Payment of fees
Fees are payable for all sessions booked regardless of attendance. Invoices are issued on a monthly basis, and payment must be made by the 10th of the month in question. Cheques must be made payable to ‘Little Footprints Ltd’, or payment via BACS to Little Footprints, sort code: 30-13-51, a/c number: 00576518.
Please speak to the Nursery Manager if you ever anticipate your payment being late or delayed.
Registering your child for nursery
We cannot accept your child for a place at Little Footprints without a completed and signed registration form being given to the office. Upon receipt, we will confirm your child’s place (or otherwise as the case may be).
An initial registration fee of £50 is required, which will then be refunded from your first months invoice. Your child’s registration fee is non-refundable if you choose not to start.
If you are registering two children or more, you will receive a 10% discount for one child only (providing neither child receive Government funding).
Holidays entitlement
You will not be charged for holidays taken outside of school term (unless your child does actually attend). We must however be given at least four weeks’ notice of the date’s in question. Normal fees will also be charged in the holidays to those two/three year old children receiving term time Government funding, as holiday periods are not covered.
Sibling discount does not apply in term time if one of your children receives funding, but it is reinstated in holiday periods when Government funding is not available.
Holidays (funded only)
Please inform us in writing of any holidays you wish to take in holidays time (half terms, summer holidays, Easter, Christmas, etc.) giving at least one months’ notice, this will then allow you to take time off without being charged. Please see Holidays entitlement above. Sibling discount does not apply if one of your children receives funding. Sibling discount is re-instated in holiday times when the full day rate is re-introduced.
Illness/absence (for all children)
Any child who has, or develops, an infectious illness must be kept at home for 24/48 hours depending on illness, age and/or whether this is ongoing treatment. This includes conditions such as vomiting, diarrhoea, conjunctivitis, sore throat and obvious rashes. To prevent the spread of illness, any child suffering from vomiting or diarrhoea must be kept at home until clear of symptoms for a minimum period of 48 hours. Fees are payable during the period of sickness absence, although long-term illness may be able to be negotiated, dependent on circumstances. Parents must phone the nursery if their child is going to be absent even if you do not pay fees.
Notice of termination of contract
Four weeks’ notice is required in writing prior to your child leaving the nursery. Fees must be paid for the notice period even if your child does not attend the nursery.
Change of sessions
If you would like to change your sessions you will need to request so by speaking to a senior member of staff, who will then liaise with Management. The sessions you require will be considered by Management and made available subject to availability. Emergency extra hours may be available in addition to your booked sessions at a cost of £10.37 per hour, subject to availability. If the additional hour includes a mealtime, this must also be purchased at the following rates:
• Breakfast: £3.30
• Snacks: £1.10
• Lunch: £3.30
• Tea: £3.30
Food costs
All meals booked must be paid for regardless of whether you bring your child that day, unless at least one weeks’ notice is given.
Late pick up
Late pick up will result in a charge of £5.00 for every 15 minutes.
Help with childcare costs
Working Tax Credit and Universal credit
Working Tax Credit and Universal Credit are paid to people in work to top up low wages. This includes earnings from employment and earnings if you are self-employed.
Disability Access Fund
If your child is three or four years old and receives free childcare, and is in receipt of Disability Living Allowance, you can apply for your childcare provider to receive a small amount of funding through the Disability Access Fund (£615 per year). This is to help your childcare provider make reasonable adjustments at their setting to improve your child’s access.
Disability Living Allowance
Disability Living Allowance (DLA) is the main source of financial support available for the additional costs faced by disabled children. Your child may qualify for DLA if they have a physical disability and/or SEN, and require more help or supervision, than other children of the same age.
Childcare Vouchers
They’re a Government-approved, tax-efficient way of paying for childcare. If you join the scheme, you can exchange up to £243 a month (£55 a week) of your gross salary for childcare vouchers. The part of your gross salary you exchange for childcare vouchers is tax-free and exempt from National Insurance contributions (NI). Because of this, you can make savings of up to £933* a parent, a year.
Tax free childcare
You can get up to £500 every three months (£2,000 a year) for each of your children to help with the costs of childcare. If you get Tax-Free Childcare, the government will pay £2 for every £8 you pay your childcare provider via an online account.
Visit: www.childcarechoices.gov.uk
Early education funding
Little Footprints offers a range of Government funding for eligible families.
FEEE1 W up to 30 hours a week over 38 weeks of the year (for eligible children the term after they turn 9 months, FEEE2W up to 30 hours a week for 38 weeks a year (for eligible children the term after the children turn two) and EFE universal and extended entitlement. Universal entitlement up to 15 hours a week for all 3 & 4 year olds the term after the child turns three, and the extended entitlement for eligible families is for an extra 15 hours a week up to 38 weeks of the year.
Little Footprints also offers FEEE2 for families in receipt of government support, this is also for 15 hours a week over 38 weeks of the year.
If all the entitled hours are not being claimed, then Little Footprints offers the opportunity to ‘stretch’ funding through the holidays. This can be done on an individual basis.
Little Footprints offers funded hours throughout our normal opening hours (7am–7pm) in an attempt to meet the needs of each family whenever possible.
We are legally not allowed to claim more than 10 hours a day.
FEEE 3 & 4, FEEE2W and FEEE1W funding can be shared between settings, FEEE2 can only be used at one setting.
“The 15 or 30 hours must be able to be accessed free of charge to parents. Government funding is not intended to cover the costs of meals, other consumables, additional hours or services” – Essex County Council Funded Early Education Entitlement Provider Handbook April 2025
If your child attends for more than your entitled government funded hours, you will be charged per hour at our hourly rate, or per day at our daily rate.
If you require our lunches you will be charged £3.30 a meal and £1.10 a snack (or you are welcome to provide your own, but this must however be discussed initially with a Director or individual Room Leader)
For more information you can find a straight forward explanation of all Government childcare support on the website www.childcarechoices.gov.uk or speak to Debs at debs@littlefootprintsnursery.org.uk.
Fee review
Fees will be reviewed every June/July, ready for a September start. A statement within your invoice will notify you of this well in advance and will be displayed on our website.
