Wimborne First School & Nursery

Fees & Funding

Sessions, Fees and Funding

Opening Times (from September 2025):

The Nursery is open during term time from Monday to Friday, 7:45am to 5:30pm for 3 & 4-year-olds, and from 8:45am to 3:15pm for 2-year-olds. We offer morning, afternoon and all day sessions for all, and extended wrap-around care for 3 & 4-year-olds. The Nursery will be closed during the school holiday periods.

Fees and Session Times:

In order to secure your Nursery place, we will require a £50 deposit which can be paid for on Nursery In A Box (Parent Admin). You will be sent an invoice before starting nursery. This deposit will be credited back to your nursery account once your child has started with us to offset against your nursery fees.

Please note: There is no reduction for dropping off later or collecting earlier.

Funding

Funding for Two Year-Olds:

A child will become eligible for 2-year-old funding the term after their 2nd birthday. All families with a 2-year-old child are eligible for the universal funding offer of up to 15 hours. Some families will also be able to receive the extended entitlement of up to 30 hours which is available to support parents getting back into work.

Up to 6 hours a day can be taken with us and children must attend a minimum of 15 hours per week.

Funding for Three and Four Year-Olds

A child will become eligible for 3 and 4-year-old funding the term after their 3rd birthday. All families with a 3 or 4-year-old child are eligible for the universal funding offer of up to 15 hours. Some families will also be able to receive the extended entitlement of up to 30 hours which is available to support parents getting back into work.

Up to 6 hours a day can be taken with us and children must attend a minimum of 15 hours per week.

Tax-free Childcare

Parents are able to open a new childcare account and for every £8 you pay into your account, the government will pay in £2. You are entitled to receive up to £2,000 government support per child, per year towards your childcare costs. Payments to the nursery are then made directly from this account. Parents can use Tax-Free Childcare alongside the 15 and 30 hours funding but can’t use it at the same time as they receive childcare vouchers, universal credit or tax credits.

Tax Credits and Universal Credits for Childcare:

Depending on personal circumstances, some families will qualify to receive either tax credits or universal credit to help with the cost of childcare.

Childcare Vouchers:

If your employer offers childcare vouchers or arranges your childcare, you can get up to £933 a year in tax and National Insurance savings. The amount you can get in childcare vouchers depends on how much you earn and when you joined the scheme. You pay for your childcare before tax and National Insurance deductions are made. You can’t use childcare vouchers at the same time as Tax-Free Childcare. Over time, Tax-Free Childcare will replace childcare vouchers and childcare arranged directly by your employer.  Parents already using childcare vouchers can continue to do so after this date, as long as the employer continues to offer them.

Early Years Pupil Premium:

The Early Years Pupil Premium (EYPP) is additional funding for Early Years settings to support the education they provide for eligible 3 and 4-year-olds. Little Caterpillars of Wimborne First School & Nursery may use this funding to purchase and provide additional resources and equipment that can be used at Nursery or we could use the funding to offer a staff member specialist training to further support your child’s needs.

Early Years Pupil Premium Eligibility:

3 and 4-year-olds in funded early education will attract EYPP funding if they meet at least one of the following criteria or their family receives one of the following:

• Income Support
• Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
• Support under part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
• The guaranteed element of State Pension Credit
• Child Tax Credit (provided they’re not also entitled to Working Tax Credit and have an annual gross income of no more than £16,190)
• Working Tax Credit run-on, which is paid for 4 weeks after they stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit
• Universal Credit
• They are currently being looked after by a local authority in England or Wales
• They have left care in England or Wales through:

 * An adoption

 * A special guardianship order

 * A child arrangement order

Children must receive free early education funding in order to attract EYPP funding. They do not have to take up their full entitlement of hours of funding in order to get EYPP. Children become eligible for free early education funding at different points in the year depending on when they turn three.

Food:

Please find details below for the costings of nursery snacks and hot lunches. The nursery hot lunches are provided by Chartwells and can be ordered via your 'my child' app. 

Breakdown of Food Costs:

• Morning snack: 60p
• Lunch: £3.00
• Afternoon snack: 60p