Ethos & CommitmentAt Step Start we believe the best journeys begin when children feel safe, known, and free to explore with purpose. Our approach is guided by The One Childhood Approach - a commitment to ensuring that every moment in early childhood counts. We believe every childhood should be filled with opportunities to develop curiosity, confidence, and a love of learning.Our admissions process is designed to be:

• Fair - places are allocated according to clear, published criteria
• Transparent - all fees, funding, and additional charges are explained openly
• Compliant - meeting or exceeding requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), the Equality Act 2010, and Local Authority (LA) funding agreements

We welcome children of all backgrounds and ensure that funded and fee-paying children receive the same high-quality education and care, tailored to their individual needs.

Scope & Capacity
Admissions are open year-round and subject to the following:

• EYFS staff-to-child ratios – these ratios ensure children are supervised appropriately at all times, in line with statutory requirements.
• Room capacities and space standards – our rooms meet Ofsted’s space-per-child regulations, designed to provide a safe and stimulating environment.
• Availability of a suitable age-appropriate place – each child is placed in the environment that best suits their age and stage of development.

Age & Eligibility
We admit children from 6 weeks old until the September after their fourth birthday (the usual school entry point). In certain circumstances, some children may defer their school place and remain with us for longer.

Minimum attendance 

• A minimum of two days attendance per week applies to all children, including those accessing 30-hour stretched funding for working parents.
• Families using 15 funded hours (FEEE2 or FEEE3&4 universal) may attend a minimum of one stretched day per week.

This minimum attendance is in place to:

• Support a smooth settling-in process - children who attend regularly in their first weeks settle faster, feel more secure, and adjust better to nursery life. 
• Strengthen attachment between your child and our practitioners - consistent time together allows your child to build trust and form strong, positive relationships with our practitioners
• Maintain continuity of routines for your child - young children thrive on routine. Attending on a predictable pattern helps them understand the flow of their day and reduces anxiety.
• Encourage social connections – regular attendance helps your child form friendships with peers, which are harder to establish with irregular attendance.
• Support learning and development – consistency ensures your child can take part in planned activities and developmental opportunities without long gaps that interrupt progress.

How to ApplyThe application process is designed to be straightforward and clear.

Step 3 – Pay your joining fees. For families accessing Beyond Funding (Opted-In) or privately funded places:

• Registration & Uniform Fee: £99 per child non-refundable.
• Deposit: £80 per booked day per week (e.g., 3 days = £240) – credited against your first month’s invoice.
• Families accessing a funded only place via universal entitlement (FEEE1W, FEEE2W & FEEE3&4) will not be charged a Registration & Uniform fee (uniform will not be provided) in line with funding requirements.
• Families accessing a funded only place via Early Learning for 2-Year-Olds (FEEE2) place will not be charged a Registration & Uniform Fee  (uniform will not be provided) or Deposit, in line with funding requirements.

Step 4 – Your space is added to our Allocation Register

• Submitting all required forms and fees places you in our Allocation Register.
• A place is confirmed and your start date guaranteed according to the policies below.

Allocation Register
We allocate places fairly and transparently, in line with our commitment to equality, our Ofsted registration requirements, and guidance from our Local Authority. This means all applications are considered consistently against our published criteria, without discrimination. Where demand exceeds availability, we apply our allocation process carefully to ensure decisions are fair, prioritised in the best interests of children, and compliant with statutory requirements.

General Priority OrderWhere the number of applications is greater than the places available, we allocate in the following order of priority:

Example: If your child turns 3 in May and you apply for your 30-hour code on 1 April, you will have missed the 31 March deadline for the Summer term. Funding will instead start from the Autumn term in September.

A Local Authority Parent Agreement Form (PAF) must be completed each term, confirming your child’s attendance pattern. This will be sent to you via email from Funding Loop.Please note, If you receive extended funding for working parents (up to 30 hours), you must reconfirm your eligibility code every 12 weeks within your Government childcare account. Although HMRC will send reminder emails or texts, it is your responsibility to ensure reconfirmation is completed on time.

