Payment of Fees
Could parents please check and settle invoices as soon as they are issued. The sessions you have chosen are reserved for your child and must be paid for whether or not you child attends the session. We process over 14000 child sessions per year and delayed payment followed by disputed fees creates a great deal of extra work. Please settle invoices during the first week of term and for ad hoc sessions during the week the invoices are raised. As you are aware we are a social enterprise but like any other business we have cash flow issues so prompt payment is necessary to maintain our sustainability. We may have to consider imposing a late payment charge for overdue payments. Payment can be made by cash, cheque (made payable to Todwick Early Years Ltd), bank transfer or childcare vouchers. If you would find it convenient to enter into a specific payment arrangement please see Thea or Paul.
Notice Period – Nursery
Four weeks written notice is required for withdrawing a child from nursery as outlined in the RMBC Early Education Funding contract.
Late Collection of Children
It is appreciated that emergencies do occur which are beyond the control of the parent/carer but Todwick Early Years is also under an obligation to conform to Ofsted requirements particularly with regard to staff to child ratios and permitted operating times. When parent/carers anticipate that they may not be able to collect their child(ren) at the end of their session TEY would request that we be informed as soon as practicable. Where possible alternative arrangements should be made for the child(ren) to be collected by a third party who should be aware of the password. It is common practice within the childcare sector to charge a fee for late collection of children and since Term 5 of 2006-07 TEY has made a charge £5 for every 15 minutes (or part thereof) for every child who is collected late.
Cancellation of pre-booked Sessions – Kidz Club
If you need to cancel a pre-booked Kidz Club session please give us notice by at least the previous working day. We have to determine staffing levels based on attendance numbers and late cancellations can cause us unnecessary expense. For this reason will have to invoice sessions cancelled without sufficient notice.
Extra Sessions
If you wish to book extra sessions please contact us before you attend. We have to maintain Ofsted staff to child ratios and our staffing levels are based on the number of children on our daily register. Just give us a ring to confirm availability.
When we are full
Towards the end of the year some of the sessions become fully subscribed. Please help us to help other parents by notifying us as soon as possible about absences so we can offer the place to someone else. We have e-mail, an answer machine and there is someone on the premises from 7.30am if you would prefer to leave your message personally.
Suggestions
We welcome suggestions from parents on the way we can improve our service. Including our phone number on the invoices was such a suggestion. Suggestion forms are available in the foyer or speak to either of the business managers. We cannot guarantee to implement your suggestion (there are various restrictions and statutory constants on how we work) but will guarantee to consider your ideas
Car Park
The Headteacher has asked us to remind parents/carers that the school car parks are for staff use only and parents should not use then for dropping off/picking up their children. The bottom car park is designated as an emergency access route and emergency service vehicles must have unobstructed access to the rear of the school at all times. Please park with consideration for our neighbours.
For yours and your children’s safety :-
- Please use the blocked paved footpath to access the building (this will save you having to limbo under the barrier!)
- The building is situated within school grounds and smoking and dogs are not permitted
- If you come by car please park with consideration for our neighbours
We would also be grateful if parents with toddlers keep them with them while waiting for children to come out of TEY. There are lessons taking place in the Junior School and we need to keep noise and other distractions to a minimum.
Nappies (where applicable)
Whilst we carry a stock of nappies and wipes for emergency use, please ensure your child brings sufficient nappies/pull ups for the duration of the session.
Passwords
Parents/carers are reminded to notify TEY when their child is being collected by a third party. Please also ensure that the person collecting is aware of the password. If the person collecting is under 16 years old we will need prior written confirmation signed by the parent/carer stating who will collect, their date of birth and their relationship to the child.
Sweets and Crisps
Children should not bring sweets, crisps, snacks or any other foodstuff into TEY. Some children have allergies and may suffer serious illness if they inadvertently come into contact with certain food products. Shop bought birthday cakes and buns can be given to staff and they will arrange for distribution amongst the children. Due to basic food hygiene regulations we may not distribute home baked cakes and buns.
Sickness
Parents/carers are reminded to to keep their child off nursery if they are suffering from a communicable illness. Any child who has had diarrhoea should be kept off nursery for at least 24 hours after the illness has passed. Please let us know if your child is not attending nursery as soon as possible via telephone (we have an answer machine) or e-mail.
Sickness – After-school Club
If your child is off school sick please remember to let us know as well. School do not notify us of sickness and we sometimes spend a lot of time searching for a ‘missing’ child who is actually sick.
Outdoor Play
Outdoor play is proven to offer enormous potential for learning experiences across all areas of learning. Our outdoor play area is a complete learning environment, which caters for all children’s needs: – cognitive, emotional, social and physical. It is believed that outdoor play should be available every day alongside the indoor classroom regardless of climatic conditions. Please send your child with appropriate outdoor clothing and footwear and where possible, a change of clothing. Children sometimes become distressed if they cannot play outdoors because they do not have appropriate clothing for the climatic conditions. If you have concerns or comments with regard to the above please see a member of staff.
Toys
Please be aware how upset the children become when toys go missing or other children play with them. We recommend that children leave their toy etc at home to avoid distress.
The New Fence
As you are aware a new fence has been constructed between TEY and the school to provide additional safety for the children. The Headteacher has asked us to remind all parents not to proceed beyond the fence.
Prams
Please do not bring prams into the premises. At times there are as many as two dozen adults together with their children moving in and out of the building and prams present in a confined space create a health and safety risk. In addition the main entrance is an emergency exit route and should not be obstructed. Thank you for your co-operation.