Admissions

​FEE STRUCTURE and FUNDING 

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The Department for Education (DfE) states: "Government funding is intended to deliver high-quality, flexible childcare. It is not intended to cover the costs of meals, consumables, additional hours, or additional services."

Under 3s - We currently offer 15 hours funding children eligible. With the ability to stretch your funding throughout the school holidays. Eligibility for funding begins the term after your child turns 9 months or 2 years. As it stands, you are able to choose your funded hours between 07:30-17:30, in which there is no additional charge for under three-year-olds other than food charges. Any hours over your entitled funded hours will be charged at £7.50. From September 2025, all children from 9 months may be eligible for 30 funded hours.

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From September 2025 – There will be two contracts in which you can choose from. 

 

Contract A –  

This fully meets DFE and OFSTED requirements but offers greater parental choice, flexibility, and continuity. In choosing contract A you are opting in to paying the daily voluntary service contribution.

This option includes:  

• Select the sessions and days that suit your requirements (subject to availability) 

• Have the flexibility to book extra sessions/hours (subject to availability) 

• Stretch your child’s funded hours over more than 38 weeks to include school holidays  

• An option to take funding ‘Term time only’ or ‘all year round’.  

• Use the funded hours between 7:30am- 17:30pm Monday to Friday  

• Breakfast included between 07:30-08:15 

• Drawstring bag for their peg to keep additional clothes in 

• Gateway T-shirt 

• Opt in or out for food 

• 1 week of 50% holiday discount each year 

• Extra-curricular visits – Music and movement classes, forest school, animal encounters etc.  

• Yearly events such as Graduation ceremonies, carol services, and celebrations that create 

• memorable experiences for children and families. 

• Special celebrations – cultural events, world book day, pancake day, Mothers Day gifts etc. 

 

If you are already a parent at our setting experiencing this level of service, and you want it to continue  in the same way you will need to tick the box Contract A. 

 

Contract B – 

This option offers a free place for an eligible child.    

We only have a limited number of places for FREE funded session This is dictated by our business model for sustainability. For parents taking up this option, funded sessions can be used between 09:15am until 15:15pm and are term time only. Any extracurricular activities you can opt in or out for on a termly basis and will be charged at £5.00 per session. These will be made aware to you at the start of term. If any spontaneous extracurricular activities occur, you will be contacted to be able to opt in or out.  

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This option gives you an option to bring your own snacks and lunches or you can opt in for the food charges stated above in ‘What do we charge?’. If you wish to select this type of place, you should tick the box Option B - Funded Hours Only on the booking form.

 

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Late Charges

A late charge of £15 per 30 minutes will be applied if no notice is given prior to collection.

 

2-year funding

 

We accept 2-year funding for any child who is eligible or who obtain a ‘Golden Ticket’ from the Local Authority. Please note, however, that places are subject to availability.

 

3–4 year funding (Funding begins the term following their third birthday)

 

All children aged 3-4 years are eligible for 15 funded hours, where applicable some families are eligible for 30 hours. Funded hours may currently be taken at any time across the week  however there are times at which extra cost may be incurred for some resources, or extra hours of funding utilised where a child does not  stay for an entire session. 

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Sickness absences and holidays, other than when the Nursery is closed, are payable at full rate if the place is to be held open. Fees are not charged when the Nursery is closed over Christmas or on Bank Holidays.