If you forget to reconfirm:

• Your code will expire
• We will no longer be able to claim your funded hours from the Local Authority
• You will be charged the full private rate for all hours previously covered by the funding until a new valid code is in place

Reconfirmation is quick and only takes a few minutes, but it must be done by the deadline given in your HMRC account. We recommend setting a personal calendar reminder each quarter to avoid missing the reconfirmation window.If you lose eligibility mid-year, you may be entitled to a grace period in which funding continues for a short time (see Changes in Funding and Grace Periods).

Shared Care

We do not usually split funding across more than one provider. Our experience shows that regularly attending two different early years settings can:

• Disrupt a child’s sense of routine and security
• Make it harder for them to form consistent, trusting relationships with their key person
• Create differences in routines, rules, and expectations that may confuse or unsettle a child

For these reasons, we only agree to shared care in exceptional circumstances, such as:

• Where it is required to meet a child’s specific special educational needs
• Where there is an unavoidable logistical reason

If you believe your family circumstances require shared care, please discuss this with the Admissions team. Please note that if we do accept a share care funding plan it would still be on a stretched basis.

Step Start operates for 51 weeks of the year, closing for public holidays and the working days between Christmas and new year. This means your government-funded hours with us are allocated on a stretched basis. When claiming your full funded hours (38 weeks per year), these hours are stretched across all 51 weeks that we are open. Please note for this reason the number of funded hours each week will be lower than the headline “15” or “30” hours.

15 Hours

• 15 hours per week for 38 weeks = 570 hours per annum
• 570 hours stretched over 51 weeks = 11.17 hours per week

30 Hours

• 30 hours per week for 38 weeks = 1,140 hours per annum
• 1,140 hours stretched over 51 weeks = 22.35 hours per week

The Local Authority allows us to claim a maximum of 10 hours per day for funding. To ensure we maximise your entitlement and the financial benefit to you, we rollover the remaining hours to your second or third day where applicable. For example, on a 30 hour week plan, on 3 days, you would use 10 hours on day 1, 10 hours on day 2 and 2.35 hours on day 3. If you do not attend a second or third day where applicable funding hours cannot be carried over. 

When government funded hours are stretched across the year, your funded entitlement is spread evenly over the weeks we are open. This means you will typically have:

• 11.17 funded hours per week for a 15 hour entitlement
• 22.35 funded hours per week for a 30 hour entitlement

Funding can be applied to a maximum of 10 hours per day, in line with government guidance. These 10 hours form the core day. Your funded hours are applied as follows:

• Funded hours are first used against your child’s core attendance hours, up to a maximum of 10 hours per day.
• Where a child attends on multiple days, funded hours are applied to booked days until the weekly funded entitlement has been used.
• Once all funded hours for the week have been used, any remaining core attendance time becomes chargeable.
• Any core attendance time not covered by funding is charged at a pro-rated hourly rate, based on the standard daily fee for your child’s age group, nursery attended and a 10 hour core day.

For example, if the standard daily fee is £70 for a 10 hour core day, the hourly rate is calculated as: £70 ÷ 10 hours = £7.00 per hour

The example below shows how a full day may be calculated where funding is applied to the core hours and additional services are selected. Details of optional services and add-ons are explained later in this policy:

• 10 core hours covered by funding (07:00–17:00): £0.00
• Food and drink add-on (breakfast, morning snack, lunch, pudding, afternoon snack, tea): £20.00
• Consumables add-on: £10.00
• Activities add-on: £10.00
• Additional hours outside of the 10 core hours per day: £15.00

This example demonstrates how funded hours are applied first to the core day, with any additional services or time charged separately in accordance with the Schedule of Fees which you can find later on in the policy.

When funding is stretched across 51 weeks, the hours are averaged over the year. If your child leaves part-way through a term, it is possible they may have attended more funded hours than the Local Authority has paid for up to that point. If this happens, the difference will be invoiced to you to cover the shortfall.

Example: If you leave in June but have already used a full term’s worth of stretched funding hours by that point, you will be charged for the extra hours the Local Authority will not reimburse.

If your child’s government funding is withdrawn for any reason, any discretionary discount applied to your fees will be removed with immediate effect.

