Nursery Fees and Offers/Discounts

At Bright Little Stars Nursery, for your convenience, unlike many other nurseries our fees include an exciting range of extra-curricular clubs, freshly prepared meals and snacks cooked by our on-site chef and milk (excluding formula milk). In addition, we are pleased to offer a range of offers and discounts, from time to time, for example: Siblings Discount, Make a Recommendation.

Click here for: Barnet Fees and Offers/Discounts
Click here for: Harrow Fees and Offers/Discounts
Click here for: Mill Hill Fees and Offers/Discounts
Click here for: Stanmore Fees and Offers/Discounts
Click here for: Stratford Fees and Offers/Discounts
Click here for: Watford Fees and Offers/Discounts

Government Funding

The Government funds Local Authorities to offer subsidised early education places in settings inspected by Ofsted. We fully participate in offering your child 15 or 30 hours’ funded childcare per week.
Currently, this will commence the term after your child becomes eligible for funding. Local Authority conditions apply. Extended funding for eligible parents will be rolled out in phases in line with government criteria:

From April 2024, working parents of children aged 2 will be able to access 15 hours free childcare.

From September 2024, working parents of children aged 9 months and above will be able to access 15 hours free childcare.

From September 2025, working parents of children aged 9 months and above will be entitled to 30 hours free childcare per week.

Funded Early Education entitlement commences the term after they become eligible for funding and are entitled to 570 hours of childcare which is 15 hours per week for 52 weeks a year.  In addition, 3 and 4 year olds of eligible, working parents may also be able to access a further 570 hours of funded childcare; this means 3 and 4 year olds could receive a total of 30 hours funded childcare per week over for 38 weeks a year, providing they meet the government eligibility.

Bright Little Stars stretches this funding entitlement over the year and adds the cost of providing the many additional services that BLS prides itself on providing for our privately funded sessions. This includes nutritionally balanced meals designed by a qualified nutritionist, extra-curricular clubs, ParentCam, digital access to your child’s online learning journals with real time updates, a home learning platform, qualified teachers leading our pre-school, regular nursery events for children and parents, parent educational workshops with an extensive database of recordings, individualised support for school applications and many other additional services.

To qualify for the 9 months plus Funding each parent (or the sole parent in a lone parent family) will need to earn, on average, at least the equivalent of 16 hours on the national minimum wage per week and no more than £100,000 per year.  Self- employed parents and parents on zero-hours contracts will be eligible if they meet the average earnings criteria. Families where one parent is not in paid employment (or neither parent works) will usually not be eligible for the additional 15 hours. There are exceptions for parents who are on parental, maternity, paternity, adoption or sick leave. Parents who are studying or in training will not be eligible unless this is combined with paid work which meets the minimum average earnings threshold.

To find out more please visit the Childcare Choices website.

Please note:  Whilst we participate in 15 and 30 hours funded entitlement to Early Years Education this does not guarantee the availability of a place.

Tax-Free Childcare

All BLS Nurseries are registered and accept payments from Tax-Free Childcare accounts.  Tax-Free Childcare is a more accessible alternative to the Employer Childcare Voucher scheme offering tax efficient savings when paying for your nursery fees. Tax-Free Childcare will be open to all qualifying parents, unlike childcare vouchers which can only be bought by people whose employer offers the scheme.  It is a scheme by which the government will top up a designated childcare bank account by 20p for every 80p deposited, up to a maximum of £2,000 per child per year.  It is the responsibility of the parent to ensure the Tax-Free Childcare payments are set up in line with the terms of the Bright Little Stars Contract.

Tax-Free Childcare can be used alongside the 15 and 30 hours funded entitlement to Early Years Education and will support families with their childcare costs.

To find out if you are eligible or for more detailed information and how to register, please visit the Government Childcare Service website.  Please also see the Frequently Asked Questions in our Parent Information for further terms and conditions.

Childcare Vouchers

We accept Childcare Vouchers from employers who offer this benefit to their eligible employees as an e-voucher. Vouchers are non-taxable and exempt from NI contributions for employees, whilst offering NI savings for employers. Both parents are eligible to claim as long as they are both in employment.

