Funded hours are available from 8:00 to 17:30, however every child attending lunch club (12:00 12:30) will incur a £5 lunch club fee.
Time/Sessions Available Fee Rate Funded – Free for Two, 30 hours, Free
|
Time/Sessions Available |
Fee Rate |
Funded – Free for Two, 30 hours, Free Entitlement where eligible |
|
|
8am to 9am (Breakfast Hour) |
£8.00 |
Yes |
|
|
9am to 12 noon |
£24.00 |
Yes |
|
|
12noon to 12.30pm |
£6.00 |
No (this session is always chargeable) |
|
|
12.30pm to 1.00pm |
£4.00 |
Yes |
|
|
12.30pm to 3.00pm |
£20.00 |
Yes |
|
|
3.00pm to 3.30pm |
£4.00 |
Yes |
|
|
3.00pm to 5.30pm |
£20.00 |
Yes |
|
|
An hourly rate is charged for differing finish times up until 5.30pm |
£8.00 |
Yes |
|
|
Full day 8am to 5.30pm |
£78.00 |
Yes (9 hours – not 12 to 12.30) |
|
|
Full pre-school day 9am to 3pm |
£50.00 |
Yes (5.5 hours – not 12 to 12.30) |
|
|
Half pre-school day 9am to 12 noon – Morning |
£24.00 |
Yes |
|
|
Pre-School afternoon 12.30pm to 3pm |
£20.00 |
Yes |
|
|
Full day 9am to 5.30pm |
£70.00 |
Yes (8 hours – not 12 to 12.30) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Non-term time – Unfunded periods – Holiday Days |
(Existing families) |
(New families) |
|
|
Full day – 8am to 5.30pm |
£42.00 (age 3+) |
£52.00 (age 2) |
£45.00 (ages 3-7) |
|
Half Day – 8am to 12.45pm or 12.45pm to 5.30pm |
£21.00 (age 3+) |
£26.00 (age 2) |
£24.00 (ages 3-7) |
|
School day 9am to 3pm |
£28.00 (age 3+) |
£32.00 (age 2) |
£32.00 (ages 3-7) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
After School Club (for St James’s School Children Only) |
|
|
|
|
Collection from school from 3pm to pick-up at 5.30pm including tea |
£17 |
No funding available |
|
Addition Hours:
Additional Hours can be added to the beginning or at the end of your child’s sessions. Little Pips Pre-School are very flexible and are able to provide many different timing in accordance to your family. Please call or email us if you have any queries regarding session times, funding and fees.
Funding:
Funding available will depend on your personal circumstances and eligibility. Funding can be used across two separate providers.
Sessions which have been booked in advance will still need to be paid for even if your child is absent due to sickness, holiday or other absence. Certain situations may be given consideration and need to be discussed with the manager at the time of the absence.
Every effort has been made to keep session fees as low as possible.
The Pre-School accepts childcare vouchers.
Full time placements
Little Pips does not offer stretched funding. However, if your child(ren) require a full time place which includes the school holidays. Payment plans can be discussed with Angela (our administrator). This will provide a monthly rate to cover any non funded hours, thus not receiving large invoices during school holiday periods.
Payment Schedule
All invoices will be sent out weekly unless prior arrangement has been made with Angela. All invoices need to be paid prior to your child attending the session. If payment has not been received by the due date, a reminder email will be sent. If payment is still not received then your child will not be able to attend the Pre-School for any chargeable sessions until the account is paid in full.
Individual payment schedules can be agreed in advance at the discretion of the Finance Committee.
Payment Methods
The Pre-School’s preferred method of payment is direct into the Pre-School bank account, details of which are given on the invoice. Your child’s name should be given as a reference.
Cheques are acceptable and should be made payable to The Little Pips Pre-School.
Cash payments are no longer acceptable direct to the Pre-School. Cash can however be paid direct into the Pre-School bank account through Barclays Bank in Calverley Road, Tunbridge Wells – opposite Boots. Your child’s name should be given as a reference.
Government Funding acceptable
We are able to offer “Free for Two Funding” for eligible two year olds.
Applications for funding can be made through the Pre-School OR online here and will require parents to provide relevant documentation including evidence of benefits received and your child’s birth certificate.
When the application is approved your child will be offered up to 15 hours of funding per week during term time.
As a minimum all three and four year olds who attend The Little Pips Pre-School are entitled to 15 hours of funded education (Universal Hours) a week during term time (38 weeks in total). However, some families may be eligible to additional funded hours. The Little Pips Pre-School can offer a total of 30 hours for those families who are eligible. (See “30 Hours Funded Childcare” below)
Funded hours are agreed at the beginning of Terms 1, 3 and 5. It is not possible to alter these hours until the following Term 1, 3 or 5. However, you may increase your child’s attendance during the term, depending on the availability of sessions, and pay the additional hours or sessions as detailed above. Children become eligible for funding at the start of the first full term (Terms 1, 3 and 5) after their third birthday.
Any requests for changes to attendance, whether chargeable or as part of a claim for funded hours, must be received in writing before the start of the term in which they are to take effect. The Pre-School reserves the right to reject any chargeable increases to a child’s attendance where there are fees outstanding or where there have been issues with non-payment of fees.
Funded hours can be shared with one other setting e.g. The Little Pips Pre-School and one other registered setting or childminder
The Little Pips Pre-School offers 30 hours funded childcare to eligible families.
This offer will be available in full sessions from 08.00 to 17.30 every week day (excluding the lunch period 12.00-12.30) dependent on numbers of children booked in each session. Sessions start at 08.00 to 12.00 and 12.30 to 17.30.
Eligibility for this funding can be obtained by the parent/carer through the following website.
www.gov.uk/government/publications/30-hours-free-childcare-eligibility
The Little Pips Pre-School is registered under the Tax-Free Childcare scheme.
Tax-Free Childcare and 30 hours funded childcare are two separate government schemes, to help parents with the cost of childcare. You can apply for both through one online application.
To qualify for either scheme, parents must be working and each earning at least £120 a week (on average) and not more than £100,000 each a year.
Parents can use “Tax-Free Childcare” alongside the 15 and 30 hours funded childcare schemes in England, or any funded childcare hours provided by the Scottish, Welsh or Northern Ireland governments.
Parents can’t use “Tax-Free Childcare” at the same time as they receive childcare vouchers, Universal Credit or tax credits. However, 30 hours funded childcare can be received alongside these schemes.
When you apply, you’ll be considered for both these services through the same application. You’ll only be asked to decide which support you want if you’re on tax credits or using a childcare voucher or salary sacrifice scheme. You should check what help you could get with childcare costs, using the childcare calculator. This will help you decide which support is best for you.
Little Pips Pre-School offers additional activities during the week at an additional cost to the pre-school. Parents are requested to make a voluntary contribution towards the cost of these activities if their child attends during the session when the activities are offered. Each child is encouraged to take part in the activity and each activity is designed to offer an enhanced learning opportunity with a professional from outside the Little Pips staff team. For example, ball skills, singing, music and movement.