Frequently Asked Questions

I am interested in my child attending your nursery and preschool, how do I arrange a show around and how do I see if you have availability? Please contact us to arrange a visit convenient to both parties and we can discuss your requirements during this time. How early do I need to put my child’s name down to attend Evergreen Lodge Nursery & Preschool? There is no time that’s too early, we take enquiries at any time and a non-refundable deposit will secure your child’s place, subject to space at the time of enquiry. How will you help my child settle in prior to their start date? To ensure a smooth transition, we recommend 3 one-hour settling-in visits for all children to enable them to adapt to their new surroundings and to meet staff and children in their room. We invite a parent/carer to stay with them for their first session. Where possible, we suggest this is done over 2 weeks to ensure there is time, if required, to increase the number of visits. Do you accept government funded hours and tax-free childcare? Yes, we do and this can be discussed with a manager. Our preferred methods of payment are variable Direct Debit and tax-free childcare. Bank transfer will also be accepted. Please be aware that a late payment fee will be added to your next invoice should you fail to meet the payment deadline. How will I be billed? Childcare is invoiced in advance, with payment expected by 1st of every month. We will email your invoice to you 2 weeks in advance, to ensure you have plenty of notice to pay. Do I have to pay for Bank Holidays? Yes, Bank Holidays are charged at the normal rate. Do I have to pay for missed sessions? Yes, any sessions missed due to holiday or illness are charged at the normal rate How flexible are the session times? Session times are set to ensure staff: child ratios are adhered to at all times and your agreed drop off and collection times should be kept, where possible. Please let us know as soon as possible if you are unable to collect at the expected time. Session times and prices are detailed on the pricing sheet which is available on request from the Manager. Please be aware that there will be a fee for late pick up, again detailed on our pricing sheet. Can I swap days / sessions? You cannot swap agreed sessions on an ad-hoc basis. If you would like to change your child’s booked sessions on a permanent basis, this will need to be requested in writing to the Manager. Permanent booking pattern changes will be accommodated subject to availability and should this result in a reduction in sessions, one month’s notice will be required to implement this. We are happy to accommodate one-off additional session bookings, should there be availability at the time and the cost for these extra sessions will be added to your invoice. What are your staff: child ratios for each age group? For children aged 0-2 years, we provide a staff-to-child ratio of 1:3 Between 2-3 years, we provide a staff-to-child ratio of 1:4 Aged 3+ years we provide a staff-to-child ratio of 1:8 Can you issue medication? We can store and issue certain medication that has been prescribed to the child by a Health Professional and dispensed recently. We ask that you supply the original packaging which includes administration instructions. Over the counter pain relief medication can only be administered in an emergency situation and parental permission will need to be logged on the child’s personal record. Can my child still attend nursery if they are unwell? If your child is too unwell to cope with our daily routine, we ask that you do not bring them to nursery / preschool, as they will not be able to participate fully in our normal activities. For certain illnesses, an exclusion period may apply to help prevent the spread of infection amongst the children. Our sickness and medication policy is available on request. If you are unsure, please just talk openly with our team, we are always here to help. Do you follow the EYFS? Yes, we do. The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) sets standards for the learning, development and care of your child from birth to 5 years old. The Early Years seven areas of learning are:

• Communication and language
• Physical development
• Personal, social and emotional development
• Literacy
• Mathematics
• Understanding the world
• Expressive arts and design

To implement these areas into our setting, we carry out a wide range of age-appropriate activities to meet your child’s developmental needs and enhance their individual learning.