Joining FAQs
Making the decision to send your child to nursery can create many questions in the minds of parents and carers.
Please see our full Terms and Conditions which you can download from this page. It is vital you read these prior to accepting a place. However, here are answers to a few of the questions that might pop into your head! Please also follow us on Facebook and Instagram for regular updates.
Opening hours:
We are open Monday to Friday from 7.45am to 6.15pm. We do offer a PJ Club early drop-off at 7.30am for a £4 charge.
Our morning sessions run from 7.45am to 12.30pm and afternoons from 1.30pm to 6.15pm.
Waiting list:
We operate a waiting list for parents who wish to secure a place for the future or for those children who we do not currently have space for. No Registration Fee is payable until you are formally offered a place and there is no commitment either way until an offer of a place is made and the Registration Fee is paid. Please be aware that prices and terms and conditions may alter while parents are on a waiting list. We do our best to keep prospective parents informed but please do check our website for all up to date information.
Settling in:
We encourage you to bring your child for at least one taster session before they start attending TCG. This allows them to become familiar with their room/area, staff and some of their peer group. Just speak to our Manager Nicky to arrange this.
How much is the Registration Fee & Deposit?
When you register your child having been offered a place, a Registration fee of £125 is paid to guarantee your child's place. This Registration Fee is non-refundable in all circumstances, including non-take-up of place. A £175 deposit is then added to your first invoice. This deposit fee is returned when your child leaves, provided you have given no less than one calendar month's notice in writing and your account is paid in full.
Meals - are they included in the price?
All meals, snacks and drinks are included in our normal fees. Government-funded sessions do not include meal costs and so there is a charge made per session for meals, snacks, drinks and other consumables for these sessions only. Please see our Funding page for more information.
Nappies:
Parents provide their own choice of nappies, wipes and sun cream for their child. TCG is trying to source a provider who can recycle all of the nappies used by our children.
Kit list & Boot Room:
We have provided a kit list as a guide to help parents provide the appropriate clothing for their child's time at our setting. Our children all spend a great deal of time outdoors, so please read this and ask advice if required. Well kitted out children can make the most of our environment no matter what the weather. For those children going into our Walled Garden, there is a Boot Room, where each child has a peg area to keep their outdoors' gear. This is where parents/carers take their child first thing in the morning to ensure they are properly dressed for the day in the Walled Garden. Children in the Walled Garden will quite often have breakfast/afternoon tea on the covered decking area behind the tipi - throughout the year.
Permission for pictures and video:
Pictures and video of children are an integral part of our sharing process with parents and carers, as well as us being able to support and document your child's learning journey. Children do not develop in isolation; one of the fascinating things about seeing children develop at TCG is the social interaction between them. Therefore we ask all parents to give permission for their child to be photographed/videoed with others so we can effectively show and share this vital part off their development. The Children's Garden is registered with the Information Commissioner's Office. We follow the correct protocols of never identifying individual children on any images which may appear in the public domain.
How often do you invoice?
All nursery fees are invoiced monthly in advance - eg the end of Jan for February. Invoices are emailed directly to the Primary Carer unless we are specifically told otherwise. Payment is required by the 15th of each month by internet transfer - bank details are on the invoice. Late payment of fees will incur an additional charge unless agreed beforehand.
Do you accept Childcare Vouchers & Tax-free Childcare payments?
Yes we do. TCG is already registered with the vast majority of voucher providers and for the Government's Tax Free Childcare scheme. Please inform us which voucher provider you will be using and opt for electronic vouchers (not paper); or the TFC reference. Please be aware that voucher payments, and TFC payments, can take some time to come through to the nursery.
When are you closed?
TCG operates Monday to Friday, excluding Bank Holidays, every week of the year with the following exceptions:
The week between Christmas and New Year. We close at 3pm on Christmas Eve and reopen the first working day after New Year's Day.
Three Staff Inset Training Days per year (for 2023 these are: Tuesday May 2nd, Thursday 24th August & Friday 22nd December) to enable full staff training and continue the development of our ethos. These dates are given to parents at least 3 months in advance.
Are holidays and closures charged?
Our fee levels take into consideration the fact that we charge the same each week for 52 weeks of the year. Mondays and Fridays are discounted slightly to reflect the fact that we are not open for Bank Holidays. TCG's fees are reviewed annually in April. Fee levels take into account long and short months, Bank Holidays, Christmas closure and staff training days. Fees are annualised and divided into equal monthly payments (irrespective of 4 or 5 week months, Bank Holidays, Christmas Closure etc). This means that parents/carers are billed the same amount every month (unless any extra sessions have been taken). Unfortunately we cannot offer discounts for time taken for holidays, sickness and any and all absences etc.
Terms and Conditions:
For our full terms and conditions please view the pdf document at the top of this page. Registering for a place at TCG indicates acceptance of these conditions.