Paying for your child’s pre-school education
As a registered charity, St. Michael’s Pre-school must raise its own funds. At present, the majority of our funding comes from the government which is available to all children from the funding period following their third birthday. Two year old children may be entitled to funding, subject to certain criteria, from the funding period after their 2nd birthday.
As children can start attending the pre-school from their 2nd birthday, parents will be required to pay fees prior to becoming eligible for funding. The Early Years funding entitles children to receive 15 hours per week, which can be utilised across a maximum of two settings, however a minimum of 2.5 hours must be claimed at any one setting.
St. Michael’s Pre-school currently offers places over 38 weeks a year to coincide as closely as possible with those of our local primary schools.
Payment of Fees
Fees are payable termly, against invoice issued at the start of each of the 6 terms, in advance, and continue to be payable even if a child is absent. Our opening hours and fee structure opening hours and fee structure. will be explained to you at the point of application for a place. Once a place has been confirmed for your child you will be subject to our terms and conditions as contained in our policies and procedures, which can be accessed on this website. In case of new starters once you have been notified that a place has been reserved for your child we require four academic term weeks written notice of cancellation prior to the child’s start date or fees will be charged for the first four week period. Families experiencing financial hardship may be exempt from fees at the discretion of the management committee to whom written application must be made, evidence may be requested.
Government Funding – 15/30 Hours Funded Entitlement
Currently all families are entitled to 15 hours early years education grant from the funding period following their child’s 3rd birthday.
Where eligibility is established 2 year old funding may be available for 15 hours a week from the start of the funding period following the child’s 2nd birthday. If you think you could be eligible and require information about applying please discuss with the manager or registrar.
Extended funding an additional 15 hours funded entitlement may be available for children over the age of 3 when all of the following criteria apply:-
- both parents are working OR the sole parent who is working is a lone parent.
- each parent earns, on average, a weekly minimum equivalent to 16 hours at the National Minimum Wage or National Living Wage
- each parent must have an annual income of less than £100,000.
Families where one parent does not work (or neither parent works) will not usually be eligible for the additional 15 hours EXCEPT where:
- both parents are employed but one or both parents is temporarily away from the workplace on parental, maternity or paternity leave, adoption leave, or on statutory sick pay
- one parent is employed and one parent either has substantial caring responsibilities based on specific benefit received for caring, or is disabled or incapacitated based on receipts of specific benefits.
Parents will need to apply directly to HMRC for the 15 hours extended entitlement – eligible parents will be issued with an 11 digit reference which MUST be added to your childcare setting declaration form. If you are eligible the extended funding will be available to you from the start of the funding period after the issue of the code.
Go to www.childcarechoices.gov.uk to check your eligibility
Funding periods start 1st April – 1st September – 1st January
Let the Government give you 20p for every 80p you pay in. That could be worth £2000 over a year!
The Government has introduced www.childcarechoices.gov.uk a website which brings together the government childcare offers in one place, helping parents find the right childcare support to suit them.
Tax Free Childcare – Tax-Free Childcare will be rolled out during 2017 to help with the cost of childcare, enabling more parents to go out to work if they want to. This is equivalent to the tax most people pay – 20% – which gives the scheme its name, ‘tax-free’. The government will top up the account with 20% of childcare costs up to a total of £10,000 – the equivalent of up to £2,000 support per child per year (or £4,000 for disabled children).
You will not be able to use the Tax Free Childcare option if you are in receipt of childcare vouchers from your employer or receiving help with the cost of childcare through the tax credit system.
Compare the options to consider which is the best for you at
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/millions-of-parents-to-get-help-with-childcare-costs
