Fees Per Term (None Funded)
£3145 – 5 days
£2516 – 4 days
£1877 – 3 days
£1258 – 2 days
Funded Days* Package One (Preschool Class 15 & 30 hours funding available)
£26.16 per day (7.30am – 6.00pm, using 6 hours funding)
* Additional hours, Breakfast, Breakfast Club, Snacks, Lunch, Consumables, Afterschool Club charge.
Funded Days* Package Two (Preschool Class 15 & 30 hours funding available)
£14.66 per day (8.30am – 3.30pm, using 6 hours funding)
* Additional hours Snacks, Lunch, Consumables charge.
Funded Days* (Reception Class 15 hours funding available)
£14.32 per day (8.30am – 3.30pm, using 3 hours funding)
*Additional hours, Snacks, Lunch, consumables charge.
*Optional please see note 17 below
Pattern of Delivery
| Day |
Opening Hours |
Times EYFS can be accessed |
Max number of EYFE hours can be claimed (15 hours) |
Max number of EYFE hours that can be claimed per day (30 hours) |
| Monday |
7.30-18.00 |
8.30-2.30 |
3 |
6 |
| Tuesday |
7.30-18.00 |
8.30.2.30 |
3 |
6 |
| Wednesday |
7.30-18.00 |
8.30-2.30 |
3 |
6 |
| Thursday |
7.30-18.00 |
8.30-2.30 |
3 |
6 |
| Friday |
7.30-18.00 |
8.30-2.30 |
3 |
6 |
Tower College offers EYFE for 36 weeks per year and is open 36 weeks per year.
Funding
- For 3 & 4-year-olds– for all families (15 hours funded childcare)
- For 3 & 4-year-olds– for working families (30 hours funded childcare)
For full details and eligibility visit: beststartinlife.gov.uk
When a child is eligible for government funding this will become available from the start of the next term (January, April, September). Depending on parent eligibility, either 15 or 30 hours per week funding for 36 weeks of the year is available. This can be stretched across the full year at Tower College for those children wanting to attend all year round.
6 hours of funding is used per day at Tower College.
Packages
We offer 2 packages in our Preschool class and 1 package in our Reception Class that can be paid by the term or monthly.
We charge fees for the number of weeks in each term that we are open. Fees may vary slightly in price from term to term depending on the number of weeks in each term.
To calculate averaged termly fees, add the total weekly cost of sessions multiply by number of weeks in the term
To calculate monthly fees, add the total weekly cost of sessions multiply by number of weeks in the term and divide by 4 months.
Our monthly payments are set into 3 terms:
Autumn Term – September, October, November, December
Spring Term – January, February, March, April
Summer Term – May, June, July, August.
We are registered to accept payments through the Government’s Tax-Free Childcare scheme. This can help you save money on your childcare fees in Preschool only.
Tax-free Childcare can be used beyond preschool class on wraparound care and holiday club but NOT for school fees from Reception Class onwards.
Methods
- If a child joins or leaves us mid-month, then the actual cost per session in those months will be charged.
- For children who qualify for 3 & 4-year-old Local Authority funding, it will be clearly shown on invoicing how fees have been calculated and how the funding has been used
- Extra ad-hoc sessions are charged separately and in addition to fees as stated in the fee packages.
- Our fees are reviewed annually, and any changes are made on 1st September.
- We provide details of our charges when parents are offered a place for their child at our preschool, or earlier if requested.
- Should a child not be collected by 6pm in twilight club, a fee of £10 may be charged for every 15 minutes late to cover costs for the two members of staff who need to stay behind.
- Fees must be paid on the 1st day of each term or 9th of each month in advance.
- Payment of fees must be received by the date shown on each termly/monthly invoice.
- No refunds will be given for absence due to illness or holiday as staff levels must be maintained and the child’s place kept open.
- Tower College Preschool & Reception Class is listed with our Local Authority (St Helens Council) as an approved provider for funded 3- and 4-year-olds and has agreed to meet the conditions of the Early Education and Childcare Statutory Guidance for Local Authorities.
- All children attending Tower College who qualify for government funding, will be able to claim up to a maximum of 30 funded hours per week for 3- and 4-year-olds for 36 weeks of the year. It is each parents’ responsibility to re-confirm their eligibility code with the HMRC every three months as re-confirmation dates are different for every parent. For parents of 3-year-olds who do not qualify for the 30 funded hours, they can claim up to a maximum of 15 hours per week for 36 weeks of the year – no eligibility code is required for a 3-year-old accessing 15 hours.
Information regarding eligibility can be found at beststartinlife.gov.uk
- Government funding is intended to cover the cost to deliver high quality childcare for up to 30 hours a week for 36 weeks of the year (term time). It is not intended to cover the cost of meals, consumables, additional hours, or additional services.
- Parents must obtain their ‘Eligibility Code’ from the HMRC website before the start of the claim period. The codes must be applied for by the last day of the previous month being 31st December to start on January 31st March to start April 31st August to start in September. It is each parents’ responsibility to re-confirm their eligibility for 30 hours funding with HMRC every three months as re-confirmation dates are different for every parent. Parents must advise the school office if they become ineligible for the 30 hours. If eligibility is not re-confirmed within the timeframe allowed by HMRC, parents will be charged for any loss of funding.
- Depending on whether children qualify for 15- or 30-hours funding, up to 6 hours funding can be claimed per day.
- Meals and consumables charge: The funding paid by the Local Authority covers the cost of the ‘care and education’ provided by Tower College. It does not cover the cost of consumable items provided and used by the preschool each day, such as meals, snacks, drinks and other consumables. This is an optional payment requested by Tower College to ensure all meals, drinks, snacks and consumables are supplied and the school. If the meals and consumables charge is not paid, parents would need to supply all food and drink (other than water) that they wish for their child to consume while at school. There are guidelines that apply to this which will be supplied if applicable.
- The entitlements will be delivered consistently so that all children accessing any of the free entitlements will receive the same quality and access to provision, regardless of whether they opt to pay the meals and consumables charge.
- We will work with parents to ensure that as far as possible the hours/sessions that can be taken as free provision are convenient for parents’ working hours.
- A St Helens Council funding ‘Claim form’ must be completed and signed by a parent/carer to enable us to claim their child’s funding. The school will issue these forms at the beginning of the child’s funding entitlement. Parents/carers should ensure they are not over claiming if their child attends more than one setting.
- Parents/carers will also be asked to confirm on the claim form whether they qualify for several benefits that may result in the nursery receiving additional funding under the Early Years Pupil Premium (EYPP) scheme.
- Please notify the school office if you wish to change your sessions or leave the preschool.
- Planned trips may be charged for to cover costs. You can choose for your child to opt out of any trip.