Fees Policy This fees policy forms part of the enrolment form (contract) with the parents/ carer and Merriott Pre-school.

Transcription

1 MERRIOTT PRE-SCHOOL SCHOOL PLAYING FIELDS CHURCH STREET MERRIOTT SOMERSET TA16 5PT Tel: Ofsted No: URN Registered Charity No: ; Fees Policy This fees policy forms part of the enrolment form (contract) with the parents/ carer and Merriott Pre-school. Merriott pre-school operates a service, which is fair and competitively priced. We aim to offer a high quality, safe and stimulating environment that provides a service that is good value for money. The opening times of Merriott Pre-School are as follows; Morning Session Lunch club Afternoon Session am am am pm pm pm We operate the above opening hours Monday to Friday. We operate alongside the opening times of Merriott First School, with regard to term times and holidays. At present we operate 39 weeks of the year. We will continue to survey parent need with regard to opening hours. If longer hours are required by parents/ carers and if it is economically viable to do so, the Pre-School will offer extended services. Fees On registering your child there will a requirement of a 50 deposit to secure your child's place at our setting, this deposit will be refunded by either reducing the said amount from your first bill, or in the case of a funded child, a cheque refund shall be issued. From 1st April 2014, fees will be set at 4 per hour for children aged three years and older and 4.15 per hour for children two years old, both will include snack and drinks consisting of milk and water. Children attending lunch club, should bring a packed lunch and a drink of their choice from home. If a drink is not supplied then water shall be offered.

2 Fees are periodically reviewed by the Committee and parents will be given reasonable notice in writing of any changes. Early Years Entitlement Funding We are in receipt of EYE Funding for three to four year olds; this is available from the term following your child s third birthday. EYE funding entitlement is 210 hours in the autumn term, equates to 14 weeks), 165 hours in the spring term (equates to 11 weeks), and 195 hours in the summer term, (this equates to 13 weeks). A minimum of 2 ½ hours per week and a maximum of 7 hours can be claimed in any one day. Parents can claim on average 15 hours per week over 3 days. You can use more than one provider but no more than two and you can only claim the maximum entitlement of hours per funding period in total. The alternative funding option that is also available for parents of children from the term following their third birthday is to access the stretched offer of entitlement. Whereby 570 hours can be used over the entire academic year and the weekly amount is set by you the parent. It must be reiterated that once the 570 hours have been claimed your entitlement ends and your child s setting will bill you for hours over and above the 570 used. At a rate of 4 / 4.15 depending on their age To claim the EYE funding the following information is needed: Child s legal documentation - birth certificate, passport and a copy sent to the EY funding team. EYE funding parent declaration form - completed every term and signed by the parent. If the parents do not produce the legal documentation parents will be charged the settings normal fees as unable to claim EYE funding. For children in receipt of EYE funding, our normal fees will apply for hours attended, in excess of the funding entitlement. All accounts will itemize hours covered by EYE Funding, per term Sickness/ Holidays There will be no concessions for periods of sickness or holidays taken during normal sessions. In the case of a child s legitimate long term illness, the Committee will consider the circumstances and come to an arrangement with the parent regarding fees. Closure During inset days and bank holidays the pre-school will be closed and will not charge for those days. An academic calendar is available on request and provided during open evenings and with all enrolment pack and prospectuses.

3 In the event that Pre-School has to close due to severe weather/other emergencies such as: fire, contagious diseases, infection control, staff shortages and any unforeseen circumstances fees are still payable for this time. If Pre-School has to close for an extended period of time, then this will be reviewed. (See closure policy). Payment Fees will be calculated on a termly basis and must be paid half-termly in advance as follows: 50% of fees must be paid on the first day your child attends on the first week of term. Autumn=September, Spring= January and Summer=April The remaining 50 % must be paid by the first day your child attends after the half term autumn= November, spring=february and summer=may. If the first 50% of the payment is late without prior agreement or payment plan, then a reminder letter will be issued stating that payment is now required in full and if this is not adhered to, then in increment of 10% shall be added to your bill per week outstanding of the total bill. Following this the child s hours will be reduced to the Early Years entitlement amount (approximately 15 hours pre-week) or if the child is not yet in receipt of this entitlement the child will be unable to attend the setting until payment has been made in full. please note that failure to pay fees on time may result in your child being exclude In exceptional circumstances, fees may be paid weekly in advance. Agreement must be made with the Committee. Invoices will be presented to parents by end of each academic term detailing fees due. In the case of children starting part way through the term, payment of fees must be made by the end of the second week of the child starting. We accept Childcare Vouchers. Payment will be accepted by BACS transfer stating the child s name. Account details are available on request. Non Payment of Fees Arrears monitoring: 1. Set date for payment on the invoice 2. Manager/ deputy checks payments against invoices on due date

4 3. All parents and carers who have not paid are contacted by phone or face to face to remind them, with payment date (end of the week) 4. Following nonpayment of fees procedure (see below) Non payment of fees procedure 1. Meeting is set to up debt recovery needs to be within a week of outstanding invoice. (Payment plan, explaining that this is only for the debt, all other fees need to be paid on time. Meeting is noted and a letter sent to parents stating agreement of procedure both parties agreed on, stating time line for the debt recovery) 2. Procedure if debt is not paid off as agreed (if parents misses a payment, reduce the EYE funding hours until debt is clear or place withdrawn, letter sent to parents or another meeting is requested. 3. If parent does not keep to the payment plan with child attending only EYE funding hours, then place is withdrawn. 4. Recovery of outstanding debt (no debts are written off ; the setting will send a letter stating that they are proceeding to recover the outstanding debt through the small claims court. Termination of the contract Setting: the setting reserve the right to terminate the contract without notice in the event of unsuitable behavior from parents or non payments of fees following the non payments procedure, at all other times (notice period 4 weeks) notice in writing will be given. Parents and carers: 4 weeks notice must be given to the setting to terminate a child s place if written notice is not received (4 weeks ) fees will be charged and the EYE funding entitlement for the four weeks will be claimed. Note Early Years Entitlement Funding will only cover a notice period of four weeks Links to other policies Merriott Pre- School Prospectus Food & Drink Policy Sickness Policy Closure Severe Weather/Other Event This Fees Policy was adopted at a meeting of Merriott Pre-School Held on:

5 Signed on behalf of the Pre-School.. Chairperson This policy is reviewed annually, the next review is December 2015 or as and when information needs to be added or amended.