Birdhurst Nursery
Fees
Birdhurst Nursery offers free-funded childcare places for 9 months to 4 years, subject to eligibility & availability.
We offer Term time only contracts & All Year-round Contracts.
Term time only contracts –
15 hours of funding is provided over 3 sessions per week
30 hours of funding is provided over 6 sessions per week
All year round – Stretched funding
15 hours of funding are provided over 11 hours per week
22 hours of funding are provided over 22 hours per week
CHILDCARE FEES
| Childcare Fees from September 2025 | ||
FULL DAY 8AM – 6PM | £80.25 | Inclusive of Breakfast, Lunch & Tea |
AM ONLY 8AM – 1PM | £44.25 | Inclusive of Breakfast & Lunch |
PM ONLY 1PM-6PM | £42.75 | Inclusive of Tea |
GOVERNMENT FUNDING AVAILIBLE
30 Hours Free Childcare for Eligible Working Families – For children aged 9 months to 4 years. Eligible working families can apply for 30 hours of childcare to use from the term after your child turns 9 months until they reach school age.
Check your eligibility and apply at: http://www.beststartinlife.gov.uk/childcare-support-available
15 hours Free Childcare for Families with 2-Year Olds Receiving Additional Government Support – for families in England who get extra support. Eligible families of 2-year-old children can get 15 hours of free childcare per week from the term after your child turns two.
Check your eligibility and apply at: http://www.beststartinlife.gov.uk/childcare-support-available
3 and 4-Year Olds (Universal Funding) 15 hours childcare – for all families in England, for children aged 3 to 4 years. From the term after your child turns 3 years old.
TAX FREE CHILDCARE SCHEME
Tax-free Childcare is a government backed scheme to support working parents by reducing childcare costs. For every £8 you pay into your online childcare account, the government adds £2, up to a maximum of £2,000 per child per year.
For more information click here Tax-Free Childcare – Best Start in Life
If you are paying your fees via your Tax-Free Childcare account, please ensure you provide us with your reference number, to help us track your payment.
WHEN CAN YOU APPLY FOR FUNDING
| When Your Child Turns the Relevant Age | When You Can Claim Funded Hours | When to Apply |
| 1 January to 31 March | Term starting on or after 1 April | On for before 31 December |
| 1 April to 31 August | Term starting on or after 1 September | On for before 31 March |
| 1 September to 31 December | Term starting on or after 1 January | On for before 31 August |
If you do not apply on or before the deadline, you will not be able to take up your entitlements in that term.
MEALS, NON-CONSUMABLES & EXTRA ACTIVITIES
Early Years Funding provided by the government is intended to cover childcare only. It does not include the cost of meals, snacks, nappies, wipes, non-consumable supplies, or the enriching extra activities we offer. The Department for Education (DfE) has made some changes to the statutory guidance around provider charges. In line with this, there must not be any mandatory extra charges for parents in relation to using their free funded hours.
However, they are crucial in helping us maintain the high standards of care and nutrition that we provide to your children. We understand that every family has different circumstances, and if you wish to opt out of paying lunch fees please speak to one of the office staff who will discuss this with you or email birdhurst@christianfamilyconcern.org.uk.
Contribution to our meal costs helps us to ensure that we can continue offering balanced, healthy meals for all the children, which is an essential part of their development and well-being.
We would also remind you that Birdhurst provides a range of extra-curricular activities, such as Totstars, Spanish, Forest school & Dance, at no extra charge to parents. These activities enrich the children’s learning experience, and we are proud to offer them as part of our commitment to providing a holistic and enjoyable environment for your child.
We do ask parents/carers to provide the nursery with nappies, wipes & sun cream.
CHARGES FOR MEALS FOR FUNDED CHILDREN
| Session | Timings | Fees per day |
| Morning session | 8am-1pm (breakfast, snack & Lunch)
| £4.25 |
| Afternoon session | 1pm-6pm (Afternoon Tea)
| £2.75 |
| All day | 8am-6pm (breakfast, snack, lunch & afternoon tea) | £7.00 |
All year care is charged for a period of 51 weeks and fees are payable over 12 equal monthly instalments.
Term Time only care is charged for a period of 38 weeks and fees are payable over 11 equal instalments (No fee payable in August). Ad hoc sessions including lunch & afternoon teas will be charged on a pay as you go basis.
Lunch fees are charged at a rate of £3.50 and afternoon Tea at £2.00 per day. These rates are not included in the Government funding we receive for the 3–5 Year olds. View our current fees here.
As a Christian organisation we believe that every child deserves the space to play and grow. We therefore try to offer opportunities that some children wouldn’t otherwise have. As such, we occasionally offer short term bursaries to a selection of parents whose children would benefit from attending the nursery, gaining learning and experiences that they may not otherwise receive.
EARLY YEARS PUPIL PREMIUM
Early Years Pupil Premium (EYPP) is available to children whose parents/carers are in receipt of certain benefits, or to children who have been in care. EYPP is paid direct to the Nursery, it gives us additional funding to support learning & development for children. For further information and to find out if you are eligible, please click on the following link https://www.gov.uk/get-extra-early-years-funding
Early Years Funding
You may be able to take advantage of extra financial help available through Tax Free Childcare, Universal Credit or Extended Funding.
Birdhurst Nursery is registered to accept payment via the Government funded Tax-Free Childcare portal. For those eligible, Tax-Free Childcare supports families with their childcare costs in addition to the 15 and 30 hours funded entitlement to Early Years Education for 3 and 4 year olds.
For further information on all the ways the Government can help with childcare costs, please visit https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/
Please note that any additional fees over and above any Government funding are payable by the parents/carers on a monthly basis.