• The hours previously covered by funding will become payable at our standard private rate
• These charges must be paid in full within 30 days of notification

Grace periods

A grace period is a short continuation of funding after a family loses eligibility for all working parent  entitlements. This is set out by the Department for Education (DfE) and is designed to give families time to adjust or re-establish eligibility. We will honour grace periods in line with DfE rules, provided your child has received funding in the previous term with us:

Your Funding Package Options

Government funding covers the essential parts of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), including qualified staff, learning experiences and care during your child’s funded hours. It does not include meals, consumables, enrichment activities or any hours beyond the funded entitlement.

To meet Local Authority requirements, these items are offered as four separate optional add-ons. Beyond Funding is our standard package for all families. If you would prefer not to take one or more elements of this package, you may opt out of individual add-ons in line with the requirements set out below.

Extended Hours – £15 per day

Covers extended time in the day beyond the funded only time and the staffing required for that time.

Beyond Funding Package - £24.92-£28.92 per day (Discount is based on the age of the child)
Families who prefer a complete experience can select the Beyond Funding package. This includes all four add-ons at a discounted rate, giving children full access to the complete Step Start day, including all meals, consumables, enrichment activities and the extended hours. The package provides:

• All meals and drinks – breakfast, hot lunch, dessert, hot tea, two snacks, drinks and dietary alternatives
• All daily consumables including hygiene and self-care resources, nappies, baby wipes, nappy bags
• All enrichment sessions
• All nursery trips
• All cultural celebrations
• All extra-curricular sessions including yoga, dance, cooking, language discovery
• School readiness programme including all resources and materials
• Phonics programmes including all resources and materials
• Parent’s evenings – a meeting with your child’s key worker to review development and receive guidance on their learning journey
• All stay and play events
• The extended hours
• Full participation in the complete Step Start day

The Beyond Funding package offers the most consistent experience for children and the greatest convenience for families.

Choosing the right option for your family

Beyond Funding is the standard Step Start experience. Families may opt out of any add-on category, or opt out of Beyond Funding entirely, in line with this policy. All options deliver the same high quality EYFS education; the difference lies in which additional services and hours are included around the funded entitlement. Your choice applies for a full term and can only be changed at the start of the next term with at least 6 weeks’ written notice to parents@stepstart.co.uk.

What Government Funding Does and Doesn’t Cover

Government funding pays for the core elements of early education and care only. Included (free of charge in all cases):

• EYFS-aligned teaching and learning led by qualified practitioners
• Access to indoor and outdoor learning environments and standard resources
• Safeguarding, supervision, and care during funded hours

Not covered by funding (provided automatically if a parent chooses the Beyond Funding Package, or the relevant category)

• Food - Meals and drinks beyond water and milk (breakfast, lunch, tea, snacks)
• Consumables - Self care resources, nappies, wipes, creams, and personal items/bedding
• Activities - phonics programme, school readiness programme, extra curricular sessions, visitors, trips, specialist sessions, celebrations, parents evenings and stay and play events.
• Extended hours beyond your funded entitlement

Please note: The four categories listed above (Food, Consumables, Activities, and Extended Hours) are offered as voluntary add-ons. Families can select individual categories, or choose all four at a discounted rate through the Beyond Funding package. Selecting add-ons is entirely optional and does not affect a child’s access to their government funded hours.

Additional Rules for Families Who Opt Out of Any Add-On

Parents must:

• Provide all meals, snacks, drinks, and alternative milks in line with our Nutrition from Home Policy
• Deliver food in separate drop offs to meet food safety law: Breakfast + AM snack at drop off time, lunch, dessert, PM snack at 11:00 and tea at 15:30.
• Acknowledge that for safety reasons, we cannot accept food that has been out of correct temperature control for more than 4 hours. 
• Complete a Food Safety Declaration confirming that all food has been stored appropriately (for example, refrigerated until transport) and delivered to the nursery in an insulated lunch bag with ice packs.
• Label all food and drink items with the child’s name.
• Acknowledge food cannot be stored, refrigerated, reheated, or temperature-controlled by the nursery.
• If food is not provided, Step Start will supply food and will charge the daily Food Add-On rate.

If opting out of Consumables

• Nappies
• Wipes
• Flushable wipes (older children)
• Creams
• Nappy bags (and remove soiled nappies at collection)
• Tissues
• Sun cream
• Bedding
• Aprons for messy play
  

If consumables run out or are not provided, Step Start will supply them and charge the daily consumables rate. 

