Three and four year old children are entitled receive 15 hours of free early education per week at our day nursery in Cheshire, 38 weeks per year. This can be administered over three terms or stretched out to suit your needs.
When does my child become eligible?
- If your child is born between 1 April and 31 August, they will be eligible for a free place from 1 September following their third birthday, until statutory school age.
- If your child is born between September and 31 December, they will be eligible for a free place from 1 January following their third birthday, until statutory school age.
- If your child is born between 1 January and 31 March they will be eligible for a free place from 1 April following their third birthday, until statutory school age.
For further information please contact our Cheshire Day Nursery at info@uptondaynursery.co.uk or visit the link
Upton Day Nursery Charging Policy
The Early Education and Childcare Guidance (1st April 2025) issued by the Department for Education (DFE) has been updated to ensure greater clarity and consistency around the management of the funding entitlement for parents, providers and local authorities.
Early Years providers have a responsibility to ensure that parents are made aware that they can “opt out” of additional extras in connection with the under entitlements to ensure that their child can access the funding free of charge.
What does the funded entitlement offer?
Government funding is intended to deliver 15 or 30 hours a week, high quality, flexible childcare for up to 38 weeks of the year. The 15 or 30 hours must be able to be accessed free of charge for parents.
This includes:
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Trained staff delivering the EYFS
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Use of the premises and learning environment
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Access to age-appropriate toys, furniture and resources
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Basic consumable required to meet learning care needs e.g., water, tissues and craft materials.
Government Funding is not intended to cover the cost of meals and other consumables, additional hours or additional services (Early Education and Childcare guidance – A1.32).
The DFE guidance makes it clear that providers can charge for additional extras provided, that parents are given an alternative option to access the funding hours free of charge (A1.33).
Our Offer
Upton Day Nursery is committed to offering the funded entitlement to eligible families as we understand that they play a vital role in supporting parents/carers in covering the cost of childcare to enable them to work and to support children with their development.
As the funding does not cover the costs of providing meals and consumables Upton Day Nursery charges a voluntary additional extras fee during the funded sessions to help mitigate the cost. Parents/Cares must inform the setting if they wish to opt-out of these additional charges at the start of each term.
To help parents decide whether to opt in or out of the additional extras charge, we have put together some information about what is included below.
Opt-in Offer
Meals/Snacks
At Upton Day Nursery we offer Breakfast, Lunch and Afternoon Snack to children, along with a small health snack when children wake up from sleep such as fruit or vegetable sticks.
We follow current guidelines and legislation to promote healthy eating and ensure that our children are provided with a range of fruit and vegetables so that they are receiving all their 5 a day within their Nursery Day.
Children have access to both water and milk (through the nursery milk scheme) regardless of whether the family opt in or out of the additional extra charges.
Meal pricing at Upton Day Nursery whilst using Funded Hours.
Breakfast: £1.00 per day
Lunch: £1.00 per day
Afternoon Snack: £1.00 per day
Consumables
All families must provide their own nappies, nappy creams and suncream for funded and none funded sessions.
Opt-out Alternative
Families who opt out of the additional extras fee will need to provide the meals and snacks required for the child’s sessions at nursery. The food provided must be in line with our Lunch Box Policy.
How to opt in/out
If you wish to opt out of meal charges, we ask that parents inform us of this at the start of each term so your fee sheet can be updated accordingly.
If you have any questions, please contact the Nursery on 0151-4249831 or at uptondaynursery@gmail.com
