Admissions

It is our intention to make Little Oaks Nurseries Ltd (hereafter to be referred to as ‘Little Oaks’) accessible to children and families from all accessible areas but recognise that most applicants live in Penn & Tylers Green, Beaconsfield, Hazlemere or High Wycombe. We aim to ensure that all sections of our community have access to the nurseries through open, fair and clearly communicated procedures.

Little Oaks @ Tylers Green provides places for children aged 3-4 who are in their ‘preschool’ year (i.e. their fourth birthday falls in the academic year 1st September to 31st August). Children will attend for the 3 terms of that academic year before starting full-time education the following September. On occasion, if spaces are available, children can be admitted in the term after they are three.

Little Oaks @ The Parish Rooms has provision for children aged 18 months to 3 years. Children who are under 2 may start in a smaller group and move to the larger group either at the end of a term or when we and parents agree they are ready.

Little Oaks @ Forty Green provides places for children aged 2-4 years old. Children may start attending following their 2nd birthday and most will stay until they leave for school.

An application for a place at our Nurseries may be made at any time, and we allocate places on a first come, first served basis. In addition, our policy may take into account the following:

• the vicinity of the home to the nursery; and
• siblings already attending the nursery.

Each nursery is made up of a mixture of 30 hour and 15 hour funded places for those children who have already turned 3, as well as fee-paying places for those under 3 or those who may claim their funding elsewhere. A limited number of 2-year funded places will be available for those who meet the government criteria. The fees from September 2020 are £8.50 per hour.

• Parents are asked to make a contribution of the difference between the funding and the actual cost of provision, meaning we are able to maintain the high standards we uphold at Little Oaks.
• However, invoicing will only include pre-agreed payments. We may charge fees for any sessions or special activities not paid by grant funding, but we will never insist on a child taking part in a fee-paying activity. Should this be the case, a suitable alternative would be provided.
• Agreed charges only (whether fees or parental contribution or a combination of both) will be billed to parents monthly.
• A signed parent declaration and a parent/provider agreement must be in place for us to claim funding. We will provide parents with all the necessary paperwork.

Applying for a place

In the Spring term prior to the academic year children would be due to start at Little Oaks, we will write to parents offering their child a place for September. Once the place has been accepted, parents will be invited to bring their child to a ‘taster session’ during June, along with an opportunity to meet their child’s key person and to ask questions and complete paperwork. On this occasion parents will need to bring their child’s birth certificate or passport as well as their red book / proof of vaccinations.  If for any reason a parent has not already visited the nursery, these visits may be organised for May.

Parents who have been unsuccessful in gaining a place for their child may keep their child’s name on a waiting list in case a place is available at a later date.

The opening hours of our nurseries varies. Please see below for full details; where our nursery does not open for the full 30 hours a week, you can still claim any hours in excess of the 15 as part of your 30-hour allowance (see below for entitlement criteria).

Tylers Green funded hours:       Friday 8:45 – 1:15; any full day 8:45 – 3:00; any of M-Th 11:30-4:00

Parish Rooms funded hours:      Any of Mon, Tues & Thurs 9:00 – 2:45; Friday 9:00-1:00

Forty Green funded hours:        Any of Mon-Thurs 9:00 – 2:30; Friday 9:00 – 1:00