For further information about any of the above please visit ‘Our Nursery’ page or contact us and we will be more than happy to answer your questions.

• How will you make sure my child settles into the Nursery well?

  Starting a new nursery can present lots of new experiences which your child may not have come across before. This might be confusing to start with, especially if your child is accustomed to spending most of their time with you.

  To overcome this, we offer free settling in visits before your child starts Nursery. To begin with, you can spend time in the Nursery with your child. Then you can leave them for short periods of time, until they are familiar with the Nursery and our routines. This has the added benefit of giving you a clearer idea of what your child will do at Nursery.

• How does the Nursery tell us what our children have been doing?

  As a parent, we appreciate that it is important for you to have a good understanding of how your child is developing emotionally, physically and socially. At Bright Little Stars Nursery, we make a point of keeping you informed of your child’s progress on a daily basis.  In Milky Way, this is through the electronic Dayshare daily diary.

  If during the day, you want to check that your child is getting on fine, you are welcome to give us a call. We will put you through to the staff in the same room as your child and they will be able to tell you exactly how they are. Parents sometimes choose to do this on the rare occasion their child was unhappy when they dropped them off. A simple phone call can reassure you that everything is fine and there is no need for concern.

  When you come to pick your child up at the end of the day, you will be given a verbal update by a member of staff in your child’s room as to how they got on that day. They will tell you what they ate and how much, if they had a sleep and for how long and what activities they experienced during the day.

  When children are very young, we understand how important it is for you know exactly when your child was last fed and slept. For this reason, we keep a Daily Diary for children in our Baby Room. At the end of each day, parents get a verbal report and are given the book to take home for the evening.

  We also use social media, such as Facebook and Twitter, to share the children’s weekly activities, learning and to keep you up to date with the latest nursery news and events.

• How do I know my child will be safe and secure?

  All our staff undergo enhanced DBS Police checks before they are allowed to be with the children.

  All the toys and equipment in the Nursery are of a high quality and regular Risk Assessments on equipment and procedures are carried out to ensure everything is maintained to the highest standard.

  We carry out regular Fire Drills with the children, so that they become familiar with the routine so we will be able to clear the building quickly and safely in the event of an emergency.

  Children must be signed in and out each day by a designated person (usually the parent/guardian).  If a child is to be collected by a different person (relative, friend etc.), staff must be notified at Registration.  We will not release a child to anyone unless we have confirmation from the parent to do so.

  Security is very important to us here at Bright Little Stars Nursery – a key code and intercom system is in place to ensure security is always maintained. Parents and carers will be granted access to the internal Nursery doors either by using the internal door buzzers (which can be released by reception staff) or by a member of staff entering the key code for that door.

  Anyone not known to the reception staff will be asked to identify themselves using a password. Only when satisfied of their identity will the receptionist allow them into the Nursery. All workmen are asked where possible for identification, and will never be left unsupervised around the children.

• Can my child take a comforter to Nursery?

  Lots of children have a favourite comforter like a dummy, blanket or teddy. If parents wish, the child can have these in the room at all times or they can be brought to the nursery and left in the child’s personal pigeon hole in case needed.

• What happens when my child’s nappy needs changing?

  We ask parents to bring in their own nappies, wipes and creams. These are put in an individual marked basket and are only used for your child. When you drop your child off, we will ask when they were last changed. Nappies are changed on a 1 to 1 basis. This gives the added benefit of adult/ child interaction and encouraging language development.

• How will my child’s individual needs be met?

  Each child in the Nursery is assigned a Key Person. Your child’s key person is responsible for keeping records of your child’s progress on a day-to-day basis. They will also consider your child’s holistic developmental needs and ensure the activity plans and care routines reflect these needs. The Key Person will informally observe your child throughout the day and record their achievements. This is available for you to see on request.

• How do you help children with additional needs?

  We are happy to work with you to make the Nursery a great experience for your child.

  The Nursery has disabled access throughout. If necessary, we will make every reasonable effort to make adaptations for access and inclusion to all activities undertaken within the nursery.

