Funding & Fees

GOVERNMENT FUNDING AT THE CHILDREN’S GARDEN - APRIL 2023


Here at TCG, we use a method which makes it easy for parents to access funded hours, but that is also sustainable for us so we can maintain quality and future investment.


All children become eligible for the Universal Government Funding (15 hours term-time) the term after their 3rd birthday. The birthday cut-off dates are March 31st, August 31st and December 31st.

The Extended Government Funding (30 hours) has strict criteria - essentially if you BOTH earn between 16 hours per week at NMW and £100,000pa.


We use the Stretched Offer as we are open all year round - the same number of funded hours but spread out over the whole year - rather than term-time only.

This means that the 30 (Extended) and 15 (Universal) hours when stretched become 22 and 11 hours per week respectively.


Additional charges:

We provide the core Govt-funded hours at no cost. However, the Govt funding rate does NOT cover our costs and excludes the following.

  • Food, kitchen & cook costs
  • Consumables & materials
  • Famly App
  • Our iPads for photos & videos
  • Katie - our creative gardener making wonderful things with and for the children
  • Full time artist (the amazing Becky G)
  • Maintenance of our unique environment
  • Admin - hugely increased by the way funding is handled etc


In order to be able to offer the high-quality and diverse ethos which we do, in this special environment, we have additional charges for funded sessions. Please see below.



IF YOU ARE ELIGIBLE FOR THE EXTENDED 22 FUNDED HOURS:

We have a number of options available for those in receipt of 30 hours (22 hours per week all year):


OPTION A:

If you wish to use only your funded hours, then 20 of these hours can be taken on a Monday and a Friday in full-day 10-hour blocks. So for 2 full funded days you would only pay our daily additional charge (£21.50). This is obviously subject to availability. The additional 2 funded hours per week are available in a 5th session (or as part of a full day) where this funding creates a discounted morning rate of £29.50, afternoon rate of £27.25 and full day rate of £57.



OPTION B:

If you wish to be flexible with your funded hours and use your hours on full days on a Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday, then you can with the payment of our additional charge of £25 for the entire day. Again, the additional 2 funded hours per week are available in a 5th session at the rates above.


OPTION C:

If you wish to access the 22 hours over 1 Full Day and 2 half-day sessions, you can, with the full day rate as above and the additional half day charges being £16.25 for a morning session; £14 for an afternoon session. Again, the additional 2 funded hours per week are available in a 5th session at the rates highlighted above.



IF YOU ARE ELIGIBLE FOR THE UNIVERSAL 11 FUNDED HOURS ONLY:

The terms are exactly the same as above - except for just one fully-funded 10 hour day. *Note at least 1 full day is a requirement once a child is in the Montessori Room.

On a Monday or a Friday you would just pay the additional charge (£21.50).

If you wish to be more flexible with your funded hours and use your hours on full days on a Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday, then you can with the daily additional charge of £25.

Half days are available at our standard rates.

The minimum requirement for attendance is 1 full day & 1 half day per week, once in the Montessori Room and receiving funding.



YOU DO NOT NEED TO REGISTER WITH THE GOVT IF YOU ARE ONLY ACCESSING THE UNIVERSALLY-AVAILABLE 15 HOURS (11 WHEN STRETCHED).



What happens next?

  • Do register early if you think you are eligible (see below) for the increased funded hours AND let us know if you are going to be access these extra hours or not
  • In the term before a child becomes eligible, we contact, via Famly, parents of all children who are in receipt of Govt Funding for the forthcoming term to explain how your child’s current sessions would work with the funding and what your monthly bill will be
  • If you wish to change these sessions then you will need to request this in writing via Famly or email. Current booked sessions are given priority and any changes are subject to availability.
  • You will be asked to sign a Parent Declaration Form confirming how many funded hours you wish to access. (Please note, we are stretching the funding over the whole year, not the 48 weeks mentioned in the form)


Pricing from April 2023

Standard Prices for all ages:

Full Day Mon & Fri: £66

Full Day Tues - Thurs: £69.50

Morning: £38.50

Afternoon: £36.25

Forest School: £56 per month


Full-Time children will receive a 10% discount on these fees


30 Hour Eligibility

Parents apply via a HMRC online portal called Childcare Choices at childcarechoices.gov.uk

So you will need to create a Government Gateway account if you don’t have one

HMRC Childcare Choices provides you with an ID code to determine your eligibility

You give TCG this ID code plus your NI number and child’s DOB and your written consent for us to check these.

We verify this code with Lincs CC

Parent must reconfirm eligibility every 3 months when prompted by text and/or email

There is a short grace period if you become ineligible.

It is important that you apply the term before your child turns 3 - if you do not have your code in time for the first eligible term you will need to wait for the following term!!

Any problems with setting up then please ring Childcare Service Customer Interaction Centre on 0300 123 4097

For more information go to childcarechoices.gov.uk


2 YEAR OLD FUNDING:

We accept 2 year old funding. There are strict eligibility criteria for this and you will have been informed by Lincs County Council if you are eligible. We will need to see this letter and you will need to complete a Parent Declaration Form which will include the eligibility code.


2 year old funding is only available for 38 weeks of the year and we are open all year so we have opted to stretch this funding across the whole year - just as we do with the 3 & 4 year old funding. This means that the 15 hours becomes 11 per week.


There is a very small contribution per session towards food. Please contact Laura in the office for details.



Tax-free Childcare

Parents can also apply for Tax-free Childcare, which operates a bit like a voucher scheme. For every £8 a parent pays in the Govt contributes £2. The limit per annum is £2,000.

The criteria are broadly similar to the 30 hours (for working parents).

They are introducing it as the childcare voucher schemes are gradually being phased out.

It is not available to parents in receipt of Tax Credits, Universal Credit or current Childcare Vouchers.

For more information go to childcarechoices.gov.uk