FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

1. What are your opening times?
All our sites are open from 7.30am – 6 pm.

2. Do you accept childcare vouchers?
Yes we accept all childcare vouchers.

3. Do you pay for bank holidays and holidays?
Yes.

4. Visits when settling in – how many do we have, staying with your child?
We encourage all our new children to do some visits before starting. Usually children do between 2 and 3 half an hour visits some with a parents and some without. We tailor this to individual needs.

5. How long does it take for a child to settle?
This is a very individual thing and does depend on the number of session the child attends during the week, as well as the ages they start at nursery. The more frequently they attend, the more quickly they begin to settle.

6. When do I pay?
Fees are due on the first of each month in advance by standing order.

7. Do we do Nursery Education Grant for two, three and four years olds and do we have to do anything to claim it?
Payments are made directly to nursery and deducted monthly from fees. Three and four year Grant funding is applied for the term after the child’s third birthday, for example, if your child is born in September, funding can be applied for in January. Three and four year funding is available to everyone. There are set criteria you must meet to receive the two year funding. Find out if you are entitled to two year funding here.

Twinkles are registered for 2, 3 & 4 year funding. All 3 to 4 year olds in England are entitled to 570 hours of free early education or childcare per year. This can be used as 15 hours per week over 38 weeks of the year.  The 38 weeks are spread over three terms, Spring, Summer and Autumn with the exact number of weeks in the terms varying slightly each year and are set by the local authority. In addition, some families can claim the extended entitlement, this is an additional 15 hours per week, bringing the number of hours per year to 1140. 

8. Safety – how we let people in, emergency contacts
Our nurseries have very strict entry procedures with magnetic door systems so that staff can security check everyone who arrives. All visitors are asked to sign into nursery at reception.

9. What do they need to bring with them?
At Twinkles we provide all nappies and wipes as well as a full menu throughout the day. All the children need to bring with them is a change of clothes, nappy cream and formula milk if required.