If opting out of Activities 

Children will still receive full EYFS delivery but will not participate in:

• Yoga, dance, cooking, language sessions
• Trips and outings
• Visitor events
• Seasonal celebrations
• Phonics and school readiness programmes
• Parents’ evenings (written report provided instead)

No alternative activity is required during enrichment sessions. 

If you choose not to take the extended hours, your child’s funded day will finish at 17:00 (or 17:30 at the Ongar setting). Please ensure your child is collected promptly, as late collection charges apply after this time.

Breach of Requirements

Notice and changes to your choice

• You may opt-out by giving 6 weeks written notice thereafter
• If, on five or more occasions in a term, the required items or arrangements for your chosen options are not in place, we will need to review whether your category choice is still the best fit for your child

Fees & Payments

Registration & Uniform Fee

• This is £99 per child and is non-refundable
• It covers administration, initial set-up, and your child’s Step Start uniform items
• See Schedule of Additional Fees for full details, including funded-only fee exemptions

Initial Deposit

• The deposit will be £80 per booked day per week (e.g., 3 booked days - 3 x £80 = £240)
• The total amount will be credited to your first invoice after your child starts
• The deposit will protect the booking until your child begins
• See Schedule of Additional Fees for full details, including funded-only fee exemptions

Holding / Deferral Fee

• This fee will be £250 per calendar month 
• This applies if you want to secure a confirmed place earlier than our standard 8-week confirmation window, or to defer a start date after booking

Payments

• Invoices are issued on or around the 21st of each month for the following month.
• Payment is due in full by the 1st of each month.
• We accept payment by direct debit via FamlyPay, workplace childcare vouchers, and Tax-Free Childcare.
• If you are paying via Tax-Free Childcare, please allow sufficient processing time to ensure the funds reach us before the due date, as late arrival of funds may be treated as a late payment.

Late Payment

• Fees must be paid on time to secure and maintain your child’s place.
• A late payment fee will be applied if the invoice is not settled by the due date.
• If fees remain unpaid, we reserve the right to suspend your child’s place until the account is brought up to date.

Supporting Families with Payments

We can offer:

• Instalment plans – for example, spreading the Registration & Uniform Fee over up to 3 months.
• Support with government schemes – such as Tax-Free Childcare, Universal Credit childcare support, Student Finance Childcare Grant or workplace childcare voucher schemes.
• Advice on funding – we can guide you through the process of applying for 2-year-old funding, Extended 30 hours, or other entitlements.

All arrangements are agreed on a case-by-case basis and must be agreed to in writing before they start. Our aim is to work with you to ensure your child can access high-quality early years education and care without unnecessary financial stress.

Non-Payment and Withdrawal of Place

• If fees are consistently unpaid or late, we may withdraw your child’s place with immediate effect and offer it to another family
• Any outstanding fees at the point of withdrawal will be pursued in accordance with our debt recovery process

Annual Fee Review

Our Schedule of Fees is reviewed at least once a year and may be updated to reflect changes in operational costs, staffing, or government funding rates. Parents will always receive at least 30 days’ written notice of any fee changes.Attendance and Absence

Reductions, Cancellations & Notice

Notice Periods

• Reducing booked days or cancelling a place – 1 month’s written notice is required once your place has been confirmed
• Opting out of the Beyond Funding Package – 6 weeks written notice is required

Changing Your Booking

• In some cases, we may be able to offer a “plan swap” (changing your days without reducing your total attendance) instead of a full reduction, subject to availability
• Any change to days or hours will depend on staffing, ratios, and available space in the relevant age group

Fees During Notice Periods

• You are responsible for any fees accrued during the notice period, even if your child does not attend
• If you leave before the notice period ends, the remaining balance will be invoiced in full

Absences & Attendance Records
We understand that children may occasionally be absent due to illness, holidays, or other family circumstances. However, regular attendance is important for your child’s development and for maintaining your funded entitlement.

Fees During Absence

• Fees remain payable during any absence, whether due to illness, holiday, or other reasons.
• This is because our staffing and operational costs remain the same regardless of attendance.
• Your child’s place is always reserved for them, and sessions cannot be reallocated on an ad-hoc basis, so the costs of providing that place are still incurred even if they do not attend.

