Terms and Conditions
Opening Times
Our opening times are 8am – 6pm Monday to Friday 49 weeks per year excluding bank holidays. We are closed for one week during Easter, August and Christmas.
Please ensure that if your child will not be attending on a particular day you let the manager know at the latest by 9.30am on that day.
Payment of Fees
Included in your child’s fees are breakfast, snacks, lunch, tea and drinks offered throughout the day.
A non-refundable registration fee of £50.00 is payable upon registering your child with Alpha Day Nursery.
A deposit is required to secure your child’s place with the nursery, £480.00 deposit is required for children attending the nursery for 4 days or more, £300.00 for children attending the nursery for 3 days or less.
This is refunded to you when your child leaves prior to four weeks notice, and provided your child has attended the nursery for a minimum of 3 months.
One month’s fees are due before your child’s first day in nursery, or where your child begins part way through a month. Payment in this instance should be made by BACS/online bank transfer.
We require a month’s notice in writing should you wish to reduce the sessions/days at the nursery.
Where the “one-off” additional day/session is unexpectedly required in the month for a child, please speak to the Nursery Manager who may be able to assist. You will be invoiced the extra day/session accordingly.
Fees are due on the 1st day of every month, and calculated monthly. Fees are payable by standing order. The manager will provide you with a standing order form. You will be supplied with an invoice stating fees due.
We do not accept cash.
In the event of non-payment of fees, Alpha Day Nursery reserves the right to terminate your child’s place at the nursery, or where there is any breach of our terms and conditions.
A late payment charge of £5.00 per day will be added to over due accounts. We will endeavour to give a month’s notice of any fee increases.
Refunds
All holidays, absences, due to time taken off for sickness is non-refundable.
Discounts
A discount may apply for siblings attending the nursery. Please speak to the Nursery Manager for further details.
Settling In Period
We recommend a gradual settling-in period for you and your child to come and visit the nursery. We offer 2 one hour free settling in sessions for you and your child to come and play at the nursery. The first 1 hour session will be an opportunity for your child to play at the nursery while you (the parents/carer) discuss your child’s needs, likes, dislikes etc. and build a relationship between you/your child & the key person. At the second settling-in session you (the parents/carer) will leave your child to play at the nursery, giving them an opportunity to get used to the nursery without your presence.
Meals
We provide a variety of healthy and nutritious meals, breakfast, snacks lunch and tea for your child, an alternative meal will be provided for those with special dietary requirements please see menus. We provide full fat milk for children but do not supply formula milk. We ask parents to pre make your child’s bottle and bring to the nursery. All meals are freshly prepared daily by the nursery cook.
Notice
We reserve the right to terminate your child’s place without notice if this is considered by the manager/proprietor to be in the best interests of the nursery or the other children attending the nursery. Otherwise the nursery will give 1 months notice of termination of your child’s place.
Arrival and Collection of Children
You should take care when dropping your child at the nursery to give consideration to our neighbours, by not blocking/parking in front of their driveways. There are parking spaces off Woodside Green which is a walking distance from the nursery.
Security
When arriving at the nursery we ask that you hand over your child to a member of staff on duty.
For security reasons your child may only be picked up by those persons indicated on the registration form. If you wish your child to be collected by another person, written notification must be given and the person must be introduced to members of staff who will be on duty. If you are unable to collect your child and none of the nominated persons are available you may confirm by telephone another nominated person we will ask for name address and brief description and password, also on collection at the nursery we will ask for identification and password for the child.
Late Collection
Please note that if you do not collect your child on time a late collection fee of £1.00 per minute will be charged to your account., you will be asked to sign the late collection book. These charges will be added to monthly fees.
Behaviour Management
Alpha Day Nursery aims to create an environment within the nursery in which the children are sensitive to the needs and feelings of others, show respect for people of other cultures and beliefs, learn to play co-operatively, take turns and share, express their feelings and behave appropriately, develop an understanding of what is right and wrong and why, to treat living things, property and the environment with care and concern.
Physical punishment and punishment by humiliation are not permitted. Explanation of the consequences of behaviour, distraction and moving a child away are used to diffuse confrontational situations.
