Forest Schools Kindergarten Limited
General Conditions
Payment
Fees are paid monthly in advance via direct debit, standing order, vouchers or bank transfer which is to arrive on or before the 28th of each month. We accept childcare vouchers from all registered voucher providers, see Clause 3.3 for details. Invoices and statements are emailed to be environmentally friendly. Paper copies can be posted for a fee of £2.00 per month.
An administration fee of £80 is required upon registration. This fee also includes the use of your child’s branded waterproof outdoor trousers, coat and backpack to ensure that your children are suitably clothed for the outdoor environment. Any other equipment required can be bought from our onsite shop. There is no registration fee for children who are only accessing the government funded hours. But if parents wish to purchase the uniform this can be done at a cost of £50.
Opening Hours
At Nature Nursery we run full-day session Monday to Friday. You can choose for your child to attend full Day 8.00am – 6.00pm on any day that is available. Due to the setup of the nursery, and the fact that most of the fun and learning will take place outdoors away from the setting, we need you to arrive promptly by the start of the session so that we can get all of the children into the forest as early as possible to begin the days’ adventure.
We require that you sign up to at least 2 full day sessions per week in order to access the full benefits of a Forest Schools programme. Please indicate which days you would like your child to attend.
Bank Holidays and Inset Days
The nursery will be closed for the working days between Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. The nursery will also be closed for all English Bank Holidays and weekends. You will not be charged for these planned days of closure.
The nursery will be closed on 4 inset days per year for staff training. We will try to ensure that these days fall on different days of the week to limit the disruption to parents and carers. If the inset day falls on one or more of your child’s attendance days, then you will forfeit the day from any allowance and still pay costs and charges as though your child is attending. (please bear in mind that the benefits of these days are directly linked to our Forest Schools delivery and will greatly add to your child’s future experiences).
Meals
Meals will be served at a cost of £1.50 for lunch and £1.00 for tea. We will take into account every child’s needs with regards to allergies or any different needs due to differing abilities.
Meals could be eaten both in setting or out in woodland. The nursery will make all provision with regards to diet and hygiene and the proper disposal of waste.
The nursery menus are varied and nutritious. Every effort is made to balance diet for the maximum benefit of the child.
Weather & The Outdoors
At Nature Nursery we believe there is no such thing as unsuitable weather when it comes to children exploring the outdoor environment, however, there is such thing as inappropriate clothing. If you are unsure of what kind of clothing you will need to purchase for the different seasons please ask a member of staff for more information.
The only weather conditions that we will not take children into the forest in is high winds and thunder and lightning for the safety of both children and staff.
Terms & Conditions
Below are the standard terms and conditions of little Forest Schools Kindergartens Limited (nursery) detailing the basis of the contract (contract) between the nursery and you, the parent or guardian (parent/guardian) of the child detailed (child) in respect of the provision of the nursery services as detailed (contracted services).
The General Conditions (above) form part of these Term & Conditions
1 Confirmation of Booking
On receipt of the online booking form, the nursery will check availability in line with our admissions policy. You will receive a letter subject to availability of sessions within 2 days of receipt, confirming acceptance of the requested sessions along with an attachment of our registration form. Upon receipt of the completed registration form, deposit and registration fee this contract will come into effect and the contracted services will be confirmed
2 Calculation of Fees and Charges
2.1 Nursery fees are calculated as a monthly average to create a fixed monthly fee, on the basis of a rolling 51 weeks and are then divided by 12.
No deductions shall be made to nursery fees to take account of public bank holidays when the nursery is closed except for the working days in between the 26th Dec and the 1st Jan, If your booking pattern falls outside of these days, no deductions shall be made to take account of the fact the services shall not be provided on these days. Your fees have already been discounted to take the said closures into account.
2.3 No deductions shall be made to any fees to take account of periods of absence, for whatever reason (including but not limited to illness, holidays or temporary exclusion for whatever reason), by a child from the nursery.
2.4 The nursery may from time to time increase any fees or other charges on giving not less than 4 weeks written notice of such increases.