Notification of Absence

• Please inform your child’s nursery as soon as possible if your child will be absent either by phone, email or the Famly app, giving the reason and expected duration of your absence.
• If your child is absent due to illness, please follow our Illness & Exclusion Policy for guidance on when they can return.

Funding Requirements

• The Local Authority monitors attendance for children receiving government funding
• If attendance is persistently low, the Local Authority may reclaim funding for the hours missed
• If funding is withheld or withdrawn due to non-attendance, the equivalent hours will be charged to you at our standard private rate

Persistent Non-Attendance

• We are required to keep accurate daily registers for all children
• If your child’s attendance falls below an acceptable level (as defined in your funding agreement), we must record this and may need to report it to the Local Authority
• Extended absence without agreement from the nursery may result in the loss of your funded place

Closures & Contingency

Operational Closure & Temporary Provision
While we aim to remain open at all times, there may be rare occasions when we have to close due to circumstances beyond our control. Examples include:

• Severe weather (e.g., snow, flooding, storms)
• Utility failure (e.g., loss of water, electricity, heating)
• Public health directives (e.g., infectious disease outbreaks)
• Other emergencies that make it unsafe to operate

Our approach if nursery closure is necessary

• Prompt communication – We will notify families as soon as possible via email, Famly newsfeed or phone.
• Offering alternative provision – Our first priority will be to offer a temporary place at another Step Start setting. This alternative provision must be accepted to retain your place.
• Fee arrangements:
• Fees remain payable for the first 10 consecutive closure days
• For closures longer than 10 consecutive days, we will credit or refund any period where no alternative provision is offered

Safety First
Our decision to close will always be made with children’s welfare as the top priority. We follow risk assessments and, where applicable, official guidance before making any closure decision.

Policies, Rights and Legal Duties
Our Approach to Inclusion:

• We welcome children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and make reasonable adjustments to ensure they can access our provision
• We work in partnership with parents, carers, and external professionals to create tailored support plans
• We integrate funded children into admissions in the same way as fee-paying children, ensuring fair placement and access to opportunities
• We offer flexible payment options for the registration fee to support access for all families
• Our aim is for every child to feel they belong, have their needs met, and can fully participate in all aspects of nursery life.

Data Protection
We handle all personal information in line with UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018. This ensures that the data we collect is:

• Processed lawfully, fairly, and transparently
• Collected for specific, explicit, and legitimate purposes
• Kept accurate, up to date, and secure
• Full details are set out in our Privacy Policy, available on request or via our website.

Complaints and Concerns
We are committed to working in partnership with parents and carers and aim to resolve any concerns promptly and fairly.Funding-related complaints

• If your concern relates to your government-funded entitlement or associated charges:
• Put your complaint in writing and email into parents@stepstart.co.uk.
• If it is not resolved within 4 weeks, escalate it to Head Office by emailing into leadership@stepstart.co.uk
• If you remain dissatisfied, you may contact your Local Authority for further assistance.

Please note: Ofsted does not handle funding disputes. Ofsted’s role covers welfare, safeguarding, and the quality of learning and care, not financial matters.

General admissions or nursery complaints

• Follow our full Complaints Policy, available on request from the nursery office.
• This outlines how to raise concerns about any other aspect of your child’s care or education and how they will be investigated.

We aim to handle all complaints with respect, transparency, and in line with our legal obligations.Policy availability and updates

• This policy is issued to all new families and is available on request
• Step Start may update this policy to reflect changes in law, EYFS requirements, Local Authority guidance, or operational needs
• Families will be notified in writing of any material changes that affect their terms of attendance
  
  

Schedule of Fees 

Please note: Families accessing a funded only place via universal entitlement (FEEE1W & FEEE3&4) will not be charged a Registration & Uniform Fee in line with funding requirements. Families accessing a funded only place via Early Learning for 2-Year-Olds (FEEE2) place will not be charged a Registration & Uniform fee, or Deposit, in line with funding requirements.

Applies to: All Step Start settings
Last updated: 18th December 2025
Review: Annually or on legislative change