  Discussions will take place between parents and relevant members of staff in order to look at ways to support you and your child. We have access to many different professionals who have expertise in many different areas to ensure we are meeting the individual needs of your child.

  Our nursery SENCO supports staff in early recognition of additional needs. If necessary, an individual programme will be put together for your child. The Key Person in partnership with you will set your child a learning focus and will identify methods to meet this through play and care routines. The leaning focus is then used to inform the educational and care programme for your child.

  Where necessary we can help parents to get advice from external agencies. We can also support parents with processes like gaining a statement from the Local Education Authority that will support your child’s education within our setting and in any future school they may attend.

• What happens if my child becomes ill whilst at Nursery?

  If your child becomes sick when in Nursery we will contact you . If you are unavailable, we will call the emergency contacts provided on your enrolment form.

  The Nursery follows rigorous cleaning and hygiene procedures to keep exposure to infectious diseases at bay. If a child in the Nursery shows signs of having an infectious disease, or is not coping with the day, we will send them home straight away. This will help us to ensure that it does not spread throughout the Nursery. This includes children vomiting or suffering from diarrhoea.

• What happens if my child is ill before going to Nursery?

  If your child is absent for any reason, and unable to attend Nursery, please get in touch with the Nursery to inform us on all occasions.

  If your child has shown symptoms of any infectious disease, including vomiting and diarrhoea, the Health Standards state that a child cannot attend nursery for 48 hours after the symptoms have subsided. This helps us to stop infection being passed on to other children in the Nursery.

  Any absences due to sickness must be paid in full and unfortunately we are unable to provide refunds in such instances.

  If you are receiving Government Funding, we must report absences over 10 days to the Local Authority funding department, who may withdraw your funding.

• What happens if my child needs medicine during the day?

  Bright Little Stars will only administer prescribed medicine to children whilst at nursery and with the written consent of those with parental responsibility. The first dose must be given at home 12 hours before attending nursery.

  We follow a strict medication policy that will be followed at all times.

  In case of an increase in a child’s temperature and when all other methods have been exhausted, a fever reducer will be administered with prior consent.

• How can I register my child at nursery?

  We encourage all our parent and carers to look around the nursery prior to registering with us. You can request an appointment by completing our ‘Request A Viewing‘ online form.

  In order to register with us, we require our registration paperwork to be completed together with a non-refundable Registration Fee (Waiting List) per child.

  Please note, at the registration stage we cannot guarantee you a place for your preferred sessions and start date but we will look at your application and do our best to accommodate your request. If you are placed on our waiting list, we would like to reassure you that we look at our new registration on a regular basis and we will be in touch as soon as we can offer you something in line with your preferred sessions.

  Once we offer you a place, you accept it by paying a Deposit which is refundable provided we receive one full calendar month’s notice in writing after your child’s confirmed start date.

  We will then contact you closer to your child’s start date to arrange three settling in sessions which will take place the week prior to your child starting with us.

• How are fees calculated?

  Until your child is eligible for funding, fees are calculated at a fixed monthly rate based on your child’s weekly sessions. This is calculated
  by multiplying the number of weekly sessions by 52 weeks which is then divided by 12 months to produce an average monthly cost. Weekly
  fees x 52 (weeks) /12 (months) = monthly invoice (Average monthly cost). Fee calculation for part months are based on number of sessions
  used during the part month. Unlike other nurseries we compensate parents for public bank holidays and closed days; we charge 10% less for
  sessions on Mondays and Fridays, plus you will be refunded in May and December for three days during Spring Break Maintenance week
  and three days between Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.

  We reserve the right to increase our charges once a year, typically in January but not exclusively. We will give you one month’s written notice before the proposed increase.

• Can I pay my Nursery Fees using a Tax-Free Childcare Account?

  All Bright Little Stars Nurseries are registered for Tax-Free Childcare.  Payments from your Tax-Free Childcare designated account must be received into our Bright Little Stars bank account by the 22nd of each calendar month to contribute towards the following months fees.  Any payments received after this date will be carried forward to the next month.

