Admissions Policy
Admissions policy
We wish to make Curl Around Pre-School welcoming to all the community.
As an Ofsted registered early years provider, we are legally bound to meet the requirements of the Ofsted regulations and the Early Years Foundation Stage Framework published by the Department for Education.
Registration Pack
The setting provides, at parents’ request, a registration pack which includes:
· General care provided by the setting for all children
· The Curriculum that we follow
· Terms and conditions
· Fees, hours, and payment
· We have a web site which parents also have access to: www.curlaroundpreschool.co.uk
Waiting list
We admit children into the setting on a first come first basis. If the places are full, we will add children to a waiting list. A list of names of the children whose parents wish them to attend will be drawn up once the deposit and registration fee has been paid. Until a completed registration form, along with the registration fee and deposit, has been received no place will be allocated or offered to a child nor will they be placed on the waiting list.
If you book a place for your child a full calendar months’ notice, where a calendar month means each of the twelve named periods into which a year is divided (January, February, etc.), is required to defer the start date (refer to our Terms & Conditions). If this notice is not given, then fees are payable from the original start date. If the start date is deferred by more than one month, we reserve the right to cancel the place and add the child’s name to the waiting list unless the full fees from the original start date are paid to guarantee the place.
Inclusion statement
We aim to provide a welcoming and stimulating environment for all children regardless of their abilities.
Records
We keep a record of the preferred starting date, age and name of child, the intended number of sessions offered per week, along with contact details.
Contact
The manager or the deputy will contact the parents prior to the starting date to arrange preferable settling in sessions.
Details and forms
Prior to the child’s attendance at the setting, the parents/carers must complete and sign registration forms, contract details and medication documents.
What information is provided?
· Name, home address and date of birth of each child.
· Name, address and telephone numbers of parents/carers. (including emergency contact numbers)
· The place of work for both parents/carers
· Name and number of child’s doctor and health visitor.
· List of dates for any vaccinations or illnesses
· Starting date and number of sessions required per week.
· Arrangements for payment of fees
· Special dietary requirements
· Arrangements for collection
· General information on the child including routines.
· Parental consent on any emergency procedures
· Procedures for unacceptable behaviour
· Who has parental responsibility of the child?
· Who has legal responsibility of the child?
· What is the main language that is spoken at home?
· Does the child attend any other settings, or do they have a child minder or nanny?
Opening Hours:
The Pre-School will be open Monday – Thursday from 8:15am-16:15 and 8:15-15:15 on a Friday, on a term time only basis, over 38 weeks per year. Within these opening hours sessions will be available as below:
8:15am-8:45am Breakfast Club, payable at £7.00 per session
8:45am-11:45am Morning Sessions, this is available as part of the Early Education Funded session, or as a payable session at £25 per session (if not eligible for funding)
11:45am-12:15pm Lunch Club, payable at £7.00 per session
12:15pm-15:15pm Afternoon Session, this is available as part of the Early Education Funded session, or as a payable session at £25.00 per session (if not eligible for funding)
15:15-16:15 Afternoon club £10 per session.
Funded Entitlement
All children entitled to the Early Education Funding, will only be offered the standard 15 or 30 hours per week over 38 weeks from 15/4/2024 onwards.
There are four funding streams we offer,
· Eligible Working parents’ entitlement for those aged 18 months – 2 years old (including 30 hours)
· Disadvantaged 2-year-olds (parents who receive some additional government support)
· Universal entitlement for all 3- & 4-year-olds
· Eligible Working parents’ entitlement for those aged 3 – 4 years old (including 30 hours)
Accessing the funding is made easy for you, as we apply on your behalf to Buckinghamshire Council each term. Following you giving us your eligibility code (applicable for all funding except the universal 3&4yr funding), all we then ask you to do is to fill out, sign and date one form, as detailed below:
Parent / Provider Agreement for all funded entitlement hours (9mths – 4 years old)
We then ask you to bring along a form of ID for your child (this must be done prior to a child accessing the funding). A new funding form form needs to be filled out every September, even if nothing has changed since the previous form was completed, as this is considered best practice.
