Autumn
- 3rd September – 24th October
- 3rd November – 19th December
Parent information
Parents
Term dates, fees and funding, sessions, snack and lunch, and what to bring each day.
Term dates 2025–2026
Spring
- 6th January – 13th February
- 23rd February – 27th March
Summer
- 13th April – 21st May
- 1st June – 17th July
Fees and funding
Fees are £7.00 an hour for 2-year-olds and 3 to 5-year-olds, payable a half-term in advance. Fees must still be paid every half term in advance (Policy 12.0 Preschool Payment Policy Statement). We are registered to offer funded sessions for all 3 to 5 year-olds. Free entitlement funding is a government scheme which allows us to offer up to 15 hours of free childcare each week for 38 weeks a year for all 3 to 5 year olds.
If you receive certain benefits, you may also be eligible for funding for children over 2 years old. To find out whether your child is eligible for funding, please visit gov.uk help with childcare costs.
If you are working, your 2 year old might be entitled to 15 hours of free childcare each week for 38 weeks a year (this age goes down to 9 months from September 2025) and your 3 and 4 year old might be entitled to an extra 15 hours of free childcare each week for 38 weeks, which will bring their free hours to 30 hours a week for 38 weeks a year. To find out if you are eligible and how to apply to receive free childcare for working parents please visit gov.uk get free childcare if you are working.
Please telephone 01480 896 006 should you require any further information on funding. Please refer to the preschool payment policy document available at preschool. Our payment policy is included in your Welcome Pack.
Sessions
Our preschool is registered as a sessional setting, term time only, Monday–Friday. Our core sessions are run from 9.00 am to 12.00 pm, and afternoons between 12.00 noon and 3.00 pm, and we are registered with Ofsted for a maximum of 20 children per session. We need to open a session to a minimum number of children, to remain financially viable, so sessions will run depending on numbers.
Snack time
Our snack times promote healthy eating, and children are offered a selection of fruit and/or vegetables, crackers etc. Water is available to the children all day and milk is offered at snack time. If a child wishes, they can bring their own name-labelled bottle to have with their lunch, which may contain either water or juice. Water will be available to them throughout the day.
There is an additional daily voluntary cost of £1 per morning session – the cost will be added to your invoice. This will help meet our consumable costs for daily morning healthy snacks. However, if parents/carers are unable/unwilling to pay the cost, please speak with the preschool manager, who will advise you on alternative arrangements including bringing your own snack.
The preschool will encourage the children to try food from distinct cultures and as part of special themes (birthdays, Pancake Day, Chinese New Year for example), and with respect to the child’s dietary requirements.
In October 2024, preschool was inspected by the Food Standards Agency and received the highest rating ‘5 – very good’.
Lunch
Children bring their own packed lunch and eat with their friends at the table, together with the staff. They are helped to understand the importance of washing their hands before eating and after going to the toilet.
This helps them develop their independence and social skills and helps the older children in preparation for primary school. We ask that children do not bring nuts/nut products, sweets, and please no fizzy drinks. Please speak to the preschool manager for further information.
Packed lunch guidance (PDF)What to bring
- Drink bottle
- Lunch (if staying for lunch)
- Wellies
- Coat, hat, sunhat (depending on weather)
- Sun lotion (if sunny)
- Change of clothes
- Nappies, wipes (if needed)
All named, please.