Sessions, Staffing and Fees
Our Playgroup operates from the Village Hall holding 9 sessions per week, 5 mornings 9.00am to 12.00pm and 4 afternoons 12.45pm to 3.45pm with full days available on a Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday 9.00 am to 3.45 pm. We accommodate a maximum of 50 children in each session aged from 2 years to 5 years old. Children are accepted from all areas but preference is given to children of the Parish when this is necessary. To register your child you need to complete and application form which can be downloaded from our website www.bmplaygroup.co.uk and there is a £20 non-refundable administration fee which covers the costs of taster sessions before your child starts at Playgroup and a Playgroup t-shirt when your child starts.
The cost for a 3 hour morning or afternoon session is £26.00 and to attend for a whole day from 9.00 am to 3.45 pm the cost is £58.20 – our hourly rate is £8.68. All fee calculations are invoiced for a whole term.
The term following a child reaching the age of 3 is when they qualify for Universal Early Education Funding from KCC which is for 15 hours per week. Working parents may qualify for 30 hours of funding, this is applicable for children from the term after they turn 9 months, subject to eligibility criteria. Please visit the government website www.childcarechoices.gov.uk. We are also registered for children eligible for the Free for 2 funding, more information is available at www.kent.gov.uk/freechildcare.
FEES STRUCTURE
At our Playgroup we believe in open communication with all parents/carers and staff and are therefore presenting our fee structure in order to ensure that everyone fully understands our charging. We are open for 38 weeks per year, closing on Bank Holidays. Our fees do not include any outings, celebrations that are in addition to our usual session activities. We have a voluntary contribution consumable and food charge that is added to our invoices. This is to contribute towards items such as; snacks, suncream, sensory resources which include rice, pasta, shaving foam and ingredients for playdough, celebration of events and festivals such as Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Easter and Christmas and also includes Christmas presents and leavers presents for the children. You will be asked to sign a separate letter in relation to these charges.
ADMINISTRATION FEE
There is a £20.00 non-refundable administration fee when you complete and send in an application form. This fee includes a Playgroup t-shirt and taster sessions before your child starts. Please let us know if this cost would cause you financial hardship.
FEES: Fees are payable termly in advance, in accordance with the rates in force at the time. Fees are reviewed annually or in the event of any changes to the DfE Code of Practice. Any changes to current rates will be advised in writing at least one term in advance. If you are experiencing difficulties with termly payments, please speak to the Administrator or Manager.
CONSUMABLES CHARGE: We charge a voluntary consumables fee which is 50p for each session that a child attends, this charge contributes to the cost of items such as suncream, sensory resources which include rice, pasta, shaving foam and ingredients for playdough, celebration of events and festivals such as Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Easter and Christmas and also includes Christmas presents and leavers presents for the children. We also charge a food fee of 50p per session which contributes to the cost of the snack that is provided during a session. These charges are added to your termly invoice and are due alongside the fees. If these charges would cause a family financial hardship then the parent should speak to the Playgroup Manager or Administrator who may be able to help. You will be asked to sign a separate letter in relation to these charges.
3 hourly session am (9.00 am to 12.00 pm) or pm (12.45 pm to 3.45 pm) £26.00
| NUMBER OF FUNDED EARLY EDUCATION HOURS TAKEN | COSTS FOR EXTRA SESSION AFTER FUNDED HOURS HAVE BEEN ACCESSED | |
| AM (9 AM TO 12 PM) | 3 HOURS | £26.00 |
| AM (9 AM to 12.45 PM | 3.75 HOURS | £32.50 |
| PM (12.45 PM to 3.45 PM) | 3 HOURS | £26.00 |
| PM (12 PM to 3.45 PM) | 3.75 HOURS | £32.50 |
| FULL DAY (9 AM to 3.45 PM) | 6.75 HOURS | £58.50 |
ILLNESS/ABSENCE: No refund will be given in the event of a child’s absence due to illness, holiday or any other reason.