We will not tolerate staff being spoken to in an abusive or threatening manner by parents, carers or children. Such behaviour may result in the termination of a nursery place.
Accidents and Illness
All members of staff on site have first aid certificates. It is our policy not to admit children onto the premises who have contracted a contagious illness such as conjunctivitis, ear infection, diarrhoea and vomiting, or have an unspecified rash. If children have been prescribed antibiotics we ask parents that they do not attend the nursery setting for 24 hours.
We may administer prescribed medication to your child after a medication form is completed. We only administer medication after the first dose has been given by the parents/carer, all medication must be taken home at the end of each day. Should your child be taken ill/ suffer an accident while at the nursery, every effort will be made to contact you soon as possible.
An accident book is kept on the nursery premises at all times and all injuries, however small will be recorded. In the case of minor injuries you will be informed of them on the day they happen when you collect your child from nursery and you will be asked to counter sign the accident sheet. In the event of a more serious accident i.e. bump to the head we will contact you and may advise for you to collect your child and seek medical care.
In the event of sickness or accident, which requires hospital treatment, a senior member of staff will take your child to hospital. Every effort will be made to contact you with minimum delay and you will be asked to meet them at the hospital. You will be asked to sign a consent form allowing the nursery staff to seek emergency treatment but they will not be permitted to consent to treatment being given. If you are absent, such decision will be a matter for hospital staff.
If your child becomes unwell at nursery you will be obliged to come and collect your child from the nursery as soon as possible after being contacted. Please refer to our communicable disease policy regarding incubation and exclusion periods.
Parental Involvement
At Alpha Day Nursery we aim to work in partnership with parents.
It is important that we are made aware of any circumstances which may affect your child’s behaviour. Day to day matters can be discussed at the beginning and end of the day, if a more detailed discussion is needed; you are welcome to make an appointment with the nursery manager.
Parents will be provided with up to date information that might be of interest through newsletters, website, progress reports, and notice boards displaying curriculum’s, and activities relating to their child’s room.
Parents will be given each child’s daily report sheet at the end of each session.
If you feel that you are unable to obtain a satisfactory response to an issue that you have risen with your child’s key person, or the manager/proprietor, then you should contact Ofsted on 0300 123 1231 that they may be able to help you.
We value your comments, these help us to know what you think of us, enabling us to continue to improve the service we offer.
Waiting List
Alpha Day Nursery offers a waiting list and your child’s name will be placed on it the day we receive your registration form and fee.
As far as possible places are allocated on a first come first served basis, but as the rooms are aged related, places are allocated to the child nearest the top of the waiting list who’s age corresponds to the vacancy arising.
We do require a deposit of two weeks fees as at time of Registration to secure your child’s place on acceptance, this is refundable when your child leaves the nursery with four weeks given and provided your child has attended the Nursery for at least 3 months.
Items To Be Supplied by Parent
For babies, parents are asked to provide bottles, formula milk soothers, creams, beakers, bibs, change of clothes. As babies get older we will provide meals if requested by parents. Parents may supply their own food, but we do ask parents to put this in writing.
For older children, we ask parents to provide change of clothes. If a child is potty training, please provide plenty of underwear and spare clothes as accidents may happen. Please label all of your child’s belongings clearly.
For safety reasons and because we cannot be held responsible for any loss or damage, children may not wear or bring jewellery, watches, money or other valuable items to nursery.
Childcare Vouchers
Please speak to the manager for further details on the various childcare vouchers we accept.
Pushchairs and Buggies
Collapsible buggies, clearly labelled, may be stored in our buggy storage hut.
Equal Opportunities
Alpha Day Nursery is committed to promoting equal opportunities throughout its activities. We will endeavour to meet the individual needs of every child irrespective of class, ethnic origin, gender, race or religion.
Birthdays
On your child’s birthday we will hold a birthday party if you wish us to. Birthdays are celebrated at tea time 3pm. Should the parents want to provide party bags we encourage healthy choices in the bags. For health and safety reasons, especially with food allergies, all parents are advised to ensure that birthday cakes brought into the nursery is purchased from either Sainsbury’s, Marks and Spencer, Tesco or Asda. Please be aware that cakes from any other store apart from those mentioned above or baked at home will not be accepted.