Rising 3s Payment Policy

September 2023

The purpose of this policy is to provide parents and staff with clarity on the cost of rising 3s placements, how payment should be made and the action that can be taken in the event of late or missed payments.

This policy must be signed and returned along with any other documentation requested by the Office Manager before a place will be offered to your child.

1. Early Years Free Entitlement

Early Years 15 Hours Free Entitlement.  This is the statutory entitlement for all children in England of 570 free hours per year which is offered as 15 hours a week for 38 weeks of the year during term-time from the term after your child’s 3rd Birthday. Early Years 15 hours Free Entitlement sessions are offered Monday – Friday, 9am -12pm, term-time only.

Early Years 30 Hours Free Entitlement.  From September 2017, working parents may be eligible for 30 hours free childcare a week for 38 weeks (1,140 hours per year) of the year during term-time from the term after your child’s 3rd Birthday. Early Years 30 hours Free Entitlement sessions are offered Monday – Friday, 9am-3pm, term-time only.  

Top-Up afternoon sessions. Parents who are not eligible for the Early Years 30 Hours Free Entitlement can opt to pay for a 15 hour Top-up session, at a cost of £25.00 per week. These sessions will be offered 12-3pm.

Places within our nursery setting are offered to children of nursery age as a priority. The amount of rising 3s places cannot be guaranteed.

2. School Dinners

All children will have a school lunch as part of their session. You can choose to provide a packed lunch or alternatively school lunches cost £15.00 per week and these must be paid for in advance via www.parentpay.co.uk

All children in Nursery are encouraged to stay for a school lunch as this helps to develop social skills such as eating with a knife and fork and sitting at the table.

Healthy eating is also encouraged through carefully planned menus. However, if you would

prefer your child to have a packed lunch, this is also possible.

3. Payment of Fees

Your child will be allocated a place for a minimum of 15 hours per week for 38 weeks.       Even if your child attends for less than 15 hours per week we will claim the full 15 hours Early Years Entitlement. No refund or credit is given for time not attended due to sickness or holidays.

Parents are required to pay for all services i.e. top up sessions and school lunches in advance by making an online payment to their child’s account via parentpay.

Payment must be made at least one full week in advance and your account must be kept in credit at all times.

Parents eligible for top up funding will need to re-apply for funding each term and will then keep their afternoon place as long as they remain eligible.

4. Late / Unpaid fees

If you are unable to pay your fees due to personal difficulties you must speak to the Office Manager immediately. At this point a method of repayment can be agreed. If the fees are not paid within 14 days and there have been no notification of reasons, the Office Manager will follow this up. If it is found that repayment is still not forthcoming, a late payment charge of £25 will be incurred and added to your parentpay account as an arrears.

Any unpaid fees may result in immediate suspension or termination of the nursery place unless reasonable arrangements are made and accepted by both parties. We require payment to terms; on time, in full, and without any deduction, set off or counterclaim.

No fees will be charged for school chargeable services where the school gives notice to parents/carers to cancel the provision i.e. Inset days, Bank Holidays, School Holiday periods or where the school is forced to close due to extenuating circumstances.  

Fees will be subject to annual review and parents will be given at least ½ term notice of any changes in fees and charges.

5. Late Arrival /Pick up

If you are late in collecting your child at the end of a half day session, a late collection fee of £5 will be added to your parentpay account for the first 15 minutes. Each 15 minutes thereafter will be charged at an additional £2. If you are late in collecting your child at the end of the school day, your child will be placed into the care of Busy Beez and a £6 fee will be added to your Parentpay account.  These charges apply to each day that a late collection occurs.

If a different adult is to collect your child from school then the school must be informed in advance, otherwise for safety reasons your child will stay in school until we have obtained your permission.  You can inform us verbally at the beginning of the school day or via a phone call to school.

6. Amendments to and Termination of Rising 3s Place

If you wish to make a permanent amendment to your child’s nursery place, please give us four weeks’ notice in writing.

If you wish to withdraw your child from Nursery, the school office must be notified in writing and a notice period of four weeks will be required. If this notice period is not given, we are not obliged to refund any monies to you which may be in your parentpay account and the Early Years Entitlement funding will still be claimed.

We reserve the right to terminate any nursery placements without notice due to non payment of fees following the procedure outlined above. At all other times, four weeks written notice will be provided.

Parents/ carers are still liable for fees if their child is unable to attend/ leaves early due to illness.

If children are not attending the setting on consistent, consecutive weeks, the Academy is able to end the placement with 7 days notice due to staffing availability.

Places within our nursery setting are offered to children of nursery age as a priority. The amount of rising 3s places cannot be guaranteed and may need to be withdrawn in order to offer nursery children places.

I agree to the terms set out within this policy

Parent / Carer Signature…………………...................................................................

Parents’ name………………………………………………………………………………………………….

Pupil’s name…………………………………………………………………………………………………….

Parents’ email address………………………………………………………………………………………

Date……………………………………………..