Childcare Contract

FountNursery

CHILDCARE CONTRACT

The Owners and Management of the Nursery believe in providing a safe and caring environment for children from one to five years. We strive to provide an enriching learning experience in which the child in our care can feel secure and loved. We want our parents to be able to leave their children in the knowledge that they are happy and are being well looked after.

In order to be able to do this, we believe that there needs to be a formal agreement between the Nursery and Parents. The contract will outline the obligations and commitment of both the Nursery and the Parent(s).

This is a contract between the Owners and Management of FountNursery (referred to as ‘the Nursery’) and the Parent(s) or legal Guardian (referred to as ‘the Parent) of a child (or children) that is enrolled at the Nursery.

The Nursery

Is owned by Rachel Munro-Peebles and Elena Mackey
Will be known as ‘FountNursery’ and will operate from Railway Arches 359-360, Westgate Street, London E8 3 RN. Tel: 0207 2415341.
Is registered with Ofsted as a Private Day Nursery and operates within their regulations, guidelines and rules.

The Contract

The minimum contract period is for 3 months. Termination of contract before 3 months has elapsed will result in loss of deposit. Deposits will normally be returned after final Invoice has been paid. Normally only one deposit per family is required, with the deposit going to the subsequent child with the rules of forfeiture still applying.
Notice Period: Due to the long-term commitment we make when reserving a child’s place, we must ask you to make a similar commitment to us. We therefore, require a minimum of 1 calendar months’ written notice, commencing from your start date, to reduce or cancel your child’s normal booking.
Increasing your booking is subject to availability.
The minimum number of days that can be booked is two per week.

Nursery Rules

Payment of Fees

Fees are calculated for the year and the nursery closures are deducted before the figure is divided into twelve equal monthly payments.

Fees are payable one month in advance. The initial registration fee is kept to cover the initial administration costs. One month’s deposit is requested upon accepting a place. Unfortunately, there can be no refunds for sickness or holidays.

Fee increases are applied in April and are calculated on the previous years running costs and predicted increases from wages rises etc. You will receive a month’s notice prior to any fee increase. Unfortunately, there can be no refunds for closures due to bad weather.

Fees are fully inclusive of all meals, snacks, nappies, wipes, sun cream and most school trips that take place on the day of your child’s attendance. The nappies and wipes we use are the Bambo Natural brand. Preferred brands to be provided by parent/carer.

Cooked Meals & Snacks

The nursery offers a nutritious, mostly organic, balanced diet.

The fees include all the cooked meals provided. Special diets such as vegetarian and non-dairy can be catered for and all children receive fluids and a snack at periods throughout the day and are given the opportunity to drink water when they wish from the water dispensers placed within their rooms.

Our desserts are healthy: mainly fruit salads, organic yoghurts, and sugar free puddings. We do not allow parents to bring in food or drinks of any kind from home. This is to prevent illnesses and contamination from food that we have not been able to supervise ourselves. If your child has special requirements such as diagnosed allergies or conditions, we will provide such provisions. We cannot provide dietary requirements by choice. Food is bought on a daily and weekly basis. The children are encouraged to drink water or milk with their food and at snack times.

Sleeping

The nursery has facilities for the children to sleep after lunch and these requirements need to be discussed with your key worker. Sleeping sheets and blankets are washed every other day to prevent cross infection.

Nappies, Wipes and Formula Milk

Wipes, nappies and formula milk are included in the fees charged.

Bags and clothing

Your child will be supplied with a nursery bag, which should contain at least two changes of clothing. All coats, hats, gloves, etc should be clearly labelled. Any lost property if it is not claimed, will be given termly to St. Joseph’s Hospice.

Nursery Fees

Fee Rates are as published in the Nursery Prospectus and website. Parents will receive one full calendar month written notice of any amendments in Fee Rates or Fee Structure.

Fees must be paid on the 5th day of each month.

We have several ways Parents can pay their Nursery Fees: Direct Bank Transfer: Regular Payment Plan (by Standing Order). Any of these payment methods can be used in conjunction with any of the Childcare Voucher Schemes available through your employer. Please agree payment method prior to your child starting.

Late Payments

Parents are responsible for insuring that their Invoice is paid on time including Voucher payments. Failure to pay your invoice before the 5th of the month in which it is due will result in a Late Payment Charges being levied. Any late payments will attract a £10 penalty for the first week followed by a further £5 for every day thereafter it remains unpaid.

Special Payment Arrangements:

We do appreciate that there can be hiccups in anyone’s financial systems and we will delay making a late payment charge if we have been informed at least two weeks in advance of the due payment. The matter must be resolved with a new payment date and informing us that it is delayed. If this passes the agreed due date we have the right to refuse your child attending nursery. Please speak to the nursery owner/manager if you are experiencing difficulties making your payment on time.