2.5 No deduction shall be made for days when the nursery is unable to provide the contracted services or we cancel such services due to circumstances beyond our control. The nursery accepts no liability for any costs or expenses suffered by a parent/guardian as a result of any such unavailability or cancellation and your attention is drawn to clauses 6.7 and 12 in this regard
2.6 Extra charges, will be made for late collection of a child by a parent/guardian for each 10 minute period (or part thereof) after the first 5 minutes at either end of the session which are outside of the contracted services hours. If parents are more than 5 minutes late to collect their child or drop them off up to 5 minutes earlier than their session is due to begin we operate a charge which will be added to the following month’s invoice.
5 – 10 mins early/late £ 5.00
For every 10 minutes (or part thereof) thereafter £10.00
3 Payment of Fees
3.1 Fees are payable monthly in advance on or before the 28th day of each calendar month by direct debit, standing order, vouchers or bank transfer.
3.2 Other fees or charges payable in addition to the monthly fees chargeable shall be paid by direct debit or standing order on the 26th day of the month following the month in which such additional fees or charges arose.
3.3 Partial or full payment of fees (including payment made by childcare vouchers) must be received and cleared in the parent/guardian’s nursery account 7 days before the direct debit is collected. Any childcare vouchers received after this time will not take effect to reduce the direct debit payable for that month.
4 Overdue Payment
4.1 The nursery regards non – or late payment of fees or other charges as a material breach of this contract. A fixed administration charge of £10 is payable in respect of any direct debit/ standing order instruction issued to the parent/guardian’s bank/ building society in respect of fees or other charges payable under this contract which is either not initiated by that bank/building society or is not received by the nursery as required by clause 3.1. In the event of non-payment or late payment of fees in breach of this contract, the nursery shall serve written notice of such non – or late payment requiring payment to be made within 7 days of the date of the notice on the parent/guardian. The nursery reserves the right to make an administrative charge of £30 for each such notice served.
4.2 In the event that any fees or other charges are not paid within 7 days of the date of the notice of non-payment served under clause 4.1, the nursery reserves the right to terminate the contract without notice thereafter.
4.3 Notwithstanding clause 4.2, any service of notice to terminate shall constitute formal demand of all outstanding fees and charges.
4.4 Upon termination of the contract, the nursery shall have no further obligation to provide the contracted services in accordance with clause 5.4.
4.5 The nursery reserves the right to charge £5 plus interest on a daily basis on any outstanding fees or any other sums due hereunder from their due date until the date of payment. Interest shall be charged at the rate of 3% per annum above the base rate.
4.6 In addition to any sums payable under clause 4.5 or otherwise under this contract, the parent/guardian agrees and undertakes to indemnify the nursery for and against any and all costs, fees, charges and expenses the nursery may incur as a result of or arising from late or non-payment of charges payable under this contract, including, but not limited to, for the avoidance of doubt, any and all legal and other professional fees and expenses it may incur as a result of instituting legal or other proceedings against a parent/guardian for non or late payment of charges property due and owing to it under this contract.
5 Termination of Contract
5.1 This contract can be terminated by either party giving the other party not less than 4 weeks’ written notice of termination. Where written notice is required to be given to the nursery by the parent/guardian. To be valid, any notice of termination served by a parent/guardian must be addressed to the ‘Manager’.
5.2 In the event of termination of the contract notice being received by the nursery manager, the nursery manager will acknowledge receipt of the termination letter and spell out all of the things that must happen before the termination of the contract is concluded.
5.3 In the event of termination of the contract without the requisite notice by a parent/guardian as set out in clause 5.1 above, the parent/guardian shall immediately pay to the nursery a termination fee equal to one full month’s fees plus any other fees or charges arising in respect of the month in which the contract is terminated.
5.4 In the event of termination of the contract without the requisite notice by a parent/guardian as set out in clause 5.1 above, the parent/guardian shall immediately pay to the nursery a termination fee equal to: (a) in the case of children not in the preschool rooms, a full month’s fees plus any other fees or charges arising in respect of the month in which the contract is terminated, or (b) in the case of children in the preschool rooms, two full month’s fees plus any other fees or charges arising in respect of the three months after the contract is terminated.
5.5 The nursery will not tolerate any abuse, whether verbal or physical, of its team members by parents/guardians. In the event of such abuse the nursery reserves the right to terminate this contract immediately without notice and to exclude that parent/guardian’s child in accordance with clause 7.1(b).
5.6 Upon termination of the contract for whatever reason, whether by notice or otherwise, the nursery shall have no further obligation to provide the contracted services.
