Essentials
Navigating nursery fees alongside government initiatives and legislation can be confusing – here we try and break down your options.
From information on fees to the latest government grants and everything you need to know about funding…
Working families funded childcare
From April 2024 the government is rolling out more funded hours of childcare for children of working families.
Please see www.childcarechoices.gov.uk for the criteria for this and how it will be rolled out.
Children will become eligible for this funding the term after they turn 9 months, 2 or 3 years.
Applications for funding need to be processed before March 31, August 31 or December 31 for the code to be valid for the following term and parents need to confirm their details every 3 months to remain eligible.
With our funding, there are consumable charges, which cover food, wipes, forest school sessions (for Investigators) etc.
Full fees are charged for sickness and holidays. Holiday entitlement is 2 weeks for full-time children and 1 week for part-time children.
A 5% sibling discount is also available.
Funding from ages 2 – 4
Some 2-year-olds are eligible for 15 hours of funded childcare. As parents, to be eligible you will need to be receiving certain benefits, please see www.childcarechoices.gov.uk to see if your child may be eligible, we can assist with the application process.
All children are entitled to 15 hours funded childcare, starting from the new term that follows each child turning 3 years old.
Free settling in
I Learn is pleased to offer parents free settling-in sessions. These introductory sessions are designed to introduce your child to the nursery gradually and give you the opportunity to discuss your child’s individual needs.
Tax-free childcare
You can get up to £500 every 3 months (up to £2,000 a year) for each of your children to help with the costs of childcare.
This goes up to £1,000 every 3 months if a child is disabled (up to £4,000 a year). If you get Tax-Free Childcare, you’ll set up an online childcare account for your child. For every £8 you pay into this account, the government will pay £2 to use to pay your provider.
You can get Tax-Free Childcare at the same time as working families funding if you’re eligible for both. See www.childcarechoices.gov.uk to apply.
Referral award
Refer a friend or colleague to the nursery and you could earn £25 for yourself. At the end of your friend or colleague’s initial 3-month period at the nursery, you will receive £25 credit. Please ensure you fill in the ‘Referred’ section on the registration form to benefit from this.
Child/Working tax credits
How much you get from both of the above will depend on your individual circumstances. You should contact the tax credits helpline on 0845 300 3900 or visit: www.taxcredits.inlandrevenue.gov.uk for more information on eligibility and how to claim.