  Parents must inform us of the payment by email confirming: the date of payment, amount of transfer and reference number.  This must consist of the following detail to ensure the funds are allocated to the correct child:

  First initial of the child’s forename – First 5 letters of the child’s surname – the reference number provided by the government.

  It is the parents’ responsibility to set up a standing order so the monies are transferred automatically, or to make a manual payment each month; but the monthly confirmation email will still be required. We cannot call a Direct Debit for payments from a Tax-Free Childcare account.

• What happens if I am going on holiday?

  If you are going on holiday or taking your child out of nursery, we would appreciate notice so that this can be recorded on the register. Any absences due to holidays must be paid in full.

  Unfortunately, we are not able to swap or credit back sessions.
  If you are receiving Government Funding, we must report absences over 10 days to the Local Authority funding department, who may withdraw your funding.

• What happens on Public Bank Holidays?

  The nursery is closed on public bank holidays. If your child’s session falls on a public bank holiday, we will charge you as per the industry standard. We still pay our staff on these days.  However, unlike other nurseries, we charge 10% less for sessions on Mondays and Fridays.  This discount accumulates over the year to a sum which adequately compensates for the public bank holiday charges.  On a 50 week year this is a discount of 5 sessions per year.

• What happens on Inset Staff Training Days?

  At Bright Little Stars we believe that by investing in our staff we will continue to build a committed, effective and motivated team who can have a positive impact on children’s educational experiences. We keep all our staff up to date with current research, early years and education trends so they can implement the very best practice that training can empower them with and this is something that our existing parents appreciate. Accordingly, staff meetings are held throughout the year and we hold two staff inset training days per year on Fridays, one of these takes place during Spring Break Maintenance Week and the other on a Friday (usually in November).

  However, unlike other nurseries, we charge 10% less for sessions on Fridays.  This discount accumulates over the year to a sum which adequately compensates for Friday Inset days.

• What happens on Spring Break Maintenance/Christmas Closed Weeks?

  All nurseries are busy and heavily used environments which become tired and dated surprisingly quickly and we are proud of our facilities; we work hard towards maintaining them at an outstanding standard. In order to achieve this the nursery is closed annually during Spring school half-term week (week commencing the late May Bank Holiday). We primarily use this Spring Break Maintenance Week for large scale renovations and to invest in the facilities for your children. We also use this opportunity for staff training (Inset Day) and planning.  We also close during the three working days between Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. Accordingly, the nursery is open 50 weeks a year. For planned closed working days (three days during Spring Break Maintenance week and three days between Christmas Day and New Year’s Day) if you have any permanent sessions booked you will be refunded through a credit on your invoice.

  However, public bank holidays, during the Christmas and Spring Break Maintenance weeks, and Friday inset days, will not be refunded as unlike other nurseries, we charge 10% less for sessions on Mondays and Fridays to take this into consideration. Fees are calculated at a fixed monthly rate based on your child’s weekly sessions and do not therefore change due to public bank holidays or Friday inset days.

• Can my child do extra sessions?

  Yes, we understand that you may require extra sessions for your child at nursery. We will look at our availability and do our best to accommodate your request. Please complete your request on the EY portal.

• Can I change my child’s permanent sessions?

  Yes, you are able to amend your child’s permanent sessions subject to availability and as long as you comply with the required minimum number of sessions for your child’s age group. Please complete our ‘Permanent Sessions Amendment Form’ which is available to download on our parent’s area or at reception. We require one full calendar month’s notice in writing if the number of sessions is to be reduced.

• Do children wear uniform at nursery?

  At Bright Little Stars Nursery, we have introduced a simple and comfortable uniform for children in our pre-school room following feedback from our parents and carers. It is optional for children in our toddler and younger rooms.

  We feel wearing a uniform helps to promote a sense of community and belonging and it plays an important role in preparing children for school.

  Our uniform consists of a simple yellow polo shirt and purple sweatshirt and bottoms which is perfect for a day of learning and fun at nursery. The response from our children and parents has been extremely positive. Our parents find it is good value for money and they are able to get their children ready quickly in the morning. The children really enjoy wearing their uniform.

