Terms & Conditions
Application for place
vVewing – Upon receiving your childcare enquiry you will be invited to a show around of the nursery via email.
Registration – To book a place, there is a non-refundable registration fee of £45 to be paid prior to a place being booked.
Parent Meeting – A parent meeting will be arranged prior to your child’s start date, this meeting is for parents only.
Full time children will be given priority to places offered. In order for us to provide continuity, a minimum of two days per week must be booked to support your child settling over a period into routines.
Attendance
To fulfil our regulatory responsibilities we record all absences, please call in to nursery 01922 497136 to inform us that your child will be absent and a reason for our records.
Changes to Sessions
We are unable to swap sessions but extra sessions can be booked subject to availability. One calendar months notice is required to cancel your booking by either party. Your deposit paid will be used against your final invoice. If you wish to increase your child’s sessions or change your days contact Amanda on info@charliecaterpillars.co.uk, if we have no availability you will be placed on the waiting list until a vacancy arises. If your child is going to be late you need to call nursery 01922 497 136 to inform us to guarantee a meal is saved. If you are late collecting your child it may be necessary to make an extra charge. This will be at the Managers discretion.
Holidays and payments
Charlie Caterpillar’s Day Nursery will be closed Christmas Day to New Years Day inclusive, Good Friday, Easter Monday, May Day, Spring bank holiday and August bank holiday. Parents will be charged for these days.
All bookings are charged over 52 weeks per year and forms part of the retainer for UK bank holidays. Two weeks at 50% per year pro rata can be used as block weeks booked against holidays but cannot be used against the Christmas week that we close (24th December to the first working day after new year). The two weeks allowance is offered annually from your child’s start date, for example, if your child starts with us in October this will run to the following October. If you have not applied for your allowance within this year you will lose it as it cannot be carried over to the following year.
Fees are payable for 52 weeks of the year. Invoices are generated weekly in advance, with payment due within 7 days.
Our annual fee increase is 1st February.
Retainer
Charges in FULL will be made when a child does not attend.
Invoicing
All invoices are issued weekly in advance, for 52 weeks of the year. They will appear on your parent zone app on a Monday but will be emailed out every Tuesday.
Payment is due within 7 days, in order to maintain your child’s place. Our only method of payment is by BACS or standing order. Bank details can be found on your introduction email, alternatively contact Amanda on info@charliecaterpillars.co.uk. All payments are allocated unto the Friday on to your account the following Monday, payments received during the weekend will not show on your account until the following week.
Also at the bottom of each invoice is your cumulative balance up to the previous Friday, it does not include the current week’s fees.
Extra sessions/Play Sessions/Emergency Placements
Any of the above attended during the week will be added to the following week’s invoice.
Playscheme
Fees should be paid in advance, payment MUST be made prior to the start of the booking, in order to guarantee your place.
Deposit held on account
One month’s fees are due in advance, these are held on account and refunded against your final invoices. We will require this payment to be set up separately alongside existing fees.
Payment Method
Standing Order or BACS transfer is the easiest method of ensuring payments are made on time to avoid late payment fees outlined above.
Arrears
Should you be experiencing any difficulties, and your account falls into arrears, it is important that you contact Amanda on 01922 497136 immediately to discuss your account.
Late payments will incur a £40 surcharge plus 12.5% per month there after. If a late payment plan is agreed, late payment charge will be wavered, if payment is defaulted the surcharge and interest will be calculated for the duration of the debt and applied.
Long Term Arrears
If a payment plan is agreed and you default on your agreed plan, you will incur a late payment fee of £40.00 for each late payment. Legal action will be taken to recover any long term arrears; and will incur a 12.5% surcharge for each month of arrears (which once added cannot be removed, unless for an administration error). All previously wavered surcharges will be added to the account at this point. If you no longer attend the setting and you default on an agreed payment plan your debt will be passed over to a debt collection agency at our annual accounts review.
Cancellation and Extra Bookings
We are unable to cancel set monthly bookings. Both credit notes and invoices for any cancelled sessions or extra bookings that miss the Monday invoice run, will be added to the following week’s invoice.
Late Collections
Sometimes late collections are unavoidable, please contact nursery immediately if you are not going to collect on time. If it becomes a regular occurrence (over 3 times), any late collections will be charged at a rate of £10 for every 5 minute period.
The £16.50 play sessions 9:00-12:00 or 1.00-4.00pm are booked on a week by week basis depending on availability, and cannot be guaranteed. These cannot be used as a long term booking and are adhoc bookings.
For all bookings/cancellations, please email our Admin Team at info@charliecaterpillars.co.uk to check availability and book.
Please complete the details below to acknowledge your acceptance or our terms and conditions, thank you.
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Unlock your child's potential at Charlie Caterpillar's Day Nursery, where we've been providing high-quality early years childcare and education since 2002. Our dedicated team of early years specialists creates an engaging, challenging environment tailored to your child's needs. We cater to children from birth to 5 years, offering 15 to 30 hours of funding options. Partner with us for an exceptional learning journey. Contact us now to learn more!