9. Personal Information, Communication, Data Protection & Confidentiality
· It is understood that the teachers at the Nursery will use digital devices to capture images of the Child for the purpose of documenting their activities and development and that these images will be shared using the closed circuit Famly App which the Nursery uses for this purpose.
· As these images may include the likeness of other Children, the Parents agree that the images stored on the Famly App may not be shared by the Parents in any way including, but not limited to, any Social Media platforms.
· The Nursery collects personal data about the Parents and the Child and stores it securely in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulations Act of 2018. The contact details that the Nursery stores will only be used to contact the Parents on Nursery-related matters, including in case of emergencies. The Parents have the right to withdraw their consent for the Nursery to hold their data at any time and to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s office.
· If the Child is eligible for the EEE, the Nursery is legally obliged to share personal and contact information about the Child and the Parents with the Local Authority and / or the DofE for the purposes of claiming the relevant funding. The information shared may include information relation to the Child’s gender, age, attendance/absences, disabilities, or any other information about the Child or the Parents required under regulation.
· The Parents agree that the following information will be distributed to other Parents via a ‘Class List’: Child’s Name, Parent’s Name, Parent’s Telephone Number, Parent’s Email Address.
· The Parents agree to keep the Nursery informed of any changes to their contact / personal details.
· The Nursery will communicate with the Parents by all of the following methods: Face-to-Face; Telephone Call; Email; Famly App. Where the Parents have allowed this, a teacher at the Nursery may contact the Parents via text message or WhatsApp.
· The Parents agree that, should they employ one of the Nursery’s teachers for babysitting, child care or the provision of Early Years Education outside of Nursery hours, this constitutes a private arrangement between the Parents and the teacher and the Nursery bears no responsibility or liability for anything arising from this arrangement.
· In line with the Nursery’s Safeguarding Policy, should it consider that the Child is at risk, it will report this to the relevant authority. Although this may be done without informing the Parents, in most instances, the Nursery will inform the Parents prior to such notification taking place.
10. External Professionals
From time to time, the Local Authority will send external professionals (e.g. Speech and Language Therapists) to the Nursery or the Nursery itself may invite experts to conduct Continued Professional Development on the premises. In such circumstances, the Child may be observed by the visiting professional under the supervision of a member of the Nursery’s team. No information will be shared or interventions implemented without further express consent from the Parents.
11. Outings
The Parents agree that the Child will be allowed to participate in activities outside the Nursery’s premises in the area surrounding the Nursery. Information about any specific outings (Theatre trips, Farm trips, Music trips) will be communicated to the Parents separately.
12. Termination
The Nursery reserves the right to terminate a Child’s place with immediate effect if:
- it deems the behaviour of the Parents or the Child to be unacceptable or likely to endanger the safety, health or well-being of the other Children at the Nursery or that of the Nursery’s employees.
- there is a breach of these Terms & Conditions which (if remediable) has not been remedied to the Nursery’s satisfaction within 14 days of notification of said breach.
13. Changes to these Terms & Conditions
The Nursery reserves the right to amend its Terms & Conditions at any time. Such changes will be notified in writing to the Parents and will supersede all preceding Terms & Conditions issued by the Nursery. The Nursery will provide at least one calendar month’s notice of any changes to these Terms & Conditions and will explain any major changes to the Parents, including why the changes are being made. If the Parents do not agree with the changes to the Terms & Conditions, they have the right to terminate the contract that they have with the Nursery (providing the terms under Section 2 above are adhered to).