CLOSURES: Should the Playgroup be unable to open due to bad weather or any other unforeseen circumstances, parents will be refunded for a chargeable session or have it discounted off their next invoice. Should closure need to take place part way through a session, a refund will not be given in this instance.
LATE PICK UP: Children must be collected promptly at the end of the session/day. Should a parent fail to collect their child within 10 minutes of the sessions/day ending, a late collection fee of £15.00 may be charged, and a further £10.00 for every half hour thereafter. These fees are charged at the discretion of the Manager and/or Committee.
LATE PAYMENTS: Fees are to be paid within 2 weeks of the start of each term. If they are late, then there will be a £10.00 fine. If you are experiencing financial hardship please speak, in confidence, to the Administrator or Manager so that alternative payment arrangements can be made. If not, and without prior negotiation there will be a fine of £10.00. If the fees remain outstanding then a further £10.00 fine will be added for each week that they remain outstanding. All fees must be paid within the term that they are due. If without prior negotiation, fees are not settled, we are left with no alternative but to withdraw your child’s place and if necessary take legal action to recover the amount owed. Children in receipt of Funded Early Education will be unable to access any additional fee paying hours or facilities until all outstanding fees are settled.
PAYMENT METHODS: Invoices can be settled by cash, cheques or bank transfers. All monies should be in a sealed envelope with your child’s name and the amount on the outside. Cheques should be made payable to Boughton Monchelsea Playgroup and have your child’s name on the back. If you would like to pay by bank transfer the details are: Natwest Bank – Sort code 53 81 51, Account number 13954938 using your child’s name as the reference.
15/30 HOURS FREE EARLY EDUCATION: The following information details how your child can access their Free Early Education hours at this Playgroup. Your child is entitled to 570/1140 hours of Funded Early Education over 38 weeks per year. However, depending on which days your child attends this may not be possible, due to bank holidays. We will inform you if this is the case and aim to offer alternative hours.
To find out more information please look at the government’s website www.childcarechoices.gov.uk
We have 15 members of staff who work at the Playgroup with the children and an administrator who works together with the staff and committee in ensuring all paperwork and procedures are up to date. Where possible we aim to operate a 1:4 adult to child ratio for children aged 2 and a 1:6 ratio for children aged over 3 which exceeds the government requirements which are ratios of 1:8 for children aged over 3 and 1:5 for children aged 2.
We have 16 members of staff
To find out availability of sessions you should speak to the Administrator (Jane Clarke), she can be contacted on 01622 747431 (during Playgroup hours), via email, via the Playgroup Facebook page or via the Playgroup. A waiting list is held which is sorted in age order and once a completed application form is received the child will be placed on this waiting list. The Administrator contacts a parent once a place becomes available. The main intakes for new children are in September (the beginning of term 1), January (the beginning of term 3) and April (the beginning of term 5) although if spaces are available children can be accepted at any time throughout the year.
| Sara Skinner | Manager, BA (Hons) Early Years Leader; Foundation Degree Early Years Professional; Designated Safeguarding Officer; Health & Safety Officer, Behaviour Management Officer; Bereavement Officer; First Aider, Equality and Diversity Officer |
| Karen Emmett | Deputy Manager, Level 3 Practitioner, First Aider |
| Claire Corpe | SENCO, DPP Level 3, First Aider |
| Iveta Hajzlerova | Level 3 Practitioner, First Aider |
| Kate Derry | Level 3 Practitioner |
| Vicky Ovens | Level 3 Practitioner |
| Megan Morgan | Level 3 Practitioner, First Aider |
| Chloe Brown | Level 3 Practitioner, First Aider |
| Katie Skinner
Charlie Metland Becky Chapman Michelle Doherty Stephanie Taylor Lily Stubberfield |
Early Years Practitioner
Level 3 Practitioner Early Years Practitioner Early Years Practitioner Early Years Practitioner Early Years Practitioner |
| Jane Clarke
|
Administrator |