BEST PRACTICE GUIDANCE
Charging for spare places in Maintained Nursery classes & Nursery School
Policy & Planning Team
Childcare Strategy & Business Management Service
Last Updated: March 2013
With effect from September 2012 new regulations came into force which allow schools to charge for spare places in maintained nursery classes over and above the 15 hours Free Early Education. These regulations are cited as Education (Charges for Early Years Provision) Regulations 2012.
In order for Schools to charge for Early Years provision they must include this in their Charging & Remissions Policy (model template and suggested text attached).
Which children have priority for paid for places?
Priority should always be given to children attending for the free entitlement wherever possible. If all the children that apply for a place at your nursery only require a free entitlement place this will not be an issue for you. However, it is likely that some children may require access to less than the full 15 hours and others may want to buy additional hours above the 15 free entitlement hours. You may have applications for eligible 3 and 4 year olds that request any of the following arrangements.
- Children accessing between 2.5 and 15 hours free entitlement only
- Children accessing between 2.5 and 15 hours free entitlement and parents/carers requesting additional paid for hours
- Children only accessing paid for hours
You may also have a 4th category:
- Rising three year olds accessing paid for hours
Westrongly recommend that schools do not offer parents the opportunity to pay for additional hours unless there is spare capacity within the school after all eligible 3 and 4 year olds have been offered their requested free hours between 2.5 and 15 hours per week.
Schools will need to develop their own charging policy and keep this under review. This should set out the types of charges that will be made (e.g. hourly rate / sessional charges / charges for meals etc). The charging system should be fair and applied on a consistent basis. You may also wish to consider having a signed contract with the parent stating how much they will be charged, when payment is due (monthly, weekly etc) and any notice period they are required to give.
When setting the hourly rate we would recommend that schools do not seek to undercut each other or other local early years provision but should identify an average rate for their local area. This can be done by contacting the Family Information Service on 01904 554444 or email . Advice on calculating charges can be obtained from the Schools Business Support Team.
Schools will need to ensure that the level of charging applied is appropriate and agreed by the Governing Body as part of the Charging Policy. They need to ensure that any additional costs of extending the nursery provision are at the very least covered by the income generated but in the main the extra income would be expected to make the financial position of the nursery class more stable. Any surplus made by the Nursery must be reinvested in the school.
We strongly recommend that schools consult with their local Shared Foundation Partnerships to determine whether offering ‘paid’ for places would impact on existing provision already operating in their locality.
Schools must ensure that all new parents are aware of the schools policy with regards to the charging of additional hours over and above the free early education place.
NEXT STEPS
If you intend to offer paid for places could you please inform the following teams:-
Early Years Funding team
01904 554220 / 554208 /554348
or email
If you decide to adopt your own guidance for charging for spare places please email a copy to the early years funding team.
Family Information Service
01904 554444
or email .
The Family Information Service provides advice and information to parents/carers contacting the service looking for childcare.If you could please let them know the hours you are offering and how much you charge so that they can give this information to parents/carers.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Can we offer full-time places?
Your nursery is now funded based on the take-up of hours. Each eligible child is entitled toup to15 free hours per week. If a child stays for longer than their free entitlement you will need to make a charge for these hours.
Can we offer time without it being funded or without the parent paying?
We strongly recommend that you do not. This practice could have a negative impact on the school budget and also on the sustainability of neighbouring early years providers including those within your Shared Foundation Partnership.
Can we insist that children use all the free entitlement in our nursery?
We strongly recommend that parents are offered the flexibility to choose where they take their entitlement. If they only want a few hours at your nursery and you have space (once the criteria have been applied) then you shouldtry to accommodate the needs of the family.
Can we give priority for places to children wanting to take more hours over those wanting less?
No as this could disadvantage those families that:-
- cannot afford to pay for more hours
- choose to access part of their funded hours at another setting
- choose not to send their child for the full 15 hours for personal reasons
The number of hours (funded or paid for) is not a determining factor on whether a child should be offered a place.
Can we give priority to older children?
The children that are eligible for the free entitlement should be given priority. Normally within that age range children will be admitted in age order, so that the oldest children are admitted first. You can prioritise the funded three and four year olds over the rising three year olds.
A parent wants to take their child out of nursery before the end of term. Can we ask them to pay for the paid hours that we were expecting them to attend?
You should ask parents to sign a contract when they start at nursery. The School’s Charging & Remissions Policy should make reference to any charges that will be made if a paid for place is surrendered.
Who should we contact if we need any further advice?
For advice and support relating to admissions to nursery classes and charging for spare places please contact the early years funding team on 01904 554220, 554348 or 554208 or email
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