Terms and Conditions
Listed below are the Terms and Conditions for Little Learners Nursery. They are also available to download as a pdf document on the right of this page. Should you have any questions regarding these or any other aspects of Little Learners Nursery please do not hesitate to contact us. These terms and conditions are to be read in conjunction with our policies and procedures which can be found outside the main nursery office.
Please note that these terms and conditions form part of your nursery contract and should be read in conjunction with nursery policies and procedures.
1. Bookings and Contracts
A childcare place will be offered by way of issuing an official offer letter either by post or email. The offer letter will reserve the childcare place for 10 working days from the date of the letter. To secure this offer a signed contract and deposit of £200 must be received within the 10 day period. Failure to return a signed contract and deposit within the 10 days may result in the offer being withdrawn. Deposits to secure childcare are non refundable unless sufficient notice is provided in writing to cancel contracted childcare. Where notice is provided cancellation charges apply.
Cancellation charges are:
More than 4 weeks notice Full refund less
3-4 weeks notice 75% refunded
2-3 weeks notice 50 % refunded
Less than 2 weeks notice No refund
Nursery contracts are for the full year, which is approximately 48 weeks. This covers all 3 academic terms and the holiday time in between. Where customers can demonstrate student status they are eligible to access a reduced contract of 36 weeks for the duration of the course at the University. Students are required to submit their expected date of completion upon registration.
Contracts are only available to those working or studying at the University of Reading, evidence of this status is required to secure a Nursery place.
Once a contract had been signed a notice period of one month is required to amend or cancel a contract. Please refer to section 4 for further information.
All children are required to attend settling in sessions prior to their start date, these sessions are offered as free; the number of session will depend of the individual child and range from 3-5 sessions. We however reserve the right to delay a start date and extend these sessions in the interest of a child’s well-being and in consultation with the parent may refuse entry to the nursery if it is deemed in the best interest of the child.
2. Fees, Invoicing and Payments
Nursery fees are set to reflect the cost of the service provided and the right is reserved to review them periodically.
A discounted fee rate is offered to those who can demonstrate University of Reading student status. In order to access these fee rates evidence of this status must be provided in advance of your contract being signed.
Fees are calculated by the number of operating days per calendar month and are payable by the 1st of the month. Failure to keep up to date with payments could result in childcare being withheld until fees are brought up to date. Current fee rates are available upon request; they are displayed on our parent notice board and are available on the nursery website.
Refunds will not be given for any non attendance due to holidays or illness and sessions are not interchangeable Additional sessions may be booked subject to availability.
No charge is made for Public Bank Holidays or scheduled nursery closures.
We reserve the right to charge a late collection fine of £10 per every 15 minutes after the end of the session.
Payment of fees may be made by Cheque, Debt or Credit card, Internet banking, Childcare vouchers, and Employer sponsors, however irrespective of the payment method fees remain due by the 1st of each month.
If circumstance arise when it becomes difficult to make payments for Nursery fees please do speak with us without delay to avoid any withheld childcare or action to recover fees. Student advisors are available for those who can demonstrate student status within the Students Union Hub, they will be able to discuss your circumstances with you in confidence. Advisors are also available at drop in sessions held in the Nursery; details of times are located on the parent notice board.
3. Discounts and additional bookings
Sibling discount of 10% will be applied to the eldest child’s fees where two or more children are registered with the Nursery. Discounts are only applicable to permanently booked sessions and do not apply to additional bookings nor to sessions where only one child is attending.
Additional session’s maybe booked if the relevant age group has availability. Any additional bookings are invoiced in the following month. If you wish to cancel an additional booking a period of 48hours notice is required. Payment will remain due if the required notice to cancel is not given.
We reserve the right to refuse additional sessions if there are any outstanding fees.
Additional sessions are not guaranteed unless the appropriate booking form has been completed.
Booking forms are available on request only.
4. Termination of contract and changes to sessions
Termination of contract – to permanently terminate a nursery contact a notice period of one month is required; this notice must be made in writing and addressed to the nursery manager. Contract holidays cannot be taken and where a contract is cancelled any future childcare will be subject to availability and the waiting list if appropriate.
Upon receipt of this notice an account statement will be issued to the customer, at this time any outstanding fees become due immediately. If at the end of a contract the account shows in credit a full refund will be issued. If payments have been made solely by virtual voucher the refund will go directly to the voucher provider. Full payment during the notice period remains due. Failure to comply with the notice period will result in action taken to recover outstanding fees plus costs associated with the recovery action.
Change to contract – Should a permanent reduction in sessions be required a notice period of 1 month is required, this change request must be made in writing and addressed to the nursery manager.
Should a permanent change to increase sessions be required customers are required to make this request in writing which should be addressed to the nursery manager, where there is availability sessions may be offered immediately, where there is no availability customers will be informed of this and may request to wait for them to become available. Customers who are already registered with the Nursery will take priority in terms of the waiting list.
