Welcome to Ferndale Nursery (Little Ferns & Tiny Acorns)
Swindon Borough Council will fund the provision of early year’s education and childcare to Ferndale Nursery, and all 3 and 4 year olds are entitled to free learning and care in an early years setting from the start of the term following their third birthday, for 38 weeks in a full year.
Some 3 year olds will also have entitlement to 30 hour funding from September 2020. To qualify for the full 30 hours of free childcare, each parent (or the sole parent in a single parent family) will need to earn, on average, the equivalent of 16 hours on the national minimum wage per week (currently £107 per week), and no more than £100,000 per year. A family with an annual household income of £199,998 would be eligible if each parent earns just under £100,000. Self-employed parents and parents on zero-hours contracts will be eligible if they meet the average earnings threshold. This funding is only eligible to be used in the Little Ferns room and if you become eligible while your child is in Tiny Acorns your 30 hour place will be held until they move into the Little Ferns room.
Some 2 year olds also have entitlement if their parent/carer are receiving one of the following:
- Income Support
- Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
- Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
- Support through part 6 of the Immigration and Asylum Act
- The guaranteed element of State Pension Credit
- The Working Tax Credit 4-week run on (the payment you get when you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit)
- Working Tax Credit, Child Tax Credit or both and have a gross household income of £16,190 a year or less
This is a non-statutory phase of education. Admission to a school nursery class is outside of the statutory framework for admissions.
- Swindon Borough Council is not the admissions authority for nursery classes.
- There is no Swindon Borough Council policy for nursery class admissions, and nursery classes are not encompassed by the Local Authority’s Primary Admissions Policy.
- There is no statutory framework for appeals against an admission decision.
- The responsibility for agreeing and implementing an admissions policy for a school nursery class lies with the individual school.
Throughout this policy, nursery class refers to 2 year olds and preschool class refers to 3 and 4 year olds.
30 Hours Funding
The government has announced that some families will benefit from 30 hours of free childcare a week. This is being piloted in several areas including SWINDON. For the pilot Swindon Borough Council will be setting their own criteria, which families will have to meet in order to take this benefit.
If you have any queries relating to this you can contact Swindon Borough Council direct on this link. 30hours@swindon.gov.uk
Are you eligible for 2 year old funding?
If you are in receipt of one of the following your child could be eligible for 2 year funding.
- Income Support
- Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA)
- Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
- Support through part 6 of the Immigration and Asylum Act
- The guaranteed element of State Pension Credit
- The Working Tax Credit 4-week run on (the payment you get when you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit).
- Working Tax Credit, Child Tax Credit or both and have a gross household income of £16,190 a year or less
If you feel you are entitled to 2 year old funding, please speak to Rhea in the school office.
Cool Milk
In order that your child may receive free milk, please ensure you have completed and returned the 'Cool Milk' form. Thank you.
If you have any questions, please contact 01793 332425 or come along to the School Office between 8.30am and 4.00pm Monday to Thursday or 8.30am and 3.00pm Friday.
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