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Admission and Fees

Joining The Little Bears

Registering For a Place

Children aged 2 ½ - 4 years can join the Little Bears Nursery. Children under the age of 3 can only be accepted for half day sessions. To register for a place please complete and return The Little Bears Nursery Registration Form together with a copy of your child’s birth certificate and the £50 (non-refundable) registration fee.

Attendance

In order to benefit fully from our provision, it is recommended that parents send their children to a minimum of 5 half-day sessions a week. However we understand that this is not always practical and we are always happy to accommodate parents’ requirements, depending on availability.

The cost of a half-day session includes a snack and drink. The cost of a full day session includes snacks, drinks and lunch.

Please note that the charge for using the crèche facility will be calculated at an hourly rate regardless of whether attendance is only for part of an hour. Fees are payable in advance on a termly basis.

Brandeston Hall is part of the Suffolk Early Years Development and Childcare Plan. This plan is available to children in the term after they become 3 years old and covers a session of 2 ½ hours to a maximum of 5 sessions a week. Parents can apply for the Early Education Grant through Little Bears.

Visiting Before Joining

It helps children to settle in if they are familiar with the nursery and the staff before being left alone here. To help the settling in process we offer a number of drop in mornings every term and you are welcome to attend as many of these as you would like.

If these dates are not suitable for you we are very happy to arrange one or two sessions for you. When your child first starts at The Little Bears we want to make the process of separation as easy for both of you as possible so please let us know if you want to stay for a while for the first few sessions.

Arranging Sessions To Suit You

We try to ensure that everyone is able to attend at the times they wish. Your initial number of sessions will be confirmed with you when you accept a place at The Little Bears and subsequently we offer parents the chance to alter their session pattern termly, we do this to fit in with claiming the Nursery Education Grant. Whilst we give you a form to request your sessions at the end of every term in preparation for the new term, we are open to changing sessions at other times if we can. Should we be so full that we cannot offer the exact sessions everyone requires priority on extending the number of attended sessions will be given to the oldest children who are preparing to move into Reception.

Children between two and a half and three can attend half day sessions only. As soon as a child is three they can attend full days if you wish. A child can claim the Nursery Education Grant in the term after their third birthday, we will ask you to complete a form each term and on the first occasion we will need to see evidence of identity. To cover this we ask you for a copy of your child’s birth certificate when you register.

Accecpting A Place At Little Bears Nursery

After visiting and deciding on sessions an offer of a place will be sent together with Terms and Conditions. We ask that places are accepted at least one month prior to joining to help with our staff planning.

Payment of Fees

Fees must be paid on or before the first day of the term for which they are due. Charges are based on the number of sessions booked per term. Part terms are pro-rata. Late payments will attract interest charges. Cheques should be made payable to 'Framlingham College'. Governors reserve the right to refuse admission to a pupil whose fees are not paid or to require the withdrawal of an existing pupil whose fees have not been settled in accordance with College requirements.

Changes of Status and Withdrawal

Requests for changes to sessions attended must be submitted in writing to the Head of Little Bears. Any changes during a term are solely at the discretion of the Headmaster at Brandeston Hall. One month's notice of intention to withdraw a child from The Little Bears must be given in writing to the Head of the Little Bears nursery otherwise a full month's fees will be payable.

Last Updated: July 2012

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