acorn Nursery Terms & Conditions

We believe these standard terms and conditions reflect the custom and practice of private nurseries providing full time daycare. The rules about notice and payment of fees are designed to promote stability, assist forward planning and the proper resourcing of the nursery. Nothing within these terms and conditions affects the parent / carer’s statutory rights.

To enable us to provide and maintain the highest standards of care we require all parents to be aware of, and abide by, the following conditions.

admission

1. children will be considered for entry to the nursery following a deposit of £100 (this will be deducted from final payment following 4 week’s notice of termination of contract) and a completed registration contract, along with first months fees
 
welfare of the child:

2. we will do all that is reasonable to safeguard and promote your child’s welfare and to provide pastoral care to at least the standard required by law and often to a much higher standard. We will respect your child’s human rights and freedoms which must however, be balanced with the lawful needs and rules of our nursery and rights and freedoms of others.

3. parents give their consent to such physical contact as may accord with good practice, and be appropriate and proper for teaching and instruction and for providing comfort to a child in distress, or to maintain safety and good order, or in connection with the child’s health and welfare.

4. parents of children who are not potty trained must provide disposable nappies.

5. the nursery will not provide formula milk for bottle feeding babies. All bottles must be made up at home and clearly marked with the child’s name using indelible pen.

health and medical matters

6. if your child becomes ill during a nursery session the nursery manager will contact the parent/carer or the emergency contact indicated on the registration form. Parents must inform the nursery immediately of any changes to these contact details.

7. if your child is suffering from a communicable illness your child should not be brought to nursery until such time as the infection has cleared. a full copy of the company’s infection control policy is available from the nursery manager. Parents / carers are asked to refer to the illness / communicable disease list supplied for your information on minimum periods of exclusion from the nursery.

8. parents/carers are required to notify the nursery manager if your child is absent from the nursery through sickness. Telephone number: 01334 475698

9. any child who has been sent home from the nursery because of ill health will not be re-admitted for at least 24 hours. If a child is prescribed antibiotics they will not be allowed to return to the nursery for 48 hours.

10. the nursery cannot administer any medicine to a child unless prescribed by a doctor. Should the child be on prescribed medication, it is the responsibility of the parent or carer to notify the manager or key worker and to sign the necessary form of consent prior to any medication being given.

11. we reserve the right to call an ambulance in an emergency and escort your child to the emergency department of the nearest hospital. Any decisions regarding the child’s welfare will then be made by the emergency department at the hospital.

12. it is your responsibility to inform the nursery if your child is not vaccinated in accordance with their age. If it is considered necessary, information regarding children vaccinated in nursery may be shared with other parents, however, individual names will not be given.

Food and dietary requirements

13. we will work with parents/carers to provide suitable food for children who have a special dietary requirement as diagnosed by a doctor or dietician. Although all reasonable care will be taken to ensure that a child does not come into contact with certain foods, unless a doctor’s note is provided the nursery cannot guarantee this.
14. menus will be displayed for inspection.

Concerns/complaints

15. any question, concern or complaint about the care or safety of a child must be made in the first instance to the supervisor in charge. If the matter cannot be resolved at this level the matter should be referred to the nursery manager and should follow the settings complaints and compliments policy.

Disclosures

16. parents must, as soon as possible, disclose to the nursery any known medical condition, health problem or allergy affecting the child, or any family circumstances or court order which might affect the child’s welfare or happiness, or any concerns about the child’s safety.

Fees

17a. all fees are charged monthly in advance and must be paid by the first day of the month to which they relate. Fees will be invoiced to the person(s) named on the registration form. Fees are payable during periods of absence from the nursery, including sickness, holidays and during public and bank holidays. the nursery will be closed throughout the Christmas holidays.
17b. Days, where the nursery must remain closed due to adverse weather or circumstances out with our control, will still be chargeable at full rates.
18. fees are calculated on the basis of the weekly charge for the sessions attended, multiplied by 52 (weeks) and then divided by 12 (months) to create a fixed monthly charge. Fees will be subject to annual increase on notice from the manager.
19. prices quoted are per child for a core day and include lunch and snacks. Extra hours (or parts of an hour) will be charged at the ruling rate and must be booked and paid for that day or 24 hours in advance. A core day is 10 hours .
20. the nursery, in line with other nurseries, operates a policy of “minimum sessions.” this aids your child settling into the nursery initially and then optimises maximum development from their time in the nursery. This is particularly true for the under two age group. Please see the manager for further details on the minimum sessions required.
21. once a place at the nursery is confirmed the first month’s fees become payable to secure the place. One month’s written notice is required if you no longer require the place or wish to withdraw your child from the nursery. Fees are payable during the whole of this time, fees are also payable if there is any delay in taking up the place once accepted.
22. if you register your child for a full time place (i.e. 5 sessions per week) and such a place is confirmed by the nursery, you will not be permitted to reduce the number of sessions attended within four weeks, as four weeks written notice is required to reduce the sessions.
23. fees will not be refunded or waived for absence through sickness or any other reason. This rule is necessary so that the nursery can properly budget for its own expenditure and to ensure that the cost of individual default does not fall on other parents. No compensation will be paid or refund given if the nursery has to be closed due to any reason beyond the control of the nursery, such as power failures or weather conditions.

Unpaid fees

24. the nursery reserves the right to charge interest on late fees at the rate of 10% over the bank (gb) base rate. For dishonoured cheques/payments a charge of £20 per occasion will be applied.

exclusion for non-payment

25. children may be excluded from the nursery if fees remain outstanding for more than two calendar months beyond the due date and registration will be terminated.

late collection

26. parents/carers collecting children late from the nursery will be subject to a surcharge, details of which are published at the nursery. Charges are made every 15 minutes or part thereof. Parents / carers should be aware that the nursery has to be vacated by the designated closing time.

belongings

27. the nursery does not accept responsibility for accidental damage or loss of property.

insurance

28. the nursery undertakes to maintain those insurances required by law. Details of these are available from the nursery manager. Copies of the current employer’s liability and public liability insurance policies are displayed on the notice board at the nursery.

 general

29. you should be aware that the nursery occasionally takes photographs within the nursery, which may be used, in training or promotional material. Parental preference is adhered to and permission will be sought via the settings permission form which is completed at enrolment.

safeguarding children

30. it is understood that the nursery is under an obligation to report to the relevant authorities any incident where we consider a child may have been abused or neglected. This may be done without informing the parent/carer.
31. any information given by a parent regarding their child will be treated with the utmost confidentiality, except in cases where abuse towards a child is suspected. The divulging of confidential information relating to the nursery, its employees or customers to any third party is considered a breach of confidence and as such is regarded as constituting gross misconduct which could lead to summary dismissal from employment or cancellation of a nursery place.

security

32. parents/carers are welcome to visit the nursery, however we will not admit anyone without prior notification. It is the parent/carers responsibility to ensure that staff are aware of who will be collecting your child. No child will be allowed to leave the building with anyone, known or not, without prior notification.

data protection

33. it is a legal requirement on the nursery to hold information about children using the nursery and its staff. Basic information is used for registers, invoices and for emergency contacts; however, all records will be stored in a locked cabinet.

legal contract

34. the offer of a place and its acceptance by the parents gives rise to a legally binding contract on the terms of these terms and conditions.

35. these terms and conditions are governed exclusively by English and Scottish law.