Fees and Payments
Fees and Payments
* Harcourt Pre-School fees: £7.50 per hour for all non-funded hours as of September 2023.
* Sessions as follows:
Morning 8.55 – 12.00
Morning and Lunch Club 8.55 – 12.45
Afternoon 12.45 – 3.15
Lunch Club and Afternoon 12.00 – 3.15
All Day 8.55 – 3.15
* All three and four-year olds in England are entitled to the council funded 15 hours of Free Early Education Entitlement.
* Harcourt Pre-School offers this as 15 hours per week, term time only (38 weeks per year). Children become eligible from 1 January, 1 April or 1 September following their third birthday. This is known as Universal Hours, and Harcourt Pre-School applies for this funding on your behalf.
* Working families may also be entitled to claim the 30 hours expanded entitlement for 3 and 4 year olds.
* From April 2024, 2 year olds from working families may be entitled to access 15 hours a week of Free Early Education Entitlement.
* HMRC must provide a funding code to enable you to claim for:
a) a 2 year old from working families or
b) a 3 or 4 year old that is eligible for the 30 hours expanded entitlement.
The criteria for “working families” is:
- Both parents in household must be working (n/a if single parent)
- Minimum income of equivalent of 16 hours at min wage (£167 per week)
- Maximum income of £100,000 a year (each parent)
- Maternity and Paternity leave included as income
- Carers’ allowance included as income
For more information on Universal or Extended Hours entitlement and how to obtain the code, please visit the Bristol City Council website.
The number of funded hours offered by Harcourt Pre-School can only be amended before 1 September, 1 January or 1 April each year, with any interim changes being charged at the hourly rate and invoiced accordingly.
Any hours not covered by the Universal or Extended Hours entitlement will be charged at the hourly rate of £7.50. This will be invoiced termly.
* Lunch Club: children bring in their own healthy, packed lunch to eat with their key group/ person. The lunch club session can be paid using the free entitlement.
* Induction Fee: We ask for a £50 non-refundable deposit when parents confirm a place for their child. This fee enables us to offer a carefully planned settling in procedure including providing a Parent Information Pack, Open Afternoons to come in for a play and Home Visits.
* We also ask for a one-off Payment towards your child’s Online Learning Journal and Child Record: £20.
Voluntary Contributions
We want to survive as a business, so we ask for a consumables charge of £1 per council-funded hour you claim with Harcourt Pre-School. We hope you find this modest charge acceptable and that you understand why we have been forced to make this change to our charging policy. This charge will be itemised on your termly invoice, so that you can see clearly the costs you are incurring.
The Voluntary Contribution will be used to cover all consumables plus any extra activities we provide at Harcourt Pre-School, including but not limited to: Garden Forest School, Yoga, Little Beats music group and our Christmas Party.
If you are registered with Tax Free Childcare, then you can pay your consumables charge using this type of account (getting Government support of £2 for every £8 paid in) to keep the costs as low as possible for you.
We understand that some families may not be able to afford the new consumables charge, so if you experience difficulties meeting the cost of the additional services, please come and speak to Veronique or Suzanne. If you are currently seeking employment (and claiming Universal Credit), please let us know as we may be able to access extra funding to support your child and cover the consumables charge for you.
Paying by instalments and Childcare Vouchers
* Pre-School fees may be paid in three monthly instalments per term (Autumn, Spring and Summer Terms). The preferred method is online payments to the pre-school’s bank account. Please ask Suzanne or Veronique for details.
* Childcare Vouchers: the setting and the employee will need to register with the scheme provider. Obtain information from your employer as to which company administers their scheme. Once we are registered with the relevant provider we will be able to accept your Childcare Vouchers.
* We are a registered Government Tax-Free Childcare Provider.
Paying by Government Funding
* The Free Early Education Entitlement is payable from 1st September, 1st January or 1st April after your child turns three. The date from which your child receives funding is noted on your bill.
* To receive funding parents must complete a ‘Parental Declaration Form’ and provide a copy of their child’s birth certificate.
* The Parent Declaration Form is your opportunity to state how much of the 15 Universal Hours can be claimed and also how much of the 15 Extended Hours you wish to use providing you have supplied a valid 30 hours code.
* Only a valid code will guarantee the funding for the extra 15 hours. It is your responsibility to provide this. If you have lost your code you must contact HMRC. We are not expected to ‘hold’ a place for a child whose parent is still ‘applying’ or ‘re-applying’ or has lost their code. We are not funded by the LA for any child who does not have a valid code.
* The number of hours your child attends above the number of funded hours will be charged at the current hourly rate of £7.50.
* We are also registered to provide Free Early Education for Two Year Olds. You can check to see if you qualify using the Bristol City Council website.
Late Payment
* If you have difficulties paying the bill at anytime, please discuss with Suzanne as soon as possible.
* If we do not receive payment by the specified date parents will be reminded within two weeks, they will receive a written reminder after one month and, if payment is not received by the end of the term, the place will be withdrawn.
Notice Period and Refunds
* Harcourt Pre-School requires a double-term’s notice period (that is, Autumn, Spring and Summer Terms) if you no longer require the place.
* Unfortunately, refunds can not be made for absences through sickness or holidays.
Fee Increases
Harcourt Pre-School reserves the right to review the hourly rate and Voluntary Contribution amount at any time. We are a co-operative and do not run for profit but, to be a viable business, we may need to increase our charges to cover any increased costs. We would always strive to make any increases as small as possible and they would only be to cover increased running costs.
Updated 05/12/2023