The nursery at Dallam Primary is a bright, open and imaginative space for your child to learn. Acorn class is our 3 & 4 year old room led by Miss Sherwood; our 2 year olds have their own room and this is led by Miss Bradley.
They are joined by a team of teaching assistants and Midday assistants working together to support your child and their own learning journey. All our children have access to a well-resourced outdoor area and forest school that is integral to your child’s learning – why not have a look at our school prospectus to see some of the facilities we have to offer. We invite parents to join us for our open evenings so that you can tour our facilities and have an opportunity to chat to our Headteacher, Mrs Downey and the nursery team.
As a nursery based in a primary school, we are a teacher led unit and offer our services across the 38 weeks of the school year – we have no provision for holiday care.
We accept children that are government funded for both 15 hours and 30 hours and our session times are normally 3 hours long running at the following times:
- Morning session: starts 8:30 am and finishes at 11:30 am
- Afternoon session: starts at 12:30pm and finishes at 3:30pm
If your child is entitled to 30 hours funding, they can access this in a continuous block without any artificial breaks. They are able to stay with us over the lunch time and we ask that you provide them with a packed lunch.
We appreciate that some parents may wish to use another childcare provider for part of the week to fit in with their working and home life commitments. We are happy to support this, and the current guidance allows for you to access up to 2 sites per day.
Please speak to a member of the school office if this is something you are interested in or want to hear more.
If we have space and no waiting list, we do offer paid sessions for our 3 and 4 year olds in addition to your universal entitlement of 15 hours. Please speak to a member of the office team for more details or call us on 01925 633927.
The current cost for an additional session is £25. We do not offer paid sessions for our 2 year old room as we generally carry a small waitlist. However, this does change at intervals through the year, so please speak to a member of our office team if this is something you may be interested in.
Inclusion
There are no barriers to accessing a funded place at Dallam. We recognise that some children may need a little longer to settle or need a little extra help. Our nursery team works closely with our SENDCO (Miss Kendal) and Family Liaison Officer (Mrs Wilson) to ensure all children get the support they require to thrive and enjoy their learning. This may include accessing additional funding e.g. Early years pupil premium or Disability Access Fund. If your child is eligible, our SENDO will discuss this with you once your child has started at Dallam. In addition, our SENDCO works closely with the SEND team at the local authority to support children with additional needs. If you think your child may need additional support, Miss Kendal is happy to chat with you before your child starts nursery.
No Hidden Extras
At Dallam we believe in being open and transparent with our parents. We offer high quality childcare that is accessed free of charge through your government funding, whether it is for 15 hours or 30 hours.
There are no hidden extras and we do not make any mandatory charges associated with your sessions.
- We offer a snack and a drink for all children in the nursery at no additional cost
- We ask you to provide your child with nappies, wipes, sun cream etc. This allows you to purchase the items you want at a price you can afford
- If your child is staying over lunchtime we will ask you to provide a packed lunch
School Trips
Occasionally we may want to take the children on a school trip. If we need to make a charge for this you will receive a letter detailing the trip and any associated costs. All school trips are optional. Your child does not need to participate if you don’t want them to and their nursery session will still be available for them to access.
Applying for Government Funding
The tabs below provide more detailed information on how to access and use government funding for your childcare. They include links to government websites to help you find the information you need and apply for your funding.
Our team is also happy to help. Please call into the school office or call us on 01925 633927 if you have any questions.
Free education and childcare for 2 year olds if you get extra support
Your 2 year old can get 15 hours of free childcare a week if you live in England and you or your child get some extra support.
You’ll get these 15 hours for 38 weeks of the year. You may be able to get free childcare for more than 38 weeks a year if you take fewer hours over more weeks.
The childcare must be provided by a registered provider, such as a registered nursery, playscheme or school. This is known as ‘approved childcare’.
Am I eligible?
You’ll be eligible if you get any of the following extra support:
- you get Universal Credit, and your household income is £15,400 a year or less after tax (not including benefit payments)
- you get Income Support, income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA) or income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
- you get the guaranteed element of Pension Credit
- your child has an education, health and care (EHC) plan, also known as an EHCP
- your child gets Disability Living Allowance (DLA)
- your child has left care under an adoption order, special guardianship order or a child arrangements order
A child is also eligible if they’re in care.
If you’re a non-UK citizen who cannot claim benefits
If your immigration status says you cannot claim benefits you may still get free childcare for your 2 year old.
Your household income after tax must be no more than:
- £26,500 for families outside of London with one child
- £34,500 for families within London with one child
- £30,600 for families outside of London with two or more children
- £38,600 for families within London with two or more children
You cannot have more than £16,000 in savings or investments.
If you’re working
If you get extra support and you work, you may qualify for an extra 15 hours of free childcare. Find out more about Free Childcare for Working Parents.
If you qualify for both schemes, you should apply for this one first.
Things you may have to pay for
At Dallam Nursery we might ask you to pay for things like:
- extra hours
- activities or trips
You can still get the free childcare if you do not pay for any optional extras.
All children are provided with fruit during their session. We will not ask you to pay for this.
We will not provide nappies, creams or wipes, and ask that you send these in with your child each day. This provides you with the flexibility to purchase products of your choice and at a price you can afford.
When to apply
You can apply close to the date of your child’s 2nd birthday. Please call at the office to collect an admission pack, which will include details of how to apply for your funding online. The office team is always happy to help with any paperwork or your online application.
Your child will start with us in the term following their 2nd birthday. Therefore, when you can get your hours from, will depend on when in the year your child turns 2 years old.
|
When your child turns 2 years old |
When you can apply from |
When you can get your hours from |
|
Between 1 September and 31 December |
1 September |
1 January the following year |
|
Between 1 January and 31 March |
1 January |
1 April the same year |
|
Between 1 April and 31 August |
1 April |
1 September the same year |
Your child will remain eligible for this funding until they are entitled to their universal nursery funding after their 3rd birthday.
