Paying your fees
Here at Redland Nursery, we provide a quality affordable childcare service to meet the needs of children and their families in the locality.
We have a finance administrator who can help you calculate your childcare fees.
Our fees are payable at the beginning of each month by cash or cheque, and you will receive an invoice for this. Charges are calculated on a sessional basis (ie. you are charged for what you use) and are calculated for a calendar month in advance. Any amendments to invoices will be adjusted for in a subsequent invoice(s). The Nursery will be closed for 1 week at Easter and from Christmas to New Year and you will not be charged for those weeks. (Effectively you will be charged for 50 weeks of the year).
Charges include nappies, formula milk and snacks but lunch is not provided (the child is to bring a packed lunch unless attending 1-6pm).
A non-refundable booking fee of £40 (per child) is payable upon initial booking of Nursery placements. We expect that all children will have at least 4 weeks’ holiday per year (2 of these can be at Easter and Christmas as noted above). Place(s) must be paid for during periods of sickness and any other non-attendance. Unfortunately we are not able to swap sessions if you miss a session. Changes of sessions are only available if they are a permanent change.
If you’d like your child to attend Redland Nursery, you may be eligible for assistance with the cost through a number of initiatives:
We have a job finder board which is updated weekly and a number of leaflets regarding help available.
Childcare element of Working Tax Credit
Working Tax Credit is an in-work tax credit for families, and includes an element to support the costs of registered or approved childcare for working parents.
To apply for the childcare element of Working Tax Credit:
one parent must work at least 16 hours a week,
both members of a couple must work 16 hours a week or more, or
one member of a couple must work 16 hours a week or more and the other member must be incapacitated.
both members of a couple must work 16 hours a week or more, or
one member of a couple must work 16 hours a week or more and the other member must be incapacitated.
The childcare element will pay up to 80% of eligible childcare costs up to a maximum of: £140 (80% of £175) per week for one child, and £240 (80% of £300) per week for two or more children.
The childcare element of Working Tax Credit will be paid into the bank account of the main carer alongside the Child Tax Credit.
Tax Credit helplines:
The Tax Credit helpline provides information for local authorities and Children’s Information Services, and helps parents to complete their claim form or check the progress of their claim.
8.00am – 8.00pm everyday (except Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Years Day and Easter Sunday): 0845 300 3900
For people with hearing or speech difficulties: 0845 300 3909
Parents can also apply online and follow a simple guide to see if they are eligible. Visit the Tax Credits website
Financial support for young parents
Care to Learn aims to give financial support to teenage parents (including dads), who want to continue their education or training, or are returning to education or training and need help with the cost of their childcare.
The Care to Learn scheme, launched in August 2003, makes available up to £5,000 per child per year to parents aged 16 to 18 who are in education or training. This money is to cover childcare costs and associated additional transport costs. It is available to support the use of any registered or approved childcare and will be paid directly to the childcare provider. The scheme was extended to include all young parents under 19 from August 2004 to help them have the same continuity of learning as other young people.
To find out more information on support available through Care to Learn, call the appropriate helpline:
0845 600 2809 (for young people)
0161 234 7269 (for professionals)
Lines are open Monday to Friday 8.30am to 5.00pm
Alternatively you can visit the Care to Learn website
0845 600 2809 (for young people)
0161 234 7269 (for professionals)
Lines are open Monday to Friday 8.30am to 5.00pm
Alternatively you can visit the Care to Learn website
Early education places (Nursery Education Grant)
The government funds nursery providers to ensure a free part-time early education place is available for every three and four year old in settings that have been inspected by OFSTED and found satisfactory in terms of quality in England.
All three and four year old children are entitled to free early years education from the beginning of the term after their third birthday. This grant comprises of five 2 1/2 hour sessions per week for 38 weeks of the year. The cost of this is paid by the local authority to Redland Nursery and deducted from your nursery bill accordingly. The grant is payable pro-rata for fewer than five sessions per week, and you will be responsible for funding any Nursery time your child has that falls outside of this grant.
All children are entitled to up to two years of free early education before reaching statutory school age (the first term following their fifth birthday from 1 September) 1 January or 1 April following their 3rd birthday. Depending on local arrangements for admission to school, many children start full time education in school reception classes before reaching compulsory school age.
The grant is payable pro-rata for fewer than five sessions per week. Standard terms and conditions apply - please ask us for more details.
Childcare Vouchers
We accept vouchers from all the major and local suppliers, including Accor, Care4, Busy Bees, and Leapfrog. Ask us if you have vouchers from another source.