5.7 This also counts in respect of Local Authority funded hours. If 4 weeks’ notice is not given, then you will not receive funding to take to another setting.
6 Variations or Amendments
6.1 Variations or amendments may only be made in respect of the contracted services by a parent/guardian if written notice of such variation or amendment is given to the Manager in accordance with clauses 6.2 to 6.5 below.
6.2 Parents/guardians whose children have commenced their childcare at the nursery shall give not less than 4 week’s written notice of any required reduction in the contracted services. Where less than 4 weeks’ notice is given, the nursery reserves the right to continue to charge in full for the contracted services up to the date on which the 4 weeks’ notice would have expired if it had been given.
6.3 Parents/guardians whose children have not yet commenced their childcare at the nursery shall give not less than 4 week’s written notice of any required reduction in the contracted services. Where less than 4 weeks’ notice is given, the nursery reserves the right to charge a one off fee equal to the daily rate of the reduced sessions
6.4 If a parent/guardian wishes to delay the start date of the contracted services, not less than 4 week’s written notice of such delay must be served to the Manager. in order to retain the accepted place the parent/guardian can either pay 50% of the contracted rate for the contracted services from the contracted start date up to the date the child actually starts or place the child back on the nursery waiting list in which case no further charges shall be payable.
6.5 If a parent/guardian wishes to increase the contracted services, written notice of such request must be served on the Manager. Whilst the nursery will try to accommodate any such request, the nursery gives no guarantee that it shall be able to do so, either immediately or at all.
6.6 The parent/guardian shall give written notice to the nursery of any days on which the child will not attend nursery due to a planned holiday. Such notice should be given to the Manager as soon as practicable and in any event not less than 2 weeks prior to the start of the holiday.
6.7 The nursery may, in its absolute discretion, take the decision to close without prior notice, due to adverse weather, or other circumstances outside the nursery’s control. If the nursery should close in such circumstances, the nursery shall be under no obligation to provide the contracted services or to provide alternative care facilities for the child and the parent/guardian will not be entitled to any refund of fees.
6.8 The nursery may in its absolute discretion change any of its terms and conditions upon giving parents/guardians not less than 4 week’s written notice of same.
7 Exclusion/ Withdrawal of Child
7.1 The nursery reserves absolutely the right to refuse admission to a child or exclude a child from the nursery on a permanent or temporary basis for the following reasons:
(a) where care of a particular or specialist type is either required by the child or requested by the parent/guardian and the nursery is unable to provide same or the parent/guardian refuses consent to the provision of same by the nursery; or
(b) the behaviour of the child or parent/guardian is such that the nursery, in its absolute discretion, considers that their presence at the nursery or their actions are detrimental to the health, safety or wellbeing of the child itself, any other child at the nursery or any team members or the safe continuance of the nursery.
So far as it is reasonably able to do so in the circumstances, the nursery shall communicate its reasons for the exclusion in writing to the parent/guardian prior to any such exclusion being affected.
7.2 Permanent exclusion of a child under clause 7.1 shall immediately terminate the contract whereupon clause 5.4 shall apply.
8 Medical Conditions
8.1 Each parent/guardian undertakes to advise the nursery immediately in writing upon them becoming aware that any of the information contained in the Parent Information Exchange Form is incorrect or requires amendment. Any such notice should be addressed to the ‘Manager’.
8.2 For the safety of the child we will not accept a child into nursery without their prescribed medication if they have an allergy. If your child has an epi-pen we would advise that you ask your GP for one that can be left at nursery at all times. All medication is kept in a secure place away from children.
8.3 The nursery reserves the right to refuse to admit or provide childcare to any child in accordance with the nursery’s policy on Medical Conditions as notified to parents/guardians from time to time.
9 Illness
9.1 If the child is unwell and cannot attend the nursery the parent/guardian must inform the nursery by 9.30 am on the day on which the child was due to attend.
9.2 If your child is sick then we ask that you inform the nursery that they will not be attending. If you fail to contract the nursery a member of staff from the nursery will contact you to check on the welfare of your child. If your child has been absent for three days and no contact has been made, then the nursery will contact the Health Visitor to check on the welfare of the child and will attempt a home visit.
9.3 The nursery reserves the right in line with its sickness policy (in its absolute discretion) to refuse to admit the child if he/she appears to be unwell.
