Mulberry Corner Terms & Conditions

With effect from April 2025

1. Registration

1.1. A non-refundable registration fee of £50 and a returnable deposit of £100 is required to secure a place at Mulberry Corner Nursery & Preschool (‘the Nursery’). The deposit will be returned when your child leaves the setting after giving due notice. Upon receipt of the £150 and completed application form the Nursery shall confirm in writing whether the requested sessions are available. If so, payment of the deposit shall be treated as acceptance of a place at the Nursery.

2. Opening Times and Attendance

2.1. The Nursery is open between 8am and 6pm Monday to Friday all year round, except for Bank Holidays, the period between Christmas and New Year and our Inset Days.

2.2. There are two Inset Days per year for staff training. You will receive 2 months’ notice of these days which will usually be during September and April.

2.3. The Nursery may close due to circumstances beyond its control, including but not limited to: ‘Acts of God’, fire, terrorism, strikes or industrial action, infectious diseases, epidemics, snow or flooding or unforeseeable repairs or any failures. Fees for these periods remain payable.

2.4. The Nursery reserves the right to charge a late collection charge if your child is picked up after 6pm. This is calculated as £20 plus £10 per subsequent half hour.

2.5. Children will not be allowed to leave the Nursery premises alone. The person collecting the child must be known to the Nursery or have been notified to the Nursery in advance and be able to state an agreed password on collection.

2.6. Children can attend as much of their chosen session as you wish. A minimum booking pattern of two full-day sessions per week for under threes, or three full days for preschool, is required.

2.7. Term-time only spaces are very limited and require a minimum of three days per week for nursery spaces and 4 days for preschool. Decisions will be made at the manager’s discretion.

2.8. Requests for ad hoc sessions will usually be facilitated if spaces are available. Advance notice of holidays would be appreciated.

3. Nursery fees

3.1. Nursery fees are due on the 1st of the month for that month and can be payable via bank transfer, childcare vouchers, tax free childcare scheme. Non-payment of nursery fees by the 10th of the month will result in a charge of 15% of the monthly fees to cover administrative costs.

3.2. We accept 15 and 30 hours ‘funding’. Our conditions for these are clearly laid out in the attached fee sheet, which also explains how your monthly invoices are calculated.

3.3. The Nursery reserves the right to increase its fees at any time upon giving at least one calendar month’s notice of the proposed increase.

3.4. We offer a 3% discount for booking patterns of four days or more and, from September 2023, a 5% sibling discount on the eldest child’s fees.

3.5. You will see on the attached fee sheet that we include bank holidays and Inset Days when we calculate your monthly fee. However, we do not include the period, including bank holidays, when we close between Christmas and the New Year.

4. Cancellation/termination

4.1. Two months’ written notice is required for the withdrawal of your child from the Nursery and for any changes you wish to make to your child’s scheduled sessions.

4.2. Should your child leave the Nursery during the two months’ notice period, the balance of the fees which would otherwise have been payable during this two month period will become due.

4.3. Should you decide to reduce your child’s scheduled sessions, the difference between the fees due for your new scheduled sessions and those of your previous scheduled sessions will also be payable for the first two months following the change (unless two months’ notice has been given).

5. Personal details and property

5.1. Parents/guardians are required to inform the nursery immediately if any of the information given on their child’s enrolment form changes. This includes mobile phone numbers, a change of address, GP details, emergency contacts and details of those individuals allowed to collect.

5.2. All children should wear clothes which are practical and allow freedom to play comfortably. Parents are required to keep a supply of named spare clothes in their child’s nursery backpack.

6. Liability statement

6.1. The Nursery is unable to accept responsibility for loss or damage to any children’s possessions or clothing. The Nursery accepts no responsibility for children whilst in the care of their parent/guardian on nursery premises.

7. Your child’s health

7.1. It is your responsibility to inform and update us of all relevant details of, and any changes to, your child’s health, including allergies or special educational needs so we can support them appropriately.

7.2. Parents are requested to inform the Nursery of any food, medicine, activity or other circumstances that may cause their child to have an allergic reaction/allergy. Parents must provide details, in writing, of the severity of the reaction/allergy and must continue to inform the nursery of any changes/progress to the condition when they become aware.

7.3. You must adhere to the nursery exclusion periods for infectious and contagious diseases. If your child needs medicine whilst at the nursery, we will follow our policy and procedure on administering this; all families must adhere to our policy when providing us with the medicine.

7.4. We require you to notify us of absence and illness. You are requested to discontinue your child’s attendance in the event of illness until they are free from symptoms and cause. We reserve the right to refuse any child whom we believe to be unfit for nursery.

7.5. We reserve the right to administer basic first aid and treatment to your child if necessary. Parents will be informed of all accidents. For accidents of a more serious nature, involving hospital treatment, we will make every attempt to contact parents as a matter of urgency. Unless you have pre-instructed us to the contrary, any treatment recommended by a qualified medical practitioner will be authorised on your behalf.

8. Policies

8.1. The Nursery has detailed policies in place governing all aspects of nursery life. Copies of all our policies are available to view at any time by asking the manager.

9. Acceptance

9.1. The above terms and conditions are considered fair and reasonable. In the event of any term found by a Court of Law in England and Wales to be unreasonable then the clause shall be removed but the agreement shall remain in full force and effect.

9.2. In sending your child to the Nursery, it is understood that the parent/guardian has read and understands these terms and conditions and undertakes to be bound by them.