Tiny Champs Nursery

Parent Terms & Conditions | October 2026

183–185 Wood Street, Walthamstow, London E17 3NU

1. Registration and admission

A place is confirmed only when the nursery has issued a written offer, parents have accepted it and any applicable registration fee and deposit have been paid. Attendance days, hours, start date and charges will be confirmed in writing. 

Parents must provide accurate registration, emergency contact, health and parental-responsibility information and update it promptly.

2. Waiting list and allocation

Where a place is unavailable, applications may be held on the waiting list. Offers are generally considered in registration order, with sibling priority, subject to room availability, age and safe staffing. Waiting-list inclusion does not guarantee a place.

After acceptance, a place may be held for seven calendar days pending the applicable deposit. If payment is not received, the nursery may withdraw the offer after reminding the parent. Any application retention and deletion will follow the nursery privacy notice.

3. Registration fee and deposit

The current registration fee is £75. Deposits are £200 for full-time places and £100 for part-time places, unless a different amount is expressly agreed in writing. Children accessing only funded entitlement hours will not be required to pay a registration fee or deposit as a condition of accessing those hours.

The deposit is held on account and credited against the child’s final invoice. Any surplus after properly due charges is refunded to the parent. A final statement will show all charges, credits and any refund. If the nursery cannot provide the agreed place, it will refund the deposit. Registration and cancellation charges must be fair and reflect the circumstances and reasonable losses; a blanket non-refundable description does not override statutory rights.

4. Cancellation before starting

Parents should give written notice as soon as they decide not to take up an accepted place. The nursery will explain any reasonably incurred costs or loss arising from late cancellation and account for sums already paid. It will take reasonable steps to fill the place and will not retain amounts disproportionate to its actual loss. Funded-only places will not be subject to a deposit penalty.

5. Postponement of start date

Requests to postpone a confirmed start date must be made in writing, ideally at least one calendar month beforehand. Postponements are subject to availability and written agreement. Where the nursery has reserved staffing or a place, any charge for short-notice postponement must be reasonable, explained and not duplicate another charge. A postponement beyond three months may require a fresh availability assessment; no automatic loss of deposit applies.

6. Nursery fees and payment

Private fees are charged monthly in advance. Standard recurring fees are normally calculated as weekly fee × 52 ÷ 12; partial months and changes in sessions are adjusted to the actual contracted sessions for that period. Fees are due on the first business day of the month. Tax-Free Childcare transfers should be arranged early enough to clear by the due date; parents remain responsible for payment.

The first month’s fees must be paid no later than the second settling-in session unless a different arrangement is agreed in writing. The nursery will give reasonable advance written notice of fee changes and explain the options available to families.

7. Funded childcare entitlement

Government-funded early education hours are provided subject to eligibility, the nursery’s funded-hours offer and local authority rules. Parents must supply valid eligibility codes and complete any required declarations and reconfirmations on time. Loss of eligibility may change the funded allocation after any applicable grace period.

The nursery will provide a clear, itemised invoice distinguishing funded hours, additional privately purchased hours and any optional meals, consumables or activities. Funded hours must not be conditional on purchasing extras; parents will be told about alternatives and any opt-out arrangements. Funding cannot be used to charge for hours not delivered. The nursery will comply with the current local authority provider agreement and statutory funding guidance.

8. Late payments and arrears

A staged procedure applies to overdue privately funded fees: payment is due on the first business day; a first £50 late charge may apply on the 8th; a second £50 late charge may apply on the 15th; a final written warning is issued on the 16th; and privately funded attendance may be suspended from the 22nd after appropriate written notice and an opportunity to resolve arrears. The maximum late charges for a single monthly invoice are £100.

Charges will only be applied where lawful, transparent and proportionate to legitimate administrative costs and consequences of late payment. Where the 8th, 15th, 16th or 22nd falls on a closure day, notices and actions will be administered on the next working day. Parents should contact management promptly about financial difficulties; any repayment plan must be agreed in writing.

The nursery may pursue unpaid contractual sums through lawful recovery channels. Any suspension or termination will be considered individually, with regard to safeguarding, equality duties and funded entitlement requirements. Funded hours will not be withheld unlawfully for private-fee arrears.

9. Additional sessions and changes

Additional sessions are subject to written confirmation and availability and will be invoiced at the applicable rate. Requests to reduce regular booked sessions require one calendar month’s written notice. Requests to increase or swap sessions are subject to capacity, staffing and written confirmation. Charges for cancellations of agreed extras will be made clear when booking.

10. Notice and termination by parents

One calendar month’s written notice is required to end the placement. Fees remain due for contracted sessions during the notice period, even if the child does not attend. If notice is insufficient, any sum sought in lieu will be limited to a fair assessment of the nursery’s reasonable loss, taking account of mitigation and avoiding double recovery. The deposit is credited on the final invoice, not automatically forfeited.

11. Planned nursery closures

The nursery ordinarily operates Monday to Friday, 8am–6pm, excluding notified bank holidays, scheduled staff training closures and the published Christmas/New Year closure. Fees are charged for planned closures. Dates and any changes will be communicated in advance.