Note that there are a minimum number of sessions that need to be attended a week to receive the full 15 or 30 hours per week. To receive 15 hours per week 5 sessions, need to be attended, or 2.5 days. To receive 30 hours per week 10 sessions, need to be attended.
Children in receipt of funding will only be allowed to change sessions at the start of a new term (and cannot change session during a term) subject to the correct notice in writing being given.
The stand-alone offers are available in the setting – these are spaces when children can access just their funding entitlement over the year. The stand-alone offers are:
1. For children accessing 15hrs funding from one of the three funding streams below only over 38 weeks (i.e. attending the funded hours only over 38 weeks) will be offered 8:45am – 11:45am or 12:15pm – 15:15pm Monday to Friday.
· Eligible Working parents’ entitlement for children 18mth - 2-year-olds.
· Disadvantaged 2-year-olds (parents who receive some additional government support)
· Universal entitlement for all 3- & 4-year-olds
2. Children accessing the 30 hours only over 38 weeks (i.e. attending the funded hours only over 38 weeks) will be offered 9:00-15:00 Monday – Friday. This is called working parent entitlement and is for eligible 18 month - 4 year olds (including 30 hours).
Children in receipt of a stand-alone funding stream only, i.e. no regular fees to be paid, will be required to pay a £100 deposit which is refundable after 6 weeks unless the place is not taken up in the first 3 weeks. No registration fee is applicable for these children.
Children in receipt of a stand-alone space and children who attend for funded sessions across any of the funding streams, will be asked if willing to contribute to a charge for Agreed Services, such as snacks. (£1 per session) Consumables, such as nappies, wipes, suncream; (£1 per session) and additional voluntary services, such as trips, forest school and extra curricular activities. (£1 per session) (clubs are subject to change at any time). The total sessional voluntary costs are £3 per session if children attend 5 sessions the cost is £15 per week. If parents are experiencing financial difficulties in paying for the spaces, then please do speak to us. Parents can opt in / out of some of the above. If opting out, options will be discussed around parents providing things such as snack, nappies, wipes etc.
Eligible Working Families
- Eligible working parent funding can be applied for on ChildcareChoices.gov.uk · It is eligible parents’ responsibility to apply for the Eligibility code before the fixed deadlines 31st March 31st August and 31st December and to reconfirm their codes every three months.
- Families remain eligible at a current setting if they fall into their grace period but cannot start with a new setting until their code has been reconfirmed and prior to the cut-off date.
- New or lapsed codes will show as eligible once confirmed but cannot be claimed for until the next cut-off date. E.g. A new code confirmed on 2nd January may show the child as eligible, but it has missed the cut-off date of 31st December and cannot be used until the summer term.
- Codes can only be used for the term after a child becomes eligible and cannot be used once the child has started at reception in school.
- Please note: A new child will not be funded if their code is in the grace period BEFORE the date that the term starts. This is still applicable even if the child was attending the setting prior to eligibility.
With 2 Year funding for parents in receipt of certain benefits – eligibility is applied for with BFIS (Bucks Family Info Service) and the code verified by Early Years. This code does not need to be checked again and remains valid until the term after the child turns three where they will qualify for three-year-old funding.
Fees
Fees are payable monthly in advance, via invoices sent out on Famly, our invoicing system. Fees are for sessions attended in the term and will be detailed on invoices to show any funded hours, paid for hours and voluntary consumable charges. (broken down into agreed services, consumables and trips from Sept 2025) If fees are not paid by 10th of the month an interest charge will be added of £10 per day, until the whole balance is cleared. If fees are not paid by the 20th of the month the place will be suspended until fees are paid in full.
Date: 19.05.25 Review Date: 19.05.26