Unfunded Sessions provided above the Government Funded Early Education Entitlement will be charged as follows:
- Two year olds - £9.10 per hour
- Three and four year olds - £7.45 per hour (this rate applies from the term following a child’s 3rd birthday)
The cost of additional privately paid sessions will be clearly identified on booking confirmations and invoices.
Session requests are subject to availability and are not confirmed until written confirmation has been issued by the setting.
To support continuity, staffing and session planning, privately purchased sessions remain payable during short periods of absence including illness, holidays during term time and occasional non-attendance.
All fees must be paid in advance. Where fees remain unpaid the Trust will follow its late payment procedure.
Biggleswade Academy Early Years settings are committed to providing high quality early education and childcare in line with the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) and Central Bedfordshire Council Nursery Education Funding requirements.
Government funded early education is offered completely free at the point of delivery.
Funding is available from the term after a child becomes eligible:
- September
- January
- April
The Lawns
The Lawns currently offers:
- 15 hours funded entitlement for eligible 2 year olds
- Universal 15 hours funding for eligible 3 and 4 year olds
- Extended 30 hours funding for eligible working families of 3 and 4 year olds
Academy Preschool Settings
Academy Preschool settings currently offer:
- 15 hours funded entitlement for eligible 2 year olds
- Extended funded places for eligible 2 year olds where available
- Universal 15 hours funding for eligible 3 and 4 year olds
- Extended 30 hours funding for eligible working families of 3 and 4 year olds.
Funding availability is subject to:
- eligibility criteria
- session availability
- staffing ratios
- operational capacity
Parents/carers are responsible for ensuring eligibility codes and supporting documentation are provided within required timescales.
Children accessing funded places receive the same quality of provision regardless of whether additional paid hours are purchased.
Funded hours:
- have no monetary value to parents/carers
- cannot be exchanged for cash
- are non-transferable
- are offered in line with the setting’s session structure and availability.
If parents require sessions above their child’s funded entitlement, additional sessions will be charged at the unfunded hourly rate and invoiced accordingly.
Parents/carers accessing funded hours must complete and sign a Parent Declaration Form each term.
Funding cannot be processed until all required forms and eligibility information have been received.
Failure to provide completed documentation may result in:
- delays to funding being applied
- funded hours being temporarily suspended until documentation is received
- privately purchased additional sessions being invoiced where applicable
Biggleswade Academy Early Years settings do not charge parents for consumables or additional extras during funded hours.
Parents/carers are expected to provide their child with any personal care items required during the day, including:
- nappies
- wipes
- any other individual care products.
Children aged 3 and 4 years are provided with one free piece of fruit each day as part of the Government fruit scheme.
Where children attend for a full day, parents/carers should provide an additional healthy snack if required.
Parents/carers must provide a packed lunch for children attending over the lunchtime period unless they choose to purchase a school meal.
School meals may be purchased separately through the SchoolGrid app and are entirely optional.
Access to funded hours is not dependent upon the purchase of meals or any additional services.
Fees are invoiced monthly in advance and payment is due by the last working day of the month preceding the childcare being provided.
For example:
- December invoices must be paid by the last working day of November.
If a child starts part-way through a month, an invoice will be issued immediately for the relevant period.
Payment may be made by:
- Bank Transfer
- Childcare Vouchers
- Tax-Free Childcare accounts
Bank details will appear on invoices.
If parents/carers experience financial difficulty, they should contact the Finance Team as soon as possible to discuss support or alternative payment arrangements.
Where fees remain unpaid:
- the setting reserves the right to withdraw additional privately paid sessions
- funded entitlement hours will continue in accordance with statutory guidance
- recovery procedures may be implemented for outstanding debts
The following process may apply:
- 5 days Outstanding - additional privately paid sessions withdrawn
- 7 Days Outstanding - reminder issued and a £10 late payment fee applied per child
- 14 Days Outstanding - formal reminder issued
- 21 Days Outstanding - final reminder issued with warning of potential withdrawal of privately paid sessions
Where debts remain unpaid and no agreed payment arrangement is in place, the Trust reserves the right to pursue recovery of outstanding balances.
Parents/carers wishing to:
- withdraw their child
- reduce privately paid sessions
must provide a minimum of 4 weeks’ written notice.
Notice periods apply to privately contracted hours only.
Funded entitlement hours remain subject to Government eligibility criteria and local authority funding rules.
Requests to increase or amend attendance patterns are subject to:
- availability
- staffing ratios
- operational requirements
Any agreed changes must be confirmed in writing.
Where privately paid sessions have been reserved, fees may continue during the notice period even if sessions are not attended.
Refunds will only be issued where:
- an overpayment has occurred
- the amount cannot reasonably be credited to a future invoice
Refunds are not normally provided for:
- illness
- holidays
- occasional absences
- unused booked privately paid sessions
Children must be collected promptly at the end of their session.
Repeated late collection may result in additional charges due to staffing ratio requirements.
A charge of £10 per 15 minutes may be applied after the end of the booked session.
If the setting is required to close unexpectedly due to circumstances outside of its control, reasonable notice will be provided wherever possible.
This may include:
- severe weather
- utility failure
- health and safety issues
- emergency circumstances
The setting will make reasonable efforts to minimise disruption to families.
Fees are reviewed periodically by the Trust.
Parents/carers will receive reasonable notice of any changes to fees or payment arrangements.
Further information regarding Early Years Funding eligibility can be found at:
Parents/carers may also contact the setting directly for further guidance regarding funded entitlements, session availability or payment arrangements.