Main Policies (all policies are available at playgroup)

84.     Fees Policy

 

Standard Fees

Each hour at St. Gabriel’s Playgroup is charged at the following rates:

Children aged up to 3 years old: £6.00 per hour.

Children aged 3 years and above for hours not covered by Government funding: £6.00 per hour. Snack is not charged for. There is a late collection fee of £5.00.

For children receiving government funding

The term after their third birthday, children become entitled to 570 hours over a period of 38 weeks a year (which is 15 hours per week).  Early Years Pupil Premium is available for the playgroup if a family meets the criteria. St. Gabriel’s Playgroup will give you all the forms you need and the funding will come straight to us. Working parents can now receive 30 hours free childcare, parents who are eligible for 30 hour free funding will be able to find out, via Childcare Choices website, gov.uk. We accept 30 hours funding, you will need to obtain a document number and give the number to us to receive the extra 15 hours from WSCC.

 ‘Free Childcare for Two- Year-Olds’ scheme

 There is an offer of free childcare for two-year-olds in West Sussex who meet the requirements conditions. The aims of this offer include providing childcare to the most disadvantaged two-year-olds and to narrow the gap in educational achievement between disadvantaged children and other children in the County.

All referrals for places must go through West Sussex County Council Family Information Service and you must be in receipt of one of a list of benefits, such as Income Support.   A full list of the required benefits, additional criteria and information about how to apply for the funding can be obtained from the St. Gabriel’s Playgroup Free Entitlement Policy.

Vouchers

We are registered with several voucher schemes; please see our Manager for details.

Bills and Payments

Bills for fee paying parents will be distributed at the beginning of each half term. If payments are not made before the end of the half term, your place for the following term will be withdrawn unless you can prove payment will be made on a weekly payment scheme with the Manager.

Fees are payable if your child is on holiday, sick or absent.

 

Payments

Payments should be made within two weeks of the issue date on the invoice, and be paid either direct to the playgroup’s bank account and a copy of the transaction sent to our email address stgabrielsplaygroup@gmail.com or payment direct to the Manager/Deputy between 9am and 1pm on any day. A receipt will be given. If you are on benefits or experiencing difficulty with payments please speak to the Manager/Deputy.

Leaving

If your child is leaving St. Gabriel’s Playgroup, 4 weeks written notice must be given to the Manager. When a child leaves in the middle of a term, fees must be paid for the remainder of the four weeks. (For government funded children transferring to another setting see Free Entitlement Policy.)

 

St. Gabriel’s Playgroup Free Entitlement Policy

Aim: To make every parent/carer aware of the free entitlement available to them.

Free education and childcare for 2-year-olds

Your 2-year-old can get free childcare if you live in England and get one of the following benefits:

• Income Support

• income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)

• income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)

• Universal Credit, and your household income is £15,400 a year or less after tax, not including benefit payments

• child tax credits, and your household income is £16,190 a year or less before tax

• the guaranteed element of Pension Credit

• the Working Tax Credit 4-week run on (the payment you get when you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit)

2-year-olds can also get free childcare if they:

• are looked after by a local authority

• have a statement of special education needs (SEN) or an education, health and care (EHC) plan

• get Disability Living Allowance

• have left care under an adoption order, special guardianship order or a child arrangements order

You may have to pay for extra costs like meals, nappies or trips.

Contact your childcare provider or local council to find out more.

If you’re a non-EEA citizen who cannot claim benefits

Your 2-year-old may get free childcare if you are getting support under the Immigration and Asylum Act and have either:

• claimed asylum in the UK and are waiting for a decision (known as ‘part 6’)

• been refused asylum in the UK (known as ‘section 4’)

A 2-year-old you care for may also get free childcare if your household income is £15,400 a year or less after tax, and you have any of the following:

• leave to remain with ‘no recourse to public funds’ on family or private life grounds

• support from your local council because you have ‘a child in need’, for example they have a disability or a child protection plan

• the right to live in the UK because you’re the main carer of a British citizen (known as a ‘Zambrano Carer’)

Check with your local council if you’re unsure if you can get free Children of families with no recourse to public funds with a right to remain in the UK on grounds of private/family life under Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights**

An eligible child born on or between:

• 1 April and 31 August - can apply online for free childcare for 2 year olds from 1 April. If the application is approved, can then access a free place from the beginning of the September term following their second birthday

• 1 September and 31 December - can apply online for free childcare for 2 year olds from 1 September. If the application is approved, can then access a free place from the beginning of the January term following their second birthday

• 1 January and 31 March - can apply online for free childcare for 2 year olds from 1 January. If the application is approved, can then access a free place from the beginning of the April term following their second birthday.

