Early Start Nurseries, Shrewsbury and Susan Lawrence, are open 51 weeks of the year, with the exception of public and bank holidays; and a minimum of two days per year for Inset training. For details of admissions, charging and invoicing, please see the Early Start: Admissions, Charging & Invoicing Policy.

Early Start use Tapestry to record your child’s development and to share daily feedback. We host parent/carer consultations/discussion once a term. If you would like more detailed feedback at any time, please contact us and book an appointment; as staff are not available at drop-off, or pick up, to offer detailed feedback in person, as they are dealing with handover of all the children in the nursery.
Early Start promote positive relationships with all our parents/carers and staff. Our staff are here to provide for the care and development of your child, please treat them with respect. Early Start have zero tolerance for what our staff may consider aggressive or abusive behaviour, including shouting, which will not be tolerated. And the fact that it will affect all the children in the nursery. Anyone who behaves in such a manner will be asked to leave the premises. If you wish to raise an issue please speak with the nursery manager, a member of the senior management team, or complete a comment form on the website. Please see the Early Start Feedback: Compliment, Comment, Complaints and/or Concern policy on our website

I. The Nursery will close, including in term-time, for a minimum of two inset days per year, for staff training. Dates will be provided where practicable, four weeks in advance

II. A non-refundable admin fee of £50 must be paid to hold a place: please see the Early Start: Admissions, Charging & Invoicing Policy Once all paperwork has been completed, a tentative offer of a place will be made until the refundable deposit has been paid. The refundable deposit will be based on the nursery service required. Booking will be completed on receipt of the deposit.
Refundable deposit: this will be held on account by Early Start Education (ESE) Ltd for the whole of the period that your child attends nursery. Normally it will be refunded or deducted from your final bill. However, it may be used to cover any outstanding fees at any point. please see the Early Start: Admissions, Charging & Invoicing Policy

III. Nursery fees are calculated on a weekly basis, multiplied by 51 weeks and then divided into twelve equal amounts: this applies even if your child only attends in term time. Please see the Early Start: Admissions, Charging & Invoicing Policy
EE15 hours & EE30 Early Education (EE) funding for two and three+
a. A refundable deposit of £30 must be paid to hold a place. Once all paperwork has been completed, a tentative offer of a place will be made.
b. Your child is registered to receive an EE funded place only. If you wish to extend your hours, you will need to pay for additional hours. Please make a request for additional hours and please see the Early Start: Admissions, Charging & Invoicing Policy for details

Two year old free EE 15 hours x 38 Weeks (term time) = 570 hours for eligible families only)
Three + year old universal offer 15 hours x 38 Weeks (term time) = 570 hours A termly charge will be payable every term for lunch/afternoon tea and a contribution towards consumable materials.
Please see the Early Start: Admissions, Charging & Invoicing Policy
Three + year old EE30 hours x 38 Weeks (term time) = 1140 (Extended offer for eligible families only). For 51 weeks EE 30 hours are stretched to equal EE 22 hours of funding per week = 1140, with fees payable for the remaining hours
Please see the Early Start: Admissions, Charging & Invoicing Policy
c. If your child is not in nursery due to absence, or due to attend nursery on a day that is a bank or public holiday, or an Inset day, no alternative hours will be offered.

IV. Fees are due on the first day of each month by standing order. You MUST inform us in advance if fees are paid by a process that may mean they will not be in our bank account on the first of the month: ie childcare vouchers; national savings etc

V. Children may be excluded from nursery if fees remain outstanding beyond five days and registration may be terminated

VI. ESE reserve the right to serve a statutory demand; pass unpaid fees to enforcement for collection and/or charge interest on overdue fees

VII. Fees, Early Start: Admissions, Charging & Invoicing Policy, and Terms and Conditions are subject to revision, to enable the safe and effective running of the nursery. There will be an annual increase in childcare fees

VIII. One months’ notice is required to withdraw your child from nursery or to change or cancel any sessions. Please see the Early Start: Admissions, Charging & Invoicing Policy
Fees are still payable even if you withdraw your child early from nursery. Make sure to provide a month’s notice

IX. No reduction to fees due to absence, examples include:
Sickness; holidays; public and bank holidays; inset training days or if the nursery has to close due to circumstances beyond our control eg if the water supply to the street, and therefore the nursery, has been shut off with less than 48 hours’ notice etc

X. Early Start reserve the right to charge parents an additional fee for dropping off their children earlier or collecting them later than their booked session time. If your child is not collected by end of session (morning 1pm and afternoon/full day 6pm) you will be billed at a rate of £10 per 15 minutes, and part thereof, and for every 15 minutes or part thereof Please see the Early Start: Admissions, Charging & Invoicing Policy

XI. If your child is suffering from an infectious illness, sickness and/or vomiting and diarrhoea, and/or has been prescribed antibiotics by a medical practitioner, your child may not attend nursery for 48 hours. You must inform staff when dropping off your child, if your child suffered an injury outside of nursery. If we notice an injury that has not been reported to staff, we will contact you to discuss.

XII. The Nursery reserves the right to refuse admission to any child who appears too unwell to attend

XIII. Please provide at minimum one complete change of clothing (including footwear) and label your child’s clothing. We do provide a lost property box, but accept no responsibility for any items that go amiss. The children will take part in lots of messy play, so please dress your child to get messy.

XIV. Please do not send a special toy to nursery with your child. Early Start accept no responsibility for any items that go missing/are broken

XV. Early Start has a duty of care to all children and an obligation to report to governing bodies any incident, in which we consider a child has been abused and/or neglected. This may be done confidentially without informing the parent

XVI. Parents/carers are responsible for registering their children on arrival / departure. You must inform us who will be collecting your child. If this changes throughout the day you must contact us to tell us who will be collecting your child/emergency contacts. We must hold on file information (including photo ID) of this person and you must provide us with their unique password. Failure to provide this information may result in us not allowing your child to leave the setting with an unregistered adult

XVII. Parents/carers are responsible for informing us in writing of any changes to their child’s essential information, including addresses, telephone numbers and any medical conditions or allergies

XVIII. Before your child starts attending nursery we will need to see evidence of which people have parental responsibility (PR) for your child or legal contact with them (full birth certificate, court orders). If circumstances change, including a person with PR being prevented from contact with the child, it is the parents responsibility to update the nursery, including providing proof of non-molestation order/court order

XIX. To attend in time for breakfast your child needs to be in by 8.50am, otherwise you will need to feed them before they come in to nursery

By checking the box on the registration form, you are agreeing and acknowledging that you accept these terms and conditions. If you do not accept and agree to the terms and conditions, your registration will not be completed.