Student support
To help you get the best out of going to university or college, there is a range of financial help available.
There are two main types of expenses whilst at university or college - tuition fees and living expenses. Student loans for maintenance are available to help out with living costs, and students may also be eligible for a grant.
In this section you will find further information about the range of help available for students.
Further Education
Help is available through the Learner Support Scheme to help students with childcare costs. Priority is given to single parents and those on low incomes, and the fund can be used to support the costs of any registered childcare.
Learner Support Funds
Learner Support Funds can help students at further education colleges with the costs of books, equipment, transport, and accommodation and can also be used to help pay childcare costs.
To find out more and to apply for the Learner Support Fund, contact the Student Support or Welfare Officer at the college. If the student is in the Sixth Form, they should contact their Local Education Authority.
Telephone 0845 602 2260 or check out the Learn Direct Childcare Funding website.
Higher education
Students with children can receive: a bursary of up to £1,000 that they do not have to pay back, a hardship loan of up £1,000 (this fund has been renamed Access to Learning Fund from September 2004), or Child Tax Credit.
Higher-education students who are parents are eligible for a Childcare Grant based on their financial circumstances. The grant is up to £100 a week for each child.
The grant pays a percentage of the costs of childcare and is paid for 52 weeks of the year for children up to the age of 14 (up to 16 for children with special needs).
The Childcare Grant is for students with dependent children. The grant will now pay a set rate of 85% of actual childcare costs throughout the whole year with: 85% of childcare costs up to £100 a week for one child (up to £5,967 maximum), 85% of childcare costs up to £150 a week for two or more children (up to £8,840 maximum).
Contacts and resources
Details of the help available from the Local Education Authority (LEA) and how to apply for it are given in the Student Support guide: Childcare grant and other support for student parents in higher education in 2004/2005 (S/CCGB/V4) published February 2004.
NHS students
There is a new childcare allowance for NHS-funded students to help with childcare costs during their studies. Parents who are interested in becoming nurses, midwives or physiotherapists will know that the NHS can make a significant contribution to childcare costs.
Under the scheme up to 85% of childcare costs will be met, helping around 6,000 students a year. Up to £114 per week for students with one child or £170 per week for two or more children could be available. The allowance will be means tested and eligible students, both existing and new, will be able to claim help with childcare costs.
This funding will help NHS students who face difficulties when training due to increased financial commitments, including childcare costs. Help with childcare costs will be for children under 15 and under 17 if the child has special needs.
Students can check their eligibility for help with childcare costs by calling 0845 009 2559.
Career Development Loan
This loan is aimed at students aged 18 and above who are doing a vocational course (education or training courses where you learn skills specific to a particular job or career e.g. leisure & tourism, engineering, nursing).
A Career Development Loan offers funding for two years whilst students are in education or job related training (or three years if the course requires one year of in work training). This loan can be used for any costs related to studying and training including childcare costs.
The students will have to repay this loan, but not until one month after completing the course. The government pays the interest on the loan during the course, so students only pays interest once they start repaying the loan. A Career Development loan may affect benefit entitlement, so students also need to contact their benefits advisor.
To find out more about Career Development Loans contact 0800 585 505 or check out the Career Development Loans website.
Other funding
There are additional types of funding that students may be eligible for. These include:
Elizabeth Nuffield Educational Fund
The Fund gives grants to women studying to improve their employment prospects. At present, grants are given only to help with the childcare costs of student mothers in higher education. The Fund also helps a small number of women refugees who are studying for a professional re-qualification.
To find out more about the Elizabeth Nuffield Educational Fund contact 020 7631 0566 or check out the Elizabeth Nuffield Educational Fund website.
Educational Trusts/Charities
Limited funding may be available through these for individual students. Your local or college library may be able to help you with details of organisations that offer trusts and funds.
Useful publications that carry information on trusts and funds that you can look out for in libraries are: Educational Grants Directory (published by the Directory of Social Change), The Grants Register (published by Macmillan Reference Limited), Charities Digest (published by Waterlow Information Services).
The Educational Grants Advisory Service (EGAS) offers guidance and advice on funding for those studying in post-16 education in the UK. EGAS operates nationally providing comprehensive advice and information on sources of funding available for post-16 education and training including loans, grants, benefits, access funds, hardship funds, bursaries and charitable trusts.
To find out more about Educational trusts an Charities contact the Educational Grants Advisory Service on 020 7254 6251.
Please ask the nursery manager for details on any of the above or for assistance with applying for them.
