Awarded 'Outstanding' by OFSTED

Policy statement

Great Gransden Preschool Playgroup aims to have clear guidelines and procedures in place to ensure the financial viability of the setting is maintained, this includes an annual review of fees – which are set to ensure viability whilst also remaining aware that families have varying financial constraints, we endeavour to support families if we can. We want families to feel able to discuss with the manager, administrator, at any time, about any difficulties paying fees.

 

Procedures

Fees

• Payment of fees are for each half term in advance via cash, childcare vouchers, or BACS transfer

• Payments made via childcare voucher schemes through employers – please contact our administrator for information.

• Payments are due by the date on the invoice.

• Failure to make a payment by such date will be issued with a reminder.

• After this a late payment administration fee of 15% up to a maximum of £20 will be charged.

• In the event of non-payment of fees Great Gransden Preschool reserves the right to refuse childcare [over and above funded15 hours]

• AT the discretion of the VMC the preschool reserves the right to pursue recovery of outstanding debs through the small claims court.

• Payment by instalments can be made with prior agreement of the Manager and Administrator

• Fees for booked sessions/hours must still be paid if children are absent due to illness or holiday during term times [if there are special circumstances these will be considered on the individual situation]

• Reducing session/hours that a child attends will require four weeks’ notice in writing and/or payment in lieu.

• Withdrawal of a child from attending the Preschool requires a four-week notice period in writing, if short or no notice given payment of fees is still required. Withdrawal of a funded child without notice may result in funding not being released to the subsequent setting. This is at our discretion and can be kept as payment in lieu of notice.

• We appreciate that in certain circumstances, e.g., reposting of military families – there may be exceptions to the 4-week period. We would in these instances ask parents/carers to give preschool as much notice as possible.

• Invoice discrepancies should be raised promptly with the Manager or administrator, so that invoices reflect the correct sessions [funded and unfunded]

• We accept Government Funding for qualifying two-, three- and four-year-olds. Where funding is not received, then fees are payable.

• Parents of children who are eligible for local authority funded hours [15 universal, up to 30 extended via Childcare code] must complete the Government grant claim form as quickly as possible when issued by the administrator, so that application can be made by the cut off date. Late forms may miss the LA submission deadline and we are then unable to claim your funding for the duration of the term resulting if fees applying.

• Once funding applications are submitted, we are unable to change the child’s claim until the next whole term. Changes in hours part way through a term will not be funded and additional hours will result in fees applying.

• Swapping of sessions is in agreement of the Manager only and dependent on availability/staffing.

• Sessions are booked and confirmed when a child starts Playgroup

• As your child progresses through the academic year, if you do not notify us of any session changes for the forthcoming term, we will assume that your child will continue with their current sessions

• Session increases are subject to availability and are booked a term in advance. Please discuss as early as possible if you are considering increasing your child’s session during the academic year. This may not always be possible if our sessions are at capacity.

 

 

This policy will be reviewed every 2 years.