• What happens when my child leaves nursery and goes to school?

  Notice for all age groups is exactly two months in writing.

  Notice periods enable us to to plan ahead a more seamless transition into our Bright Little Stars Pre-School and to give more notice to parents on our internal waiting list for session changes or external wait list for new joiners. In addition, it enables us to provide the schools children will be attending, with information and reports they require prior to their school summer holiday closure for their planning.

  As we are participating extended funding, to the benefit of our parents, we are also obliged to notify the Local Authority of any amendments in advance. Funding as you may know is calculated on a termly basis, so the additional notice also allows us to manage this process effectively.

  We have developed relationships with local schools in the area and we try to do everything we can to help make moving to school a smooth transition for your child. In order to help prepare your little one we do a variety of things, for example talk to them about school life, read them stories and our pre-school children wear uniform. Once you have chosen your school and been accepted for a place, we contact them to invite them to visit the nursery and see your child at our setting and discuss your child’s learning, development, activities and interests. We also do our best to help parents prepare for their meeting with the school. Finally, when the time comes for your child to leave nursery we send them off in style with a graduation, certificate and transitional document for school.

Our Policies and Procedures

Bright Little Stars Nursery policies and procedures apply to everyone visiting the setting whether it is staff, students, volunteers, visitors, as well as children and parents registered with or attending our setting. The policies provide essential support for staff when making decisions about the day-to-day routine and running of their room and the Nursery.

Policies and procedures will be reviewed regularly, or when new legislation comes into place. A selection are available for download on our Parent Area page on our website, for full access please speak the Nursery Management.

Below is a list of a few of our policies:

• Safeguarding Children
• Health & Safety
• Accidents and First Aid
• Medication
• Sickness and Illness
• Settling In
• Promoting a Therapeutic Approach to Behaviour
• Early Learning Opportunities Statement
• Inclusion and SEND Policy
• Nutrition and Meal times
• Late Collection and Non-Collection
• Complaints and Compliments
• Fees

School Relationships

Our unique Head of Teaching and School Relationships performs an important role in supporting you, your child and the nursery teams in preparing your child for ‘Big School’.

Workshops for parents that are provided by our Head of Teaching include bespoke Schools Information & Applications Webinars for each nursery, that guide parents through the process of applications to state, faith and private schools and a ‘School Ready?’ webinar to help parents ensure their children are ‘school ready’ when it’s time to move on.

The number of offers that BLS children have received year on year to private schools continues to go from strength to strength, which we feel reflects the strength of our educational offering.

The Head of Teaching and School Relationships continues to build relationships with local independent schools and has a commitment to visiting these schools where a number of parents have expressed an interest. Nursery managers develop relationships with their local state/faith schools.

‘Parent Notes’ are available for those independent schools that have been visited and include information such as: important dates, admission procedures, assessment processes and feedback, teaching styles and each school’s individual strengths.

We are also honoured to hold sessions where BLS parents can interact with representatives  of prospective independent schools. These have included:  Aldenham Prep, Alpha Prep, Edge Grove, Grimsdell, Habs Boys, Holland House, Merchant Taylor’s Prep, North London Collegiate, Northwood College, Orley Farm, Quainton Hall, Radlett Prep and St Helen’s.

Previous visits from:

Additionally, here are some of the schools we currently have relationships with:

We are continually developing relationships with other local schools, so please check with us if there is another particular school you are interested in.

Parent Educational Programme

We understand the importance of our parent partnerships and our responsibility in offering opportunities for learning for parents also. We have therefore developed a unique educational programme in order to support our families in many aspects of parenting. This programme is complimentary and delivered through webinars to able our parents to attend.

We have listened to our parents and created a programme that not only deals with perpetual issues such as teething, sleeping and toilet training, but also provides an educational focus in areas including mathematics, literacy and phonics. These are further complemented with sessions to guide parents with school applications and being school ready along with offering a range of strategies to promote home learning.