Sessions

Pre-School is open Monday to Friday, 38 weeks of the year. There are occasional closure days for teacher training. Parents will be notified of these in advance. In the event of bad weather closure we will email all parents via Bromcom, our communication system. Please also follow local radio bulletins and the Cambridgeshire County Council website.

• Morning session: 8.50 am – 11.50am
• Afternoon session: 11.50am – 2.50pm (includes lunchtime 12.00pm-12.30pm. Children staying for lunch can either book a school lunch (currently £2.50 a day) or bring in their own packed lunch.)
• Late pick-up session: 2.50pm – 3.20pm (not part of the pre-school’s core offer and is consequently a parent-funded session)

Following advice from Cambridgeshire County Council, early years funding can only be used to pay for your child’s pre-school core hours of attendance. We are sorry that it cannot be used for the late pick-up sessions or after school club.

We offer 15 or 30 hours of funded sessions per week the term after your child turns 3, depending on personal circumstances. We are also able to offer funded places for families entitled to working parents 2-year-old funding.

You may be able to book ad-hoc or additional sessions, if we have space available and can maintain correct child/adult ratios. Please contact the school office with any requests.

Fees from January 2026

Our session fees and funding income only covers the provision of staffing for the early years education of your child. We ask that a voluntary contribution of 75p is made for each session that your child attends to help us pay for snacks, materials and other resources. If they stay all day, this will be a £1.50 voluntary contribution.

Accounts are payable by bank transfer or childcare vouchers. Invoices will be issued at the start of each half term. If the fees are not paid within 15 days, we will notify the parent/carer in writing and request payment. If payments fall into arrears and adequate attempts are not made to arrange a solution, then the place will be withdrawn. To retain a place, full fees are payable during absence due to holidays and sickness. We require half a term’s notice should you wish to reduce your child’s sessions/hours.

Late charge

There will be a late pick-up charge of £5.00 per 10 minutes (or part thereof) for late collections after the booked session time has ended.

Early years funding

Universal funding: 15-hour funding for all 3- and 4-year-olds

All children living in England are eligible for 15 funded hours of childcare per week for 38 weeks per year starting from the term after they turn 3 years old. Their birthday must fall on or before the cut-off date as below:

• 3^rd birthday on or before 31^st August to receive funding in autumn term (September start)
• 3^rd birthday on or before 31^st December to receive funding in spring term (January start)
• 3^rd birthday on or before 31^st March to receive funding in summer term (April start)

To receive the 15-hour funding for 3- and 4-year-olds, please read the Parent and Carer Funding Information sheet and complete the Parent and Carer Declartion Form. 

Working families funding: 30-hour funding for 2-, 3- and 4-year-olds for working families

Children of working families living in England who meet the correct salary criteria are eligible for 30- funded hours of childcare for 38 weeks per year starting when they are 2 years old. Eligible children will have been able to get funding from the age of 9 months, so when children start at pre-school aged 2 years, they will be able to claim straight away, assuming you have applied for your code by the cut-off date for applications.

For 3- and 4-year-olds receiving the universal 15 hours funding for all children as above, the funding is combined, so 30 hours is the total that can be claimed.

Eligibility

• Both parents (or the sole parent in a single parent family) need to be working and earning, on average, at least the equivalent of 16 hours on the national living/minimum wage per week. The number of hours worked is less important that the money earned so, if you are a high earner, you could be working only a few hours per week and still be eligible.
• If you, or your partner, are on maternity, paternity or adoption leave, or you’re unable to work because you are disabled or have caring responsibilities, you could still be eligible.
• You can’t get 30 hours free childcare if either you or your partner each individually expect to earn £100,000 per year or more.
• To receive the 30-hour funding for 2-, 3- and 4-year-olds, you must apply for an eligibility code at the latest the term before you wish the funding to start.
• The cut-off dates for applications are the last day of the month before the term your child is due to start, e.g.
  • Start during the autumn term (September-December), cut-ff date is 31^st August
  • Start during the spring term (January-March/April), cut-ff date is 31^st December
  • Start during the summer term (April-July), cut-ff date is 31^st March

You must provide your authorisation code or eligibility code and NI number to apply for a funded place if you are requesting a place for the next term.

If you have not yet applied for a code and your pre-school application is for a later term, please indicate in the authorisation or eligibility code space above whether you have applied for your code and are waiting to hear or are intending to apply at a later date.

For more information on government funding and how to apply for a code, please visit Best Start in Life.