Early Learning & Childcare Charging Policy

Early Learning Funding Entitlement 

Downham Nursery School is listed with Norfolk County Council as an approved provider to offer the Early Education funding entitlement for all 3 and 4-year olds and has agreed to meet the conditions of the current Early Education and Childcare Statutory Guidance for Local Authorities.

The nursery is not registered to accept the funding for 2-year olds. The nursery is registered to accept the 15 hours universal offer and is now also registered for the 30-hour offer. 

The Early Education Funding (Grant) is available to all children aged 3-years and over from the term after their 3rd birthday. 

Government funding is intended to cover the delivery, of 15 hours or 30 hours of free, high quality, flexible childcare. It is not intended to cover the cost of meals, consumables, additional hours or additional services. Although we are allowed to charge for snacks and consumables we have decide not to do this as we want to ensure that all the children attending are provided with suitable drinks and snacks.

The Nursery is open daily for 8am-6pm for 51 weeks of the year. (For full fees please see sessions and fees sheet)

The Nursery offers the free Early Education Funding which is available for 38 weeks of the year.

The 15 hours free entitlement is offered as follows:

• Sessions of 2.5 hours – a morning session 9.00am-11.30am or afternoon - 12.30pm-3.00pm
• 5 mornings or 5 afternoon sessions- A total of 12.5 hours free Early Learning (Grant)
• To access the full 15 hours your child would need to attend an additional session

Additional hours are charged per half hour (For full fees please see sessions and fees sheet) 

The 30-hour free entitlement is offered as follows: 

For example: 8.30am-11.30am grant session, lunch 11.30-12.30, charged at £6.75, afternoon session 12.30-3.30pm, 6 hours a day 5 days a week = 30 hours free grant session a week.   

Parents receive an invoice showing the free grant hours claimed on their behalf for the term. Any additional hours are charged at the rate stated in our fees information. 

The free entitlements will be delivered consistently so that all children accessing any of the free entitlement will receive the same quality and access to provision, regardless of whether they opt to pay for optional hours, services, meals or consumables.

Registration fee of £15.00 is payable when we have confirmed a place for your child. This is voluntary for those families whose child(ren) only access the funding entitlement. For children who start the Nursery before the age 3 the fee is £15.00 and is non- refundable. We do not ask for a deposit. We do not charge for snacks or consumables.

Parents often register their children when they are only months olds. They pay a registration fee to ensure that a place is kept for them. We do only charge a registration fee when we offer a place.

The nursery is open all year round, with the nursery offering optional holiday care facilities for working parents who require care all year around. Parents are sent a separate booking form for holiday care and are invoiced for this separately. There is no Early Learning Funding (Grant) available for holiday care.