You can read the our policy below or download or download the document by clicking the link below:
Finance Charging Policy – for parents June 2023.
Payments are made via Schoolcomms https://schoolcomms.com/
Childcare Places
In addition to the current funded full time and part time nursery education places provided for 2-5 yr olds at Golborne & Maxilla, we provide childcare places for parents who are working or studying. Charges apply for these services.
Settling Arrangements
In order for children to settle happily into the nursery we ask for a parent or other familiar carer to stay with their child at first, gradually leaving them for longer periods over the course of their first week. Fees are not charged for this initial settling week. Should an extension of the settling period be required, additional arrangements will be discussed individually.
Settling arrangements do not normally apply when children who are already settled at the school add fee paying sessions to an existing funded place. However, parents are very welcome to pay an initial visit with their child to the extra session(s) they wish to purchase and no charge is made for this.
Allocation of Places
Fee paying sessions for children with a funded place at the school are allocated on a first come first served basis.
Full daycare places for 2yr olds not eligible for funded provision are allocated from the waiting list according to availability, with priority given to borough residents, siblings and those who wish their child to proceed to the nursery school and complete their nursery education at the school.
In the event of particular circumstances that may require an application to be prioritised, the matter will be referred to the Head teacher and Welfare Committee of the Governing Body for consideration.
The following services are provided
2yr old childcare places: Full time childcare places are available from 8.30am-4.30pm, Monday to Friday for 46 weeks of the year. These places are for 2yr olds not eligible for funded provision.
Holiday provision for 3-5yr olds: Additional full time places are also available during the school half term holidays, the Easter break and the first three weeks of the summer holidays for 3-5yr olds with term time only nursery school places. A limited number of holiday sessions may also be available for children with term time only funded 2yr old places.
Term Time Only ‘Top Up’ Sessions: Children attending the nursery school who have a part time funded place, may purchase additional afternoon sessions so that they attend for the full school day (9.15am-3.15pm).
Breakfast and After School Extended Day or Wrap Around provision: These sessions provide additional childcare before and after the school day.
Childcare sessions are provided at the following times and cost:
| Session | Times (Mon – Fri) | From Sept 2019 |
|
Full Day (2yr old provision or 3-5s holiday care)
|
8.30am-4.30pm |
£66.56 per day |
|
Breakfast |
8.30-9.15am | £5.20 per day |
| Lunch | 12.15-12.45 | £2.60 per day |
|
Nursery School Top Up Session
|
9.15am-12.15pm
or 12.15-3.15pm |
£24.96 per session |
|
After School |
3.15-4.30pm |
£10.40 per day |
Charging Policy, Payment of Fees & Parent Contract
Terms and Conditions
Terms and conditions for the provision of childcare services are available from the office. Parents wishing to make a regular booking are issued with a contract, which needs to be signed before the arrangement commences. Regular bookings where fees amount to £80 per week or more, require a deposit of one week’s fees.
Casual bookings will be accepted subject to availability. Payment in advance is required for all bookings.
Meal charges
A charge is made for lunches for all children attending the school unless parents are eligible for free school meals. Eligibility for free school meals is determined in accordance with government guidelines. A copy of these guidelines is available from the office and is issued to all parents, along with an application form for free school meals, when their child starts attending the school. NB: the eligibility criteria for a funded 2yr old place and for free school meals are not identical; therefore a charge for lunches may apply to some funded 2yr olds.
The charge for lunches is currently £2.60 per pupil meal, per day. Absences of less than 5 consecutive days are charged for, but if a child is absent for more than 5 consecutive days no further charges will apply until their return.
Children using the breakfast club are served with a selection of healthy cereals and toast and a teatime meal is served to children attending the after school provision. The cost of these meals is included in the fees for these sessions.
Charging Policy, Payment of Fees & Parent Contract
Charges for Late Collection
Parents are expected to collect their child on time at the end of their session. Failure to do so may affect the appropriate adult child ratios from being maintained and impact on both staff and other children. Whilst occasional unavoidable delays are understood and accepted, any persistent failure to collect a child within 5 minutes of the end of their session will result in a charge of £5 per 15 minutes being applied.
Payment of Fees
Both childcare places and the cost of meals are subsidised by the governing body and our capacity to continue to provide these services rests entirely on receiving full and prompt payment from parents. Parents’ co-operation in this matter is therefore appreciated.
Payment for school lunches
School lunches must be paid for weekly, monthly, half termly or termly in advance. Payment may be made by cash, cheque, debit/credit card, or parent fee payment interface system (SchoolComms). Parents will be advised at the beginning of term of the regular weekly sum they owe, as well as the total amount owed for each half term. Parents paying weekly will be asked to pay for 2 weeks lunches in the first week of term; thereafter, from the second week of term onwards, payment will be due by the end of each week. Monthly or half termly payments must be made by the end of the first week of the month/term.
Parents who pay childcare or wraparound fees in addition to school lunch costs will receive a total itemised bill which can be paid as outlined below.
Fees for childcare, holiday, ‘top up’ or school ‘wraparound’ places
These must be paid either weekly or monthly in advance. If fees total £80 per week or more a deposit of one week’s fees is also required to secure your child’s place. This deposit is payable on acceptance of the offer of a place and is deducted from the final week’s fees. In the event that parent/carers decide not to commence with the arrangement as agreed, either before or after the child’s settling sessions are completed, the deposit will be retained by the school.
If you wish to pay all or part of your fees by childcare vouchers please give details of your provider to the school office so that we can make the necessary arrangements for this. Any additional balance owing can be paid by one of the methods below. Childcare vouchers cannot be used to pay for school lunches.
Payment by monthly standing order
If you wish to pay by this method we will calculate your total annual charge and divide it by 12 to give a regular monthly fee. Standing order payments are deducted fortnightly in advance and fortnightly in arrears, normally on or around the 15th of the month. Should you wish to book occasional additional hours or days over and above your normal contracted times these will need to be paid for separately.
Monthly payment by cheque, debit/credit card, or bank transfer
An invoice will be issued at the start of each month for the amount owed. Please note that monthly bills are calculated on a four or five week basis, depending on the number of Mondays in the month. Payment must be made within 5 working days of the receipt of this invoice by one of the above methods. If you wish to make a direct BACS transfer please ask the office for details of our bank account.
Charging Policy, Payment of Fees & Parent Contract
Weekly payment by cash, cheque or debit/credit card.
Parents will be advised of the regular weekly sum they owe. In the first week of term (or the first week of your child’s placement), 1 weeks fee will be payable. Thereafter, from the second week onwards, payment will be due by the end of each week.
Occasional ‘ad hoc’ bookings
Any occasional or additional sessions booked must be paid for in advance at the time of booking.
Non-payment of fees
All parent/carers are expected to remain in credit. If payment is not received by the due date a reminder will be sent and if fees remain unpaid your child’s place is likely to be withdrawn. This may also result in debt collection procedures being activated. School staff, including the Head teacher, are not authorised to waive the collection of fees.
Approved and adopted by the Governing Body
Ruth Davis, Chair of Governors