Admission Policy

Whytebeams is open to all children and their families. We accept children aged 2 to 5 on a “first come first served” basis and begin a wait list once we become full. We always encourage a visit to the nursery first for prospective parents and children where you can see the nursery on a normal day and take a tour. Should you wish to enrol your child you will need to complete an enrolment form and select your preferred choice of days. We will try our best to accommodate requests and this is dependent on availability. Once we have received your completed enrolment form and booking fee, if applicable, we will email or write to you confirming your child’s place and choice of days. At this time, it is helpful to know any extra days that might be required the following year to avoid the possible disappointment should days not be available. We send out regular reminders asking if any extra sessions are required, and if there are any spare sessions we will happily allocate them. So children can settle effectively we have a 2 session minimum per week. Waiting List If we are full at the time of required entry, we can add your child’s name to the waitlist. In this instance parents should complete and send an enrolment form which we will hold record, along with any deposit due. Places on the waiting list will be allocated on a first come first served basis and should a place become available we will contact the parents to arrange a start date. Siblings With regard to the placement of siblings, parents should make a new enrolment and follow the admissions procedure. If a child leaves to start school that place cannot become available to subsequent siblings, unless a separate application has been made and accepted through the usual process. It is still necessary to book early to obtain the required dates. Funding 47 WHYTEBEAMS NURSERY 3-4 Year Old Funding All children can receive 15 government funded hours per week in the term after their third birthday. This means that all children who are aged three before 31st August will have no fees to pay if they attend for 5 sessions or less. Extra sessions can be booked and paid for in addition if required. Please see our fees section below. Anyone receiving funding who wishes to access a sixth or seventh session for their child will have to pay the sessional rate. 2 sessions are the minimum requirement. For families entitled to the 30 hour funding which we can offer in full with a current government funding code. Funding may be split with another provider or childminder. The cut off dates for allocation for funding are: 31st December, 31st March and 31st August. Paid for places We accept children on a paid for basis from the age of two and a huge benefit is early education and social interaction which set the foundations for success and confidence. Tax Free Childcare & Childcare Vouchers Whytebeams accepts tax free childcare and childcare vouchers to pay for your childcare. 2 Year Old Funding – 30 hours and RAS funding (Receiving Additional Support) 15 hours Some families are eligible for 2 year old funding and we offer places for children with 2 year old funding from the government. Please enquire about eligibility or see the criteria on the Government’s website. Places may be limited due to the enhanced adult to child ratio required for 2 year olds. Families receiving RAS funding do not need pay the consumables fee and Musical Theatre and Skillz sessions can be funded. EYPP Early Years Pupil Premium for 3 & 4 year olds The government provides childcare settings with additional funding called EYPP so they can improve educational outcomes for disadvantaged children and support their individual needs and close the gap between children’s attainment. Who is eligible for the additional funding and how we use it Families in receipt of the following may be eligible : income support, income based job seekers allowance, income related employment support allowance, support under part V1 of the Immigration & Asylum Act 1999, the guaranteed element of State Pension Credit, Child Tax Credit – income dependant, working tax credit run-on and Universal Credit. The nursery will assess what would best improve each child’s educational outcomes and will use funding to support children in a variety of ways such as specific staff training, extra small group work, buying new resources, activities and house speech and language support. We can also use funding to cover the cost of our consumables fees and extra-curricular activities such as Musical Theatre and Skillz football sessions. This is dependent on the level of funding received. Staff monitor 48 WHYTEBEAMS NURSERY 49 the children’s progress as a measure of success. Please ask the manager or deputy if you have any questions or think you might qualify for EYPP.