Fees

Free Nursery Education

We understand that every family may need a little help. New Stepping Stones Playgroup CIO is registered with Achieving for Children and is on the Register of Providers for the provision of free early education for eligible children aged two to five years. We can therefore offer the free early education entitlement to eligible families and claim funding to deliver the funded hours.
The childcare choices website Childcare Choices | 30 Hours Childcare, Tax-Free Childcare and More | Help with Costs | GOV.UK will help you navigate what are the schemes available in the UK and provide links to check your eligibility.
Universal Entitlement
New Stepping Stones Playgroup CIO offers 15 hours of funded childcare per week for 38 weeks a year (term time only) for all children from the term after they turn three. Parents must provide proof of their child’s date of birth and complete a parent authorisation form to access the funding.
Eligible working families may also qualify for an additional 15 hours of funded childcare per week, up to a maximum of 30 hours per week.
Early Learning Entitlement for 2-Year-Olds
Some 2-year-olds may be eligible for 15 hours of funded early education per week from the term after their second birthday if their parents or carers are on a low income and receive certain qualifying benefits, if the child receives Disability Living Allowance (DLA), or if the child is looked after by the local authority.
To access the funding at New Stepping Stones Playgroup CIO, parents must:

• Complete and sign a parent authorisation form for each child for whom funding is being claimed.

• Provide evidence of the child’s date of birth and an eligibility reference issued by Achieving for Children (AfC) to confirm eligibility. Eligibility references issued by other boroughs will not be accepted.

  The 2 year old entitlement ends at the end of the term in which the child turns 3.

Accessing Entitlements
New Stepping Stones Playgroup CIO offers funded childcare sessions:

• Universal entitlement (15 hours): 8:45am–2:45pm.

• Early Learning entitlement for eligible 2-year-olds (15 hours): 8:45am–12:30pm.

• Working Families entitlement (up to 30 hours): 8:45am–2:45pm.

Families may choose to split their funded hours between New Stepping Stones and another registered childcare provider. If your child attends another setting and receives funded hours there, you must declare this on the parent authorisation form.
Funded hours cannot be transferred to another day or session if your child is absent due to illness, holidays or other reasons.
Parents are responsible for ensuring that they remain eligible for the funded hours they have agreed to access. If funding is refused or withdrawn because eligibility requirements have not been met, information about hours used at another setting has not been declared, or an eligibility code has not been renewed where required, the standard sessional fees at New Stepping Stones Playgroup will apply to the hours attended during that term.
Persistent absence of more than four weeks may result in the funded entitlement being withdrawn.
Once a child has started accessing their funded entitlement hours, four calendar weeks’ written notice must be given to end the agreement and transfer the entitlement to another childcare provider.
Following receipt of written notice, parents/carers will be provided with a Notification of Changes Form, which must be presented to the new childcare provider. Funded entitlement hours cannot be accessed at the new provider until the week after the four-week notice period has ended.
Invoices for any additional charges and childcare hours will be issued at the start of each term and must be paid within 14 working days. Each invoice will clearly show the number of free entitlement hours accessed during the billing period, separately from any additional childcare hours and other chargeable services.