Fees

Our fees are reviewed on an annual basis.

Currently our childcare fees are £6.50 per hour.

Funding

From September 2025 eligible working parents of children aged from 9 months up (we only take children from 18 months) will be able to access 30 hours of funding.

What qualifies as a Working Family?

  • You, and any partner must expect to earn (on average) at least £167 per week.
  • If you, or your partner are on maternity, paternity or adoption leave, or you’re unable to work because you are disabled or have caring responsibilities, you could still be eligible.
  • The governement does not include you in their definition of working family if you or your partner each individualy expect to earn £100,000 or more per year.
  • If you do not meet the government’s working family definition, your child will still be eligible for 15 hours funding the term after they turn 3.
  • If your family receives other government support, you may be eligible for 15 hours funding the term after your child turns 2.

Check availability at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk

Parents can use their FEEE hours at other childcare settings and childminders if they so choose.

If parents choose to use some or all of their FEEE hours elsewhere then we are able to offer hours at our non-funded rate at £6.50 per hour.

Some parents will be eligible for tax free childcare, to check eligibility please visit https://www.gov.uk/get-tax-free-childcare

As the childcare funding (FEEE) does not cover our expenses, we ask parents to contribute £1.50 per hour as a charitable donation towards our sustainability. This is asked of all parents who have chosen to use the Playgroup. 

To receive FEEE, parents are required to provide the playgroup with a copy of the child’s birth certificate and complete a Statement of Undertaking.

Fees are billed at the beginning of each half term and prompt payment is required. This enables us to keep our fees at a minimum and helps our limited cash flow. Arrangements can be made, with the treasurer, for anyone wishing to pay on a more regular basis. If you are in receipt of FEEE funding, this will be paid directly to the Playgroup by the Council.

Here are some of the things we offer that we believe make us the best Playgroup for your child and your family:

  • To enhance the Early Education and Childcare we provide, we have very high staff ratios with very highly qualified staff earning minimum wage.
  • We offer comprehensive welfare support to families in person for as long as needed. When signposting to other professionals, we often initiate the first contact to ensure a smooth transition.
  • We provide Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) support that surpasses statutory requirements. This involves many hours completing forms, attending meetings with other professionals, and supporting children in our setting.
  • Additionally, we use paper Learning Journeys as per the feedback from our families, who prefer this format. These take considerable time to complete at home, along with the cost of ink, paper, and books.
  • To keep our families informed, we send out newsletters every half term, detailing everything that is happening. We also send out Thursday and Friday Learning Stories, which are compiled and individually sent to adhere to data protection laws.
  • Our staff engage in non-statutory training in their own time, in addition to mandatory training.
  • Regular half-termly staff meetings, costing 8 staff X 1 hour plus the hall hire, ensure the whole team is aligned in supporting all children and their families.
  • Each year we host Christmas Parties and give out Christmas presents. We also buy gifts for Mother’s Day, Father’s Day and Easter.
  • The staff team take it in turns to set up on a Sunday and Sam and Becky ensure the set-up photos are on Facebook and Instagram to be shared with the children.
  • We hold termly staff appraisals and supervisions.
  • We also organise parents’ meetings, which incur costs for hall hire and staff wages
  • Our Fun Filled Friday sessions are run with 3 staff instead of 2 to ensure the children receive a very high level of engagement. During these sessions, the children often embark on adventures, conduct experiments, and are encouraged to develop their own ideas, fostering confidence and resilience. We have received positive feedback from schools, noting that children who attend these sessions start school with an advantage.
  • Our transitions to schools exceed statutory requirements, as every child is given opportunities to visit their future school with playgroup staff, provided the schools agree. Children from Belton, in particular, benefit from numerous school visits during the summer term, ensuring a smooth and confident start to their academic journey.
  • We offer 4 weeks of Holiday Clubs through the year.

Our unfunded rate is £6.50, and we continue to ask our parents to contribute £1.50 per (funded) hour towards everything that the funding does not cover. This enables us to continue to keep our standards high and to work within a sensible and safe ratio.