Holidays:

Two weeks over Christmas period.

Discounts:

We offer a 15% discount off fees for having two children attending the nursery. Where both children attend the same amount of days per week the discount is deducted from the first child’s invoice.

General

Newsletter and Newsflashes: the nursery will produce monthly newsletters and regular newsflashes. This will be used to keep parents informed of changes in staff, policies, procedures, etc., informing them of events, themes, etc. occurring at the nursery and general information regarding childcare matters.
Home Link: the nursery will keep parents informed of the activities of the nursery by as many means as possible but one of the main tools is our ParentZone app.
Car Parking: parents are reminded that it is a precondition of accepting their child’s booking that they will not park their cars inside the courtyard of FountLondon Ltd.
Change of Address: it is very important that parents inform the Nursery as soon as any change in the information they provided on the Admissions Form occurs. This will include change of address or work details, telephone number (home, mobile or work), details of the alternative person to be contacted, address & telephone numbers, if neither parent can be contacted or in failure to collect, etc. This will allow our records to be kept up to date, so that if an emergency does occur, parents can be contacted immediately.
Whilst babysitting is permitted with our staff, parents are reminded that unless you complete the waiver, you put the staff members position in the nursery at risk, and we cannot allow the child to leave the site with our staff, after hours unless this is signed.
We must hold a password on file for a child who can be collected by another person other than the parents/carer or emergency contact on file.
Infectious Disease Control: to help in the prevention of the spread of communicable infections we request parents. (a) That the child will not be brought in if he/she has an infection. (b) Should an infection develop while in the nursery, the parent may be required to take the child home during the day. A list of recommended periods of exclusion from nursery is contained in our Sickness and Medication Policy Document. If you have given your child Calpol before he/she comes to nursery, you must advise your child’s key worker.
Photographs: FountNursery employ an approved third party photographer to take regular photographs of the children within their room setting. Photographs will be available to parents.

The Nursery Promises

The Nursery makes the following promises to the parents of children who are enrolled for a minimum of 2 days per week, on a 50-week basis.

Once a child has been enrolled, their place will be reserved for them throughout the time the parent wishes their child to attend the nursery or up until they start compulsory education at the age of five years.
An Invoice of all fees will be provided to a parent before the start of each new month or on the first day of attendance in that month. The Invoice will clearly detail the days charged for and the fee rate, plus any extra days and/or any reduction from the previous month and/or any discounts applicable.
The nursery will give a minimum of 28 days’ notice, in writing, of any change to the Nursery Fee structure or any minor change in the Contract. Major changes in the general terms of the Contract will be notified in the same way, but a new contract will be issued for the parents to agree to and sign. Parents have up to three months to agree to and sign any new contract. If, however, a parent fails to sign the new contract after this period, for whatever reason, it will be taken that the child’s booking is no longer required and they will leave at this time.
The nursery will inform parents either through individual letters or the nurseries ‘News Letter’ of changes to the nurseries ‘Policies and Procedures Document’. These policy statements will be of the highest standard and will be reviewed on a regular basis. This document is available to all parents at any time and the nursery encourages parents to read our policy statements.
The nursery is open Monday - Friday, 8.00 a.m. – 6.00 p.m. for 50 weeks a year and is closed for Bank Holidays (and two weeks over Christmas & New Year).

The Nurseries Philosophy

Our aim at FountNursery is to provide a safe and caring environment for children, where a child can reach its own potential with our support and encouragement. We believe that each child is an individual and has skills, needs and character that can be appreciated and responded to. We strive to provide an enriching learning experience in which the children in our care can feel secure and loved. During their time with us they can enjoy all the wonderful things that childhood brings - laughter, learning and sharing.

We want our parents to be able to leave their children safe in the knowledge that they are happy and being well looked after by staff with suitable qualifications and experience, who are committed to the highest standards of childcare practices.

The Agreement

Childs Full Name ......

I agree to the terms and conditions of this contract and associated documents as specified therein.

Parent/Carer 1 Signature...... Parent/Carer 2 Signature……………………………………..
Name...... Name……………………………………………………………………..
Relationship to Child...... Relationship to Child……………………………………………..

Date...... Date……………………………………………………………………….

The Nursery

The Nursery agrees to the terms and conditions of this contract and associated documents as specified therein. Signed on behalf of the Nursery by: -

Signature......

Position......

Our website address is:

FountNursery

358-360 Westgate Street London

E8 3RNRegistered Office

Tel: 020 7241 534113/14 Margaret Street

email: ondonRegistered in England

8RNNo. 9241400