9.4 You must abide by the sickness policy and ensure that you do not send your child to nursery knowing that they have a contagious illness for the welfare of all other children and staff in the nursery.
9.5 If the child becomes unwell during the day, the parent/guardian must arrange for the child to be collected as soon as possible upon notification from the nursery.
10 Collection (Including Late Collection)
10.1 Parents/guardians undertake to provide the nursery with as much advance notice as is possible in the circumstances regarding any late collection of a child. In the event of late collection, the nursery shall charge a fee in accordance with clause 2.6.
10.2 You are required to provide us with a password (which we shall record) and for security purposes any person who does not usually collect your child from nursery will be asked for this password.
11 Non-solicitation of team and Babysitting
11.1 The parent/guardian undertakes that they shall not, during this contract or for a period of 6 months following termination of this contract, employ, solicit or entice away or seek to entice away from the nursery’s employment any person who was employed by the nursery at the date of termination of this contract or in the 6 month period prior to the termination of this contract.
11.2 The parent/guardian agrees that in the event that clause 11.1 is breached by them they will immediately pay the nursery a sum equal to 2 month’s salary of the relevant employee so employed, solicited or enticed away by them, which sum the nursery estimates it will cost to replace the said employee.
11.3 This clause 11 shall not apply where the employment or solicitation relates exclusively to the provision of babysitting services by a person employed by the nursery to the parent/guardian, where the babysitting takes place entirely outside the nursery’s normal opening hours. However, where a parent/guardian does engage a person employed by the nursery on such a basis the parent/ guardian acknowledges that they do so entirely at their own risk and that neither the nursery nor its insurers shall have any responsibility or liability whatsoever in that regard.
12 Limitation of Liability
12.1 The nursery shall have no liability whatsoever to any parent/guardian or child in relation to loss of or damage to the goods or property of any parent/guardian or the goods or property of any child admitted to the nursery (even if such loss is caused by the nursery’s negligence). Any property brought by the child or the parent/guardian to, or left by them at, the nursery is done so entirely at their own risk. This includes use of the car park and your car and contents.
12.2 Subject to any other provisions of this contract:
(a) the nursery shall not be liable for any special, indirect or consequential loss (all three of which terms include, without limitation pure economic loss, loss of profits, loss of goodwill, depletion of goodwill and similar loss), costs, damages, charges or expenses caused directly or indirectly by any failure to provide the contracted services (even if caused by the nursery’s negligence);
(b) the nursery shall not be in breach of this contract or otherwise liable to the parent/guardian or child by reason of any delay or failure of performance of the
Contracted services due to an event outside its reasonable control including (but not limited to) “acts of God”, adverse weather, fire, lightning, war, flood, acts of terrorism, strikes or other industrial action; and
(c) the liability of the nursery in contract, tort (including negligence or breach of statutory duty) or otherwise howsoever arising by reason of or in connection with this contract shall be subject to a maximum of £5,000,000.
12.3 Nothing in this contract shall exclude or limit the nursery’s liability in respect of death or personal injury or for any matter in respect of which it would be unlawful for the nursery to exclude or to attempt to exclude liability for.
13 Data Protection Registration
We are registered with the Information Commissioners Office (ICO) and comply fully with under the General Data Protection Regulations 2018 (GDPR).
14 Consents
You will be provided with a consent form as part of the registration process. Consent is sought for the following reasons:
• Your child being photographed/videoed for observation records.
• Your child being photographed/videoed for display purposes around the nursery.
• Your child being photographed/videoed for marketing purposes.
• Your child to leave the nursery building to go on outings.
• For sun cream to be applied to your child (provided by parent/carer).
• For insect repellent to be applied to your child (provided by parent/carer).
• For the recommended dosage of liquid paracetamol to be given to your child if their temperature reaches above 38.2°C as set out in the medication policy NB: You will be informed if your child has a temperature of 37.5 or above, however we cannot administer non-prescription medication unless the temperature is above 38.2 – you will also be required to collect your child if paracetamol is given.
• For Sudacreme (or similar) to be used on nappy rash if required.
• For emergency first aid treatment to be given if required.
• For plasters to used if required.
• For face paint to be used.
• For children and clothing to become dirty through wild play.
• For your child’s artwork to be displayed with their name around the nursery.
• Your child’s photograph being displayed on Facebook for marketing purposes.
