Humpty Dumpty Playgroup

Admissions and Fees Policy

Policy statement

It is our intention to make our setting accessible to children and families from all sections of the local community. We aim to ensure that all sections of our community have access to the setting through open, fair and clearly communicated procedures.

Procedures

§  We ensure that the existence of our setting is widely advertised in places accessible to all sections of the community: Library, district magazines, local information board and local shops.

§  Where possible, we will provide translated written literature regarding; funding, data collection information and privacy notice, where language needs of families suggest this is required.

§  We arrange our waiting list in birth order.

§  We keep a place vacant, if this is financially viable, to accommodate an emergency admission.

§  We ensure our setting welcomes both fathers, mothers, grandparents and other carers, including child-minders.

§  We describe how our practices treat each child and their family, having regard to their needs arising from their gender, special educational needs, disabilities, social background, religion and ethnicity or from English being a newly acquired additional language.

§  We support equality and inclusion, disadvantaged families, looked after children, children in need and children with disabilities or special educational needs by removing barriers of access to early education and working with parents to give each child support to fulfil their potential.

§  We support an inclusive practice; therefore, ensuring that our intake of children is representative of social diversity.

§  Our Valuing Diversity and Promoting Equality Policy is accessible within the playgroup setting.

§  We are flexible about attendance patterns to accommodate the needs of individual children and families, providing these do not disrupt the pattern of continuity in the setting that provides stability for all the children.

§  Our Admissions and Fees policy are provided in the Humpty Dumpty setting, within the Suffolk County Councils Infolink for childcare, given to parents/carers within the Welcome Pack when children start at the session, and via a link to SCC Infolink on our Facebook page.

Fees

§  These are £4.00 per hour (£12.00 per session). Lunch £1.50 per sitting.

Morning session: 9:00am to 12noon

Lunch 12noon to 12:30pm

Afternoon session: 12:30pm to 3:30pm

§  Parents/carer’s are notified of the required fees at the beginning of each term by means of an invoice.

Fees are payable by means of cash, cheque or BACS (using the details on the invoice). Cheques should be made payable to “Humpty Dumpty Playgroup”.

§  Fees must be paid 14 days from the date of invoice. Payments should be made using the envelope provided.

§  If a child starts the setting mid- term, the fees will be calculated and adjusted accordingly.

§  Receipts are issued only if requested.

Fees must still be paid if a child is to be absent, and 2 weeks’ prior written notice has not been given.

§  If a child must be absent over an extended period, please talk to Wendy Payne (Manager).

§  For a child to keep his/her place at the playgroup the parent/carer must pay the fees, or we must receive early education free entitlement for the child (including ‘Golden ticket’).

§  Children are eligible for 15 hours a week of free early education funding and lunch sitting in the term after they turn 3 years old. A funding claim form must be completed and returned by a set date with proof of birth (this may be a passport, birth certificate or child health record book).

§  Humpty Dumpty playgroup will accommodate the governments implementation of 30 hours of childcare for 3 and 4-year olds and lunch sitting, of children whose parents are eligible. Parents can check their eligibility using the online childcare calculator www.gov.uk/childcare-calculator. Once signed up, parents will receive an 11-digit eligibility code. Parents will then be required to provide the code to Humpty Dumpty playgroup, and sign a consent form allowing the local authority to check the code. If eligible, parents can book their child’s 30-hour place.

§  If a parent/s is only able to access 15 hours of funding for their child, but require their child to attend more sessions, this is possible, however all additional hours will be charged for.

§  If no payment of these additional fees is received within the specific time as specified above, and Wendy Payne has not been advised, then the extra hours will be withdrawn.

§  We request 4 weeks’ written notice before withdrawing your child. If notice is not given, we reserve the right to charge for this period.

§  The Department for Education (DfE) requires the Suffolk County Council to provide information about individual children, and this is collected via the funding claim forms. To ensure compliance with the Data Protection Act 1998, the DfE provided a ‘Privacy Notice’ (attached) which explains what the government can/cannot do with the information.

This policy was adopted at a meeting of / Humpty Dumpty Playgroup / (name of provider)
Held on / 23/10/17 / (date)
Date to be reviewed / October 2018 / (date)
Signed on behalf of the provider
Name of signatory / Wendy Payne
Role of signatory (e.g. chair, director or owner) / Manager

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