How to apply
To apply, you need to contact the early years team or Family Information Service at your local council.
Other help you may be able to get
If you are not eligible for this support, you may be able to get:
15 hours free childcare for 3 and 4-year-olds
All 3 to 4-year-olds in England can get 570 free hours per year. It’s usually taken as 15 hours a week for 38 weeks of the year. You can choose to take fewer hours over more weeks, if your childcare provider offers this option.
Some 3 to 4-year-olds are eligible for 30 hours of free childcare a week. Check if you’re eligible and find out how to apply.
The free early education and childcare:
- must be with an approved childcare provider
- stops when your child starts in reception class (or reaches compulsory school age, if later)
Things you may have to pay for
At Dallam Nursery we might ask you to pay for things like:
- extra hours
- activities or trips
You can still get the free childcare if you do not pay for any optional extras.
All children are provided with fruit and milk during their session. We will not ask you to pay for this.
We will not provide nappies, creams or wipes, and ask that you send these in with your child each day. This provides you with the flexibility to purchase products of your choice and at a price you can afford.
When to apply
You can apply close to the date of your child’s 3rd birthday. Please call at the office to collect an admission pack, which will include details of how to apply for your funding online. The office team is always happy to help with any paperwork or your online application.
Your child will start with us in the term following their 3rd birthday. Therefore, when you can get your hours from, will depend on when in the year your child turns 3 years old.
When your child turns 3 years old | When you can apply from | When you can get your hours from |
Between 1 September and 31 December | 1 September | 1 January the following year |
Between 1 January and 31 March | 1 January | 1 April the same year |
Between 1 April and 31 August | 1 April | 1 September the same year |
Free Childcare for Working Parents
You may be able to get 30 hours of free childcare a week through the Free Childcare for Working Parents scheme.
Your child must be aged 9 months to 4 years old and you must live in England.
At Dallam Primary Nursery, we only provide childcare from 2 years old.
The childcare must be provided by a registered provider, such as a registered nursery, playscheme or school. This is known as ‘approved childcare’.
Who can get free childcare
To be eligible for Free Childcare for Working Parents, you (and your partner, if you have one) need to both:
- be in work or about to start a new job
- earn over a certain amount
You’ll need a National Insurance number to apply.
You can use a calculator to check how much help you could get with childcare costs.
When to apply
You can apply for 30 hours of free childcare from when your child is 23 weeks old.
At Dallam, we only able to provide 30 hours childcare for children in the 3/4 year old room.
Check the deadlines for applying.
How to apply
To apply, you’ll need to set up a childcare account.
If your application is approved, you’ll get an 11-digit code that proves you’re eligible to get free childcare. You’ll need to give this code to your childcare provider.
If you already have a childcare account, you can sign in to your account.
Re-confirm eligibility
If you have applied for or claimed up to 30 hours of funded childcare and/or tax-free childcare, you must reconfirm your eligibility every three months. You must do this even if your child hasn’t started using their 30-hour place yet.
How do I do it?
- You must do this three months from the date you applied to receive the 30 hours and then again every three months.
- You will get a text and/or email four weeks before your re-confirmation deadline, which will remind you to log into your Childcare Service account.
- In the account, head to ‘secure messages’, which you can access at any time, and in the section on re-confirmation your re-confirmation date will be stated.
- You can re-confirm your eligibility up to four weeks before your actual date.
You will receive reminders from HMRC 4 weeks before and 2 weeks before, if you haven’t already revalidated. The school office will contact you one week before if we can see that your code is about to expire.
How do I access my account?
Simply head back to the Childcare Service and log in.
What if I miss the re-confirmation deadline?
If you miss the deadline, or if your circumstances change, you will get a message to say your eligibility has ended. In order to receive the 30 hours again, you will have to to re-apply.
When your original code expires, you will fall into a grace period, which means that you will be able to keep your child’s place for a short period of time while you re-apply or try to regain employment.
If you are still eligible for 30 free hours, you can make a new application. If your circumstances change and you are no longer eligible for the additional 15 hours of free childcare, you can still access the 15-hour universal entitlement if your child is 3 or 4.
Other help you may be able to get
As well as getting Free Childcare for Working Parents, you may be able to get either:
HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) will check if you’re eligible for Tax-Free Childcare when you apply for Free Childcare for Working Parents.
You cannot get both Tax-Free Childcare and Universal Credit childcare at the same time.
What you’ll get:
You can get 30 hours of free childcare per week for 38 weeks of the year.
You may be able to get free childcare for more than 38 weeks a year if you take fewer hours over more weeks.
Check with your childcare provider to find out if this is something they offer.
If your child is 2 to 3 years old and you get extra support
You can get 30 hours of free childcare through 2 separate schemes if both of the following apply:
- you’re eligiblefor Free Childcare for Working Parents
- you or your child get extra support
You’ll get:
- 15 hours per week if you or your child get extra support (you’ll continue to get these hours even if you are no longer eligible for Free Childcare for Working Parents)
- 15 hours per week through Free Childcare for Working Parents
You’ll get these 30 hours for 38 weeks of the year. You may be able to get free childcare for more than 38 weeks a year if you take fewer hours over more weeks.
To apply, you need to speak to the early years team or Family Information Service at your local council.
What counts as extra support
You’re classed as getting extra support if any of the following apply:
- you get Universal Credit, and your household income is £15,400 a year or less after tax, not including benefit payments
- your child has an Education and Health Care plan
- your child gets Disability Living Allowance
- your child has left care under an adoption order, special guardianship order or a child arrangements order
