Fees & Funding
Willow House Nursery School provides a fully-inclusive service, with no hidden extra charges.
PARENTS are required to complete and submit a Registration Form to the Nursery Office detailing the days and times they wish their child to attend.
NURSERY PLACES are allocated subject to availability.
THE NURSERY CLOSES for the statutory Bank Holidays and approximately two weeks over the Christmas period, when fees are not payable.
EXTRA SESSIONS MAY BE REQUESTED, subject to availability by submitting a Request via the iConnect ParentZone, or by sending an email/telephoning the Nursery Office.
SWAP SESSIONS: Up to two weeks of swapped bookings (on a pro-rata basis for your child’s booking pattern) may be available to each child every year. The ability to swap is NOT guaranteed and is dependent upon availability. All swaps incur an administration charge for each change made. For full information, see the Swap Form page.
CHILDREN must attend for at least THREE sessions each week (on THREE separate days). These sessions must be School or Full Day length. We are currently phasing out our Morning-Only sessions: honouring it for those on pre-booked attendance patterns, but continue to note that all children in their final Pre-School year are not permitted to attend for Morning-Only sessions, and must increase to a minimum of School days.
ALL FEES ARE PAYABLE regardless of absence due to illness, family holidays or any other reason whatsoever and the nursery has no obligation to make up any missed attendance.
FEE INVOICES are emailed to Parents on a four-weekly cycle, with fees payable within 14 days of the billing date. All new parents are required to sign up with our Direct Debit Service (GoCardless), from which any outstanding balances on their account will be charged on the 15th day post-invoice. Payments prior to this date can be received in the form of Cash, Tax-Free Childcare, Workplace Vouchers or Bank Transfer.
LATE PAYMENT CHARGES: 5% will be added on account balances over £150 unpaid after 28 days.
FOUR-WEEKLY BILLING: Four-weekly billing will give 13 billing days per year, a calendar outlining these dates is available HERE.
All ‘bill payers’ will be able to view bills and account balances within their Parent Zone app.
We are aware that some of you have a ‘monthly’ figure set to come from either Workplace Vouchers or the Government’s Tax-Free Childcare systems. You may wish to amend these to weekly, however, it is not essential. You will simply need to
keep an eye on your account balance (visible at the bottom of every bill and via the Parent Zone app) to ensure you have sufficient funds to cover the billing total.
FEE REVIEWS occur each January. However, the Nursery reserves the right to review the fees at any stage throughout the year due to increased costs beyond our control. Fee payers will receive a minimum of one month’s notice for any changes in fees.
SETTLING CHARGES. A charge of £5.50 per hour will be made for sessions where a child is left in our sole care for a period of time in excess of two hours. If a child does a settle that is under two hours there is no charge but, any time over the two hours will incur a charge for the full period of time that the child has been left in our care. There is no charge when a parent/guardian is onsite at the same time as the child when they are settling.
Settling charges will be added to your first invoice.
Any sessions where a child attends for the hours of a regular session, for example a Morning or School Day, will be charged for at the regular sessional price.
PAYMENT MAY BE MADE by Cash, Tax-Free Childcare, Workplace Vouchers, EEF and GoCardless Direct Debit – to set up a GoCardless Direct Debit account, CLICK HERE
CHANGES TO ATTENDANCE BOOKING PATTERNS: Children in receipt of EEF may only change their attendance at the end of each academic term, due to the Headcount entered for the Local Authority at the start of each term. They must give one full month’s written notice to withdraw their child from the Nursery. For all other children, one full calendar month’s notice is required in writing to reduce attendance or withdraw a child from the Nursery. Full Fees are payable in lieu of Notice.
FINANCIAL QUERIES – Emma Jeffs, the Business Manager can be contacted via the Contact Us page. Emma is predominantly based at our Hereford Nursery, so will most easily otherwise be reached by calling 01432 264507 (Beech House Nursery School Office).