We have numerous policies all designed to help us keep your child safe and well while at our nursery. For a copy of our policies and procedures, please contact the nursery.
It should be noted that all references to “us/we” mean Kiddies Kottage Nursery and “you” Parent/Carer.
• Before we will consider granting your child a place in the childcare facility, we must receive a signed and fully completed registration form together with the one month’s fees deposit. A place will not be secured until these have been received.
• Unless four weeks’ notice in writing is given to alter a start date we will charge you fees from the start date stated on the application form.
• To secure a nursery place a minimum of two sessions a week must be booked.
• If you work in an educational establishment during local authority school terms only, then we may offer you a “Term Time Only” place for your child. If we do then your child will only be guaranteed a place in the nursery during local authority school term dates. Childcare places during school holidays will only be granted at the Management Team discretion and in advance. We will require a letter annually from your employer confirming the dates of your employment before a “Term Time Only” place will be offered.
• Any amendments by you to your child’s sessions are subject to two weeks written notice.
• The deposit is payable in full by bank transfer before your child starts, bank details given on request.
• We require you to give us four weeks notice in writing when you wish your child to leave the nursery. You will be required to pay the normal fees during this notice period regardless of whether your child attends or not. When the nursery has been given 4 weeks notice in writing of your intention to leave, we will refund your deposit against all or part of your last month’s fees.
• If you pay your fees by any method other than standing order, payment must be received within five working days of the first of each month. Other payment methods include electronic vouchers and transfers directly into our bank account.
• We will invoice you at the end of each month for the following month’s fees. All fees are payable in advance.
• All sessions booked must be paid for, regardless of whether your child attends. No refunds will be given for sessions missed due to holidays or sickness or school inset days.
• Half of the fees will be charged the one week of the year when the childcare facility is closed
• Extra sessions may be booked depending on availability and will be charged at the ad hoc rate. Once booked extra sessions / hours cannot be cancelled
• A £10 sibling discount is given to the oldest child/children when one or more children from the same family attend at the same time. Any child in receipt of the 3 and 4 years old free entitlement is excluded from this discount. Any child at school is excluded.
• There will be no refund or waiver of fees in the event that the childcare facility is closed or your child is released home early as a result of a Force Major event.
• If you are late collecting your child from the childcare facility, a late collection charge of £1 for every minutes or part thereof after your child’s session has ended is payable.
• A charge of £10 per week will be levied for each week that your fees remain unpaid.
• If payments are cancelled or returned by the bank, we reserve the right to apply a penalty charge of £35 to cover costs.
• Our fees are reviewed annually you will be given at least four week’s notice of any change in fees.
• If you are more than one month in arrears with your payments your childcare place will be terminated and in such circumstances you will not be entitled to a refund of any fees paid in advance or any deposit.
• We are registered to claim the “2 and 3 year old free entitlement” on behalf of eligible children aged two and three years, who are not attending LEA nursery classes. If your child is eligible and attends for just the free entitlement/funded hours there are no other costs involved however, if additional services or hours are booked these will be chargeable at our normal fees rate and if not already paid a registration fee and deposit will become payable.
• If your child is entitled to free entitlement/funded hours you must declare any claims made at another setting this information must be given to the setting at the point of registration. Failure to declare this information will result in you repaying us any/all amounts credited to your account and subsequently not funded by the local authority.
• We may ask you to remove your child from the childcare facility immediately if you, your child or any carer displays abusive, threatening, disruptive or otherwise inappropriate behaviour towards any member of staff, other child, parent/carer or if you are in serious breach of these terms and conditions or if termination of a place is considered by us to be in the best interests of the childcare facility and/or the continuing welfare of the other children at the childcare facility.
• We are registered under the Childcare Act 2006, and we are legally obliged to follow the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS).
• You accept that we are under a duty and will without reference to you, report any suspicion of a child having been abused or neglected to the relevant authorities.
• Our policies and procedures are available on request and they form part of these terms and conditions. You must comply with our policies and procedures and by accepting a place for your child at the childcare facility you acknowledge that you have read and accept our terms and conditions.
• We accept no responsibility for any loss suffered by you, arising directly or indirectly, as a result of the childcare facility being temporarily closed or the non-admittance of your child to the childcare facility for any reason.
• We accept no responsibility for your child whilst in your care at the childcare facility, i.e. prior to hand over to the nursery staff or after pick up.
• We will not be liable to you or any third party for any economic loss of any kind, for damage to your child’s or your property, for any loss resulting from a claim made by any third party or for any special, indirect or consequential loss or damage of any kind.
• Except in the case of death or personal injury caused by our negligence, our liability under or in connection with this contract whether arising in contract, tort, negligence, breach of statutory duty or otherwise howsoever shall not exceed the fees that you have paid us.
• We shall have no liability under or be deemed to be in breach of our agreement with you for any delays or failures in our performance which result from circumstances beyond our reasonable control.
• We shall not be liable for any default due to closure of the facility, following the recommendation of any Government Department or body, war, strike, lockout, industrial action, fire, flood, drought, tempest or other event beyond the reasonable control of either party.
• We will take all reasonable precautions which, having regard to all the matters known to us before the Event, we ought reasonably to take and we will use all reasonable endeavours to mitigate the effect of the Event, to carry out our obligations to you in any way that is reasonably practicable and to resume the performance of our obligations as soon as reasonably possible.
• You must inform us immediately of any changes to all information kept by us in relation to your child and any information that is relevant to our care of your child.
• You must inform us immediately if the parents of the registered child separate. This may have an affect on the “parental responsibility” status of the child’s father. It is assumed that both parents have “parental responsibility”. If this is not the case you are required to confirm this to us at the earliest opportunity in writing. You must inform us if your child is the subject of a court order and immediately provide us with a copy of the order.
• You agree that you will not at anytime, whether throughout the continuance of this agreement or for a period of three months after its termination, directly or indirectly (via agencies) employ/entice away an employee with whom you have had contact or dealings with at the childcare facility. If you are in breach of this provision then you shall pay to us a sum representing 20% of the relevant member of staff’s gross annual salary at the time they leave our employment representing the costs to us of recruiting a suitable replacement.
• We reserve the right to delay or advance moving your child to or from the room normally associated with their age.
• Where possible give us at least one calendar month’s prior notice in writing of dates upon which your child will not be attending the childcare facility due to holidays etc. This is to facilitate staff planning.
• These terms and conditions and our policies and procedures represent the entire agreement and understanding between you and us. Any other understandings, agreements, warranties, conditions, terms or representations, whether verbal or written, expressed or implied are excluded to the fullest extent, permitted by law.
• We reserve the right to update / amend these terms and conditions and our policies and procedures at anytime. We will give you at least four weeks prior notice of any changes.