Fees & Funding
These Fees & Funding Terms explain how childcare fees, funded early education entitlements, additional services and related payments are managed at Little Blossom Tree Nursery, operated by Little Blossom Tree Limited. They should be read alongside the nursery's Admissions Policy, any written nursery agreement, the applicable fee schedule and the Cancellation / Notice Policy.
We aim to communicate charges clearly so that parents and carers can make informed decisions about their child's place. The individual arrangements agreed with each family, together with applicable funding rules, determine the fees payable.
1. Nursery places and agreed sessions
Childcare places are subject to availability, staffing arrangements, the nursery's registration requirements and the terms agreed with the family. A child's agreed attendance pattern, including days and session times, is recorded during registration or when a booking is changed.
Families should check their written agreement for the sessions reserved, their start date, the applicable charges and any arrangements relating to attendance during holidays or periods of absence. A request to change sessions is not confirmed until the nursery has accepted it.
2. How nursery fees are set
The nursery communicates its current fees and available session options directly to families before they enter into a childcare agreement. Fees may depend on the child's age, the sessions booked, the type of childcare place and any additional services chosen.
The nursery's current written fee schedule and the family's signed agreement set out the actual prices payable. Information on the website is intended as general guidance and does not replace a personalised written quotation or agreed fee schedule.
We aim to explain which services are included within a quoted fee and which, if any, are charged separately, so that families can understand the total cost before agreeing to a place.
3. Invoices and payment arrangements
Parents and carers are responsible for paying fees in accordance with the invoice and payment terms provided by the nursery. Invoices or statements may show booked childcare sessions, any applicable funded entitlement, additional services, adjustments and the amount payable.
- Families should review invoices and notify the nursery promptly if they believe an amount is incorrect.
- Payments should be made using a method accepted by the nursery and within the period stated in the family's agreement or invoice.
- Any query about payment arrangements should be raised with the nursery as early as possible.
- Changes to a child's booking may affect the amount invoiced, subject to the applicable agreement and notice requirements.
Where a payment remains outstanding, the nursery will contact the family to discuss the balance and the arrangements for resolving it. Any further steps will be governed by the family's contract, applicable law and the nursery's communicated procedures.
4. Government-funded early education and childcare
Eligible families may be able to access government-funded early education and childcare through the relevant schemes in England. Eligibility, the number of funded hours, the age at which entitlement begins and the rules governing their use are determined by the government and the relevant local authority, and may change over time.
As described in our Admissions Policy, Little Blossom Tree offers funded places subject to availability and its operational arrangements. The nursery will explain the funded sessions it can offer and discuss families' needs, taking account of available places, staffing and the applicable funding conditions.
Funded hours are intended to provide the childcare covered by the applicable entitlement. Any optional additional hours or services are dealt with separately, and the nursery will explain the choices and any associated charges before they are agreed.
5. Eligibility and applications for funded hours
Different funding schemes have different eligibility conditions. Depending on the scheme, families may need to establish eligibility, obtain an eligibility code, reconfirm eligibility when required or provide information needed by the nursery and local authority to validate a claim.
- Parents and carers are responsible for supplying accurate information and completing any required government eligibility or reconfirmation steps.
- The nursery may request evidence and declarations necessary to claim funding lawfully.
- Funding is subject to the applicable eligibility dates, scheme rules and confirmation by the relevant authority.
- Families should notify the nursery promptly if their circumstances change in a way that may affect entitlement.
Families can find current government guidance at Childcare Choices and GOV.UK: Help with childcare costs.
6. How funded hours are delivered
Funded places are offered within the nursery's available sessions and the requirements of the relevant funding scheme. The nursery will explain the pattern of funded attendance available to a family, including any applicable term dates, stretched arrangements or limits on the number of funded hours that can be taken in a particular period.
Families should not assume that funded hours can be applied to any session or changed without agreement. Where families wish to attend for longer than their funded entitlement, the nursery will explain the cost of the additional hours before they are booked.
The availability of a funded place does not guarantee the availability of a particular day, time or attendance pattern. The nursery will seek to accommodate preferences where practicable and in line with the rules that apply to funded places.
7. Additional hours, meals, consumables and activities
Depending on the childcare arrangement, families may be offered services or items in addition to funded early education hours, such as extra childcare hours, meals, snacks, consumables or optional activities. Where charges apply, the nursery will explain them clearly and separately from the funded entitlement.
Government-funded childcare hours must not be made conditional on purchasing optional extras. Where the applicable funding rules require alternatives or arrangements for families who do not wish to purchase an additional item or service, the nursery will explain the options available.
Any agreed charges for additional hours or optional services will be shown in the relevant fee information or invoice. Families should speak with the nursery if they have questions about what is included in their child's arrangement.
8. Tax-Free Childcare and other support
Some families may be eligible for Tax-Free Childcare, Universal Credit childcare support or other assistance with childcare costs. These schemes are administered under separate eligibility and payment rules, and not all forms of support can be used together.
Parents and carers are responsible for checking their eligibility and following the relevant scheme's application and payment instructions. The nursery can explain the payment information it requires where a supported payment method is accepted, but it cannot determine a family's eligibility for government assistance.
9. Absences, holidays and closures
How fees are treated when a child is absent because of illness, a family holiday or another reason depends on the family's written agreement and any applicable funding requirements. A booked place may involve ongoing staffing and operating commitments even when a child does not attend.
The nursery will communicate its arrangements for planned closures, bank holidays and unexpected disruption through its contractual terms and notices to families. Any refunds, credits or alternative arrangements will be considered under the applicable agreement, relevant law and funding rules.
10. Changes to fees and funding arrangements
The nursery may review its fee schedule and session arrangements from time to time. Families will be informed of relevant changes in accordance with their agreement and applicable legal requirements. A change in government funding rules or a family's eligibility may also affect how a childcare place is funded.
Where a change affects an existing family's charges or attendance arrangements, the nursery will explain the implications and any choices available before the change takes effect, as required by the applicable agreement and law.
11. Changing or ending a childcare place
Requests to reduce sessions, change attendance or end a place are subject to the nursery's written agreement and Cancellation / Notice Policy. Families should contact the nursery in writing so that the proposed change and any financial implications can be confirmed.
Funded entitlements and childcare bookings are not interchangeable: changing a booking may affect availability, invoicing or the way funding can be claimed. The nursery will explain any relevant implications when a change is requested.
12. Disputes and questions about charges
If a family believes an invoice, funded-hours allocation or additional charge is incorrect, we encourage them to contact the nursery promptly. We will review the relevant booking, invoice and funding information and explain our findings.
If a concern cannot be resolved informally, families may use the nursery's Complaints Procedure. Nothing in these terms limits any rights that parents or carers have under applicable consumer or data protection law.
13. Contact information
Little Blossom Tree Limited
Little Blossom Tree Nursery
Unit 8–11, The Precinct, High Road, Broxbourne, Hertfordshire, EN10 7HY
Email: info@littleblossomtree.co.uk
Telephone: 020 3576 7221
Website: www.littleblossomtree.co.uk
For confirmation of current prices, available funded sessions, payment methods or charges applicable to your child's place, please contact the nursery directly.