If the Nursery or a Unit within it has to close due to events or circumstances outside the control of the Nursery we are not obliged to provide alternative childcare. Where a closure affects a contracted session the Nursery will endeavour to replace this session outside the contracted period. Where this is not possible due to full time attendance a credit will be allocated to the account.
5. Funded sessions
Early years education funding is available to children in the term that follows their 3rd birthday.
Funded sessions are 9:00am to 12:00 noon and 1:00pm to 4:00pm a child may access 5 sessions of 3 hours per week during the 36 weeks that are funded. These dates are published on the annual operating calendar, this is issued to all customers upon starting in the nursery and as they are updated. The calendar is also on display around the nursery and is available to download from our website.
No charge is made where a child is only accessing their funded education sessions. Charges do apply outside these times and are charged at the full normal rate for the Nursery e.g. if attending a non funded afternoon session payment is required for the full session, no part session attendance is permitted.
Outside the funded period customers are not obliged to attend sessions nor pay for any non attended sessions unless they are booked. Where these sessions are booked they are payable in full and no part sessions are permitted.
6. Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS)
The nursery works according to the requirements of the EYFS. The overarching aim of the EYFS is to help young children achieve the 5 principle outcomes of the Every Child Matters Agenda - Be Safe, Be Healthy, Enjoy and Achieve, Make a Positive Contribution, and Achieve Economic well-being. The EYFS will achieve this by: setting standards, providing for equality of opportunity, creating a framework for partnership working, improving quality and consistency and laying a secure foundation for future learning EYFS 2008
All children are allocated a key person who will maintain an individual learning journey for each of their key children; this file will consist of observations, sample pieces of work, photographs of activities undertaken, records of achievements and success. The file is shared with the child and their family and can be freely accessed via the child’s base room. Once the child leaves our care, we will forward this learning journey either directly to the next setting or to the parent. .
Parents are invited periodically to attend “Watch me grow” sessions where the key person and parent/s will be able to discuss the child’s progress and to set appropriate objectives for the coming months.
Further information regarding the EYFS is available on request or by visiting the National Strategies website.
7. Safeguarding
The Nursery has a duty of care to all children who access any services with us, this maybe occasional care, full day care, or out of school care, this also includes coffee mornings and drop in sessions. The duty includes that where a carer suspects that any child in their care has been abused or neglected they have a duty to report this to Social Care team and to Ofsted. The Nursery reserves the right to refuse to release any child to their parent/s should they feel that allowing them to leave would be detrimental to the child’s wellbeing. Such circumstances may be where the parent/s appears/is intoxicated, where the parent/s displays violent/aggressive behaviour and that it is suspected that the child may be in danger if released from the care of the Nursery. In the event that a child is not released from the care of the Nursery the duty social worker will be contacted to resume care and responsibility.
In order to further protect the children in our care we operate stringent policies and procedures, these are designed to protect the welfare of the children and form part of your contract agreement with the Nursery. Failure to adhere to these policies and procedures may result in childcare being withdrawn and the nursery contract being cancelled.
8. General
Photographs will be taken during the child’s time at Nursery and will be used to record achievements and be used to encourage children to take an active role in conversations about activities they have taken part in. All photographs will be stored securely on the Nursery computers and will not be available via the Internet and will not go outside the Nursery unless it is for them to be developed.
Photographs for press and marketing shall not be taken without prior consent from the parent, where a model consent form is required.
It is the responsibility of the parent to keep the Nursery informed of any changes regarding the child, personal contact details which include addresses, contact numbers and email addresses, persons responsible and authorised to collect the child and any other changes that may affect the level of service that we offer a child and their family. All changes are required in writing and should be addressed to the nursery manager. We accept no responsibility for incorrect information where written details have not been provided.
The Nursery is staffed by a team of trained professionals; the staff members are able to advise parents on most childcare/child development related issues. We have named staff in the following areas to assist you: Behaviour Management, Special Educational Needs (SENCo), Child Protection (CPLP), Language and Literacy and Transitions and Inclusions. Customers should also be aware that there are also a number of staff who are working towards their childcare qualification.
Parents should supply sufficient clothing for their child’s daily needs and a spare set of clothes in case of accidents. The Nursery cannot accept responsibility for loss or damage to personal items.
Sun cream and sunhats must be provided in the summer months. We ask that sun creams do not contain nut oils. This is to insure the safety of any child or adult who suffers with a nut allergy. During the winter we require that you provide suitable footwear, waterproof coats, hats and gloves as outdoor play is encouraged throughout the year.
9. Other
We may change the terms and conditions where such change arises from regulatory issues or changes in legislation affecting RUSU services Ltd, or in the reasonable opinion of RUSU Services Ltd that changes are in the interests of children attending the nursery. At least one month's in writing will be provided.
RUSU Services Ltd will not be in breach of these terms or otherwise liable to you by reason of any delay in performance or non-performance of its obligations due to an event outside its reasonable control such as acts of nature to include floods, storms, fire, and extreme weather, war, act of terrorism or strikes and other industrial action.
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