12. Unplanned closures and interruption

If childcare cannot be provided due to staff shortages, safety issues, utilities, infectious disease controls or other disruption, the nursery will notify families as promptly as possible and explain expected duration and available alternatives. Charges, credits and refunds for undelivered care will be assessed fairly in light of the contract, the cause and applicable law; no blanket no-refund rule applies.

Where prolonged interruption makes the arrangement materially different, parents may discuss ending the agreement without unfair notice charges. Any unavoidable-cost contribution will be sought only if separately lawful, justified and expressly agreed.

13. Staffing and operational capacity

The nursery may change room arrangements, session availability or operational capacity where required to meet EYFS ratios, safeguarding duties, recruitment constraints or regulatory requirements. It will consider alternatives and give as much notice as reasonably practicable, ordinarily at least one calendar month for permanent reductions. Urgent safeguarding circumstances may require immediate action.

Where the nursery terminates or cannot deliver contracted care, parents will receive a final account and appropriate refunds or credits for undelivered services.

14. Absence, holidays and sickness

Private contracted fees remain payable for a child’s absence due to holidays, sickness or other personal reasons. Parents should notify the nursery promptly. Funded hours and absence recording are governed by applicable local authority funding rules.

15. Health, medication and infection prevention

Parents must disclose allergies, medical needs, medication, dietary requirements and changes promptly. Children may need to remain at home where unwell or infectious in accordance with the nursery illness policy and public health guidance. Medication and individual healthcare arrangements follow the nursery’s written procedures. Decisions will include reasonable adjustments for disabled children.

16. Additional needs and inclusion

The nursery will work with parents, its SENCO and relevant professionals to support children with SEND, disabilities, medical or developmental needs. Individual plans, reasonable adjustments and risk assessments will be considered. A child will not be excluded solely because of disability or a medical condition; any decision affecting attendance must be individual, evidenced, proportionate and lawful.

17. Behaviour and child welfare

Behaviour concerns will be managed through positive, developmentally appropriate approaches, discussion with parents and individual support plans where needed. Permanent withdrawal for serious safety concerns is a last resort after reasonable support and adjustments have been considered, unless an immediate risk requires urgent action.

18. Safeguarding and parental responsibility

The nursery must share information with safeguarding agencies where necessary and lawful, including without parental notification where this could place a child at risk. Parents must tell the nursery about relevant court orders and changes in parental responsibility, supplying supporting documents as appropriate.

Where parents live separately, the nursery will follow lawful parental-responsibility and collection arrangements. A dispute between adults does not by itself alter the signed contractual liability for fees. Each person who signs as a fee-paying contracting party is responsible as stated in their agreement.

19. Collection, security and uncollected children

Children will be released only to an authorised collector. Alternative collectors must be agreed in advance; the nursery may require identification and the agreed password. Parents must keep emergency contacts current.

Late collection is charged at £1 per minute after the agreed collection time, where the charge is fair and clearly communicated. Where a child remains uncollected and contacts cannot be reached, the nursery will follow its safeguarding and uncollected-child procedure, including escalation to appropriate agencies where necessary.

20. Conduct and complaints

Abuse, threats, violence, intimidation, discrimination or harassment towards staff, families or children are not accepted. The nursery may restrict an adult’s access to the premises where necessary for safety; any effect on the child’s place will be assessed separately and fairly.

Concerns should first be raised with management. Formal written complaints will be addressed under the nursery Complaints Policy and applicable EYFS requirements. Parents may contact Ofsted where appropriate; the nursery will provide relevant contact details.

21. Data protection and confidentiality

The nursery processes personal data in accordance with UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018, including necessary sharing with the local authority, Department for Education, health professionals and safeguarding bodies. Parents may exercise applicable data protection rights. The full privacy notice explains lawful bases, retention, rights and contact details. Information about other children and families remains confidential.

22. Photographs and recordings

Photographs and videos may be used for learning observations and records under the nursery’s privacy arrangements. Promotional or marketing use will follow the nursery’s separate consent process where required. Staff and visitors must comply with the mobile devices and images policy.

23. Belongings, insurance and liability

Parents should label clothing and belongings and avoid sending valuables. The nursery will take reasonable care but is not liable for loss or damage except where legally responsible, including negligence. It maintains required insurance. Nothing in this agreement excludes or restricts liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence, fraud or other liability that cannot lawfully be excluded.

24. Private babysitting and staff recruitment

Any private babysitting agreed directly between a parent and an employee outside working hours is separate from nursery services. Nursery safeguarding, confidentiality and professional boundaries continue to apply. The nursery is not party to the private arrangement unless expressly agreed otherwise.

Where a parent or carer directly recruits a member of Tiny Champs Nursery staff into private employment, resulting in that employee leaving the nursery, Tiny Champs Nursery reserves the right to seek reimbursement of any reasonable and demonstrable costs directly incurred because of the recruitment, where legally recoverable.

These may include recruitment advertising, agency fees and other reasonable replacement costs.

Any claim will be supported by evidence of the costs incurred and assessed in accordance with applicable law.

25. Changes to terms and agreement

The nursery may make lawful, reasonable operational and policy changes, providing appropriate written notice. Material changes to fees or contractual rights will be explained in advance and parents’ legal rights respected. If any term is unenforceable, the remaining lawful terms continue to apply.