This continues until the term after their third birthday, at which point they will become eligible for universal Free childcare for 3 and 4 year olds.

 

If you’re eligible the free early education and childcare:

must be with an approved childcare provider

starts from the term after your child’s 2nd birthday

Contact your childcare provider or local council to find out more.

You can apply online at www.westsussex.gov.uk search 2 year free entitlement or phone 01243 777807

 

3 & 4 year old Funding

· Funding is available from after the term your child turns 3 for 15 hours a week, and at St. Gabriel’s Playgroup the maximum to be taken as no more than 10 hours in one day and no minimum hours, for 38 weeks a year. Extra hours, if they are available will be charged at £6 per hour if spaces allow. If you are entitled to 30 hours free funding we must have proof of the document number, these hours are offered for the full time we are open, 30 hours, over 38 weeks. Funding can only be used across 2 settings.

 · Proof of child’s birth date will need to be provided either by passport or birth certificate.

 · St. Gabriel’s Playgroup will inform parents/carers when their child becomes eligible for free entitlement and will provide a parent declaration form to complete to secure the funding. This must be signed by the parent/carer and also any amendments to sessions must also be signed.  St Gabriel’s Playgroup will also sign to confirm all documentation has been received and sessions agreed.

 · Parent/Carers who wish to claim the free entitlement should register with St. Gabriel’s Playgroup no later than the head count day.

· Where a child moves from St. Gabriel’s Playgroup to another provider within West Sussex after head count, we will ensure that the balance of the unused funding will be transferred to the new provider on their request after taking out 4 weeks notice amount.

 · A child who has left the setting before the date of the headcount is not eligible for free entitlement funding is not eligible to be part of head count figures.

For more information on Free Entitlement contact the Family Information Service (FIS) PHONE: 01243 777807

Free entitlement to childcare is provided by the government for all 3 and 4 year olds. It allows access to free, good quality, flexible early education and childcare through a pre-school, nursery or childminder that is registered to offer free places.

 

• Universal free entitlement - For all 3 and 4 year olds. Children can use up to 570 hours each year, or a maximum of 15 hours over 38 weeks.

 

• Extended free entitlement (also known as 30 hours free childcare) - For eligible working parents of 3 and 4 year olds. Children can use an additional 570 hours each year, or a maximum of 30 hours per week over 38 weeks (1140 hours in total). If the funding is spread over a longer period, the amount of hours taken per week would be reduced. Parents must apply online to the government to confirm their eligibility.

A child moving to reside in England from another country is entitled to universal free entitlement on the same basis as any other child, regardless of whether they have British citizenship.

All 3 and 4 year olds are eligible the term after they become 3 years of age.

A child born on or between:

• 1 April and 31 August - will become eligible for a free place from 1 September following their third birthday

• 1 September and 31 December - will become eligible for a free place from 1 January following their third birthday

• 1 January and 31 March - will become eligible for a free place from 1 April following their third birthday.

 

Eligible working parents wishing to access the extended free entitlement can only do so the term after receiving confirmation of their eligibility and should apply for this a term in advance.

You do not need to apply for the universal free entitlement as it is available to all. See How to use free entitlement for what to do next.

However, you do need to apply for the extended free entitlement, if eligible, before a deadline. You can apply if both parents are working (or the sole parent is working in a lone-parent family) and each parent earns:

• less than £100,000 per year

• more than the equivalent of 16 hours at the national living wage or minimum wage per week: for example, £120 per week if you are 25 or older. Apprentices are also eligible as long as they earn the equivalent of 16 hours at the apprentice minimum wage.

You will not have to meet the minimum earnings criteria if:

• you and your partner are employed but one or both of you is temporarily away from the workplace on parental, maternity or paternity, adoption leave, or on statutory sick pay or

• you are employed but your partner either has substantial caring responsibilities, or is disabled or incapacitated, or vice versa (in other words, your partner is employed but you have caring responsibilities or are disabled or incapacitated). This is dependent on you or your partner being entitled to specific disability or caring benefits.

This application must be made to the government in advance, who check that you are eligible and provide you with an eligibility code. To access the extended hours at a childcare provider for an age eligible child, you must apply for, and receive, your eligibility code by the applicable deadline below:

• 31 December, to start accessing in Spring term (1 January)

• 31 March, to start accessing in Summer term (1 April)

• 31 August, to start accessing in Autumn term (1 September).

You can apply and check your eligibility on the Childcare Choices website.

When your eligibility is confirmed, give your code to your chosen childcare provider. You must reconfirm your eligibility online every three months. The Government will remind you by SMS or email before the deadline.

If you provide false information you could face a fine of up to £3,000.

If you are self-employed or on a zero hours contract

The criteria applies if you are self-employed or on a zero-hours contract and expect to meet the earning criteria on average over the next three months.

If you are starting up your own business you will not be expected to meet the minimum earning criteria in your first year of trading.

If you are expecting to take up paid work within 14 days

If you are not working but expect to take up paid work within 14 days, you can still apply for 30 hours, as long as you expect to meet the income criteria over the coming three months.

How to use free entitlement

To use the entitlement, complete the following steps:

1. Use the searchable database or contact the Family Information Service (FIS) for a list of childcare providers registered to offer free entitlement places.

2. Contact a range of childcare providers to see if they have a vacancy for your child. Arrange to visit as many as you wish and choose the one(s) which best meets you and your child's needs. It is important you fully understand the childcare provider's admissions policy, what services are included and what they may charge for, and any dates by which you need to make a claim.

3. Tell your chosen childcare provider(s) that you wish to access a universal or extended free entitlement place for your child. They will ask you to complete a ‘Parent Declaration’ paper form.

Take the following with you:

• evidence of your child's date of birth (passport or birth certificate)

• your eligibility code (extended entitlement only)

• your National Insurance number.

If you receive Disability Living Allowance for your child, take a copy of their award letter with you, as the provider can claim additional funding for their setting through the Disability Access Fund (DAF).

Your childcare provider will do the rest. They should not charge you, as the entitlements are for a free place rather than a subsidy towards your fees. However, they can set their own rates for any additional time or services that you take. They should let you know in advance what you will be expected to pay.

If you need help, contact us.

 

At St. Gabriel’s Playgroup we offer up to 30 hours free entitlement to those children entitled, during the hours we are open if we have spaces available. These are; Monday to Friday 8.30am to 4pm, Term time only. 38 weeks a year.

 

ST. GABRIEL’S PLAYGROUP - EARLY YEARS PUPIL PREMIUM POLICY

St. Gabriel’s Playgroup need information about parents and children, to provide the best education and support by making sure we receive all the government funding to which we and the child are entitled. We ask the parents to fill in the Early Years Pupil Premium Form. This includes, details of the child/ren, Parent/Guardian details including Date of Birth, National Insurance number, National Asylum Support Number, and any benefits or low income. We ask about adopted children and children subject to a special guardianship order or a child arrangements order, or children who have been adopted from care.

Free Entitlement forms have these included by West Sussex County Council, and when a child becomes eligible for this the parents/carers are asked to fill these in.

Registering could provide up to an extra £300 for St. Gabriel’s Playgroup to fund valuable support like extra training or, resources to help raise the quality of your child’s early education. 

 

We are committed to ensuring that the personal and sensitive information that we hold about parents and children is protected and kept safe and secure, and we have measures in place to prevent the loss, misuse or alteration of your personal information.

We will use the information parents/carers provide to assess entitlement to the early years pupil premium.