Fees & Refunds Policy

ME Montessori Nursery and Pre-School
Bedgrove Community Centre, Bedgrove Park, Ambleside, Aylesbury, HP21 9TT

1. Purpose and Scope

This policy sets out ME Montessori’s approach to fees, payment schedules, late payment, refunds, and debt recovery. Clear and fair financial arrangements are important for the sustainability of the nursery and for building trust with families.

All fees and payment terms are agreed with families in writing before a place is confirmed. Parents are asked to sign and return the Terms and Conditions (which incorporate this policy) as part of the enrolment process.

2. Fee Structure

2.1 The nursery’s current fee schedule is published on the Fees & Funding page and is reviewed annually each September.

2.2 Current fee bands:

* Wednesday PM session not available on the first Wednesday of each month.

Additional charges:

2.3 Fees are quoted per session/day and are charged based on the sessions booked by the family, not on sessions attended. Fees are payable regardless of whether a child attends on a given day unless section 6 (refunds) applies.

2.4 Fees are reviewed at least annually. Parents will be given a minimum of four weeks notice in writing of any fee change.

3. Payment Schedule

3.1 Fees are invoiced monthly and are due for payment by the 1st of each month.

3.2 Payment methods accepted:
– Bank transfer to: HSBC. Sort code and account number available on request.
– Card payment online via the Make a Payment page.
– Childcare vouchers via approved schemes (please check with the Manager for accepted providers).
– Tax-Free Childcare via the HMRC childcare account — nursery Tax-Free Childcare account number available on request.

3.3 Cash and cheque payments are accepted by prior arrangement with the Manager only.

3.4 Invoices are sent by email to the address provided on the registration form. If a parent has not received an invoice by the due date, it is their responsibility to contact the Manager.

4. Deposit

4.1 A deposit of £85 is payable on acceptance of a place. The deposit is deducted from the family’s first invoice.

4.2 The deposit is non-refundable if:
– The family cancels the place before the child’s start date
– The child starts and then the family leaves within the first 8 weeks without completing the notice period

4.3 The deposit is refundable when the child leaves the nursery, provided:
– The family has given the required notice period (section 7)
– All outstanding fees have been paid
– The deposit has not been used to offset unpaid fees

5. Government-Funded Hours

5.1 ME Montessori participates in the government’s funded childcare entitlement schemes (15 hours universal, 30 hours extended, and the expanded offer for children aged 9 months to 4 years). Eligibility is determined by HMRC / the government’s childcare service.

5.2 Funded hours are provided free of charge to eligible children. The nursery receives the funded hours rate from Buckinghamshire Council.

5.3 The nursery does not charge top-up fees on funded hours (i.e., the nursery will not charge parents the difference between the funded rate and the nursery’s private rate for the same hours).

5.4 The nursery may charge for:
– Sessions or hours attended beyond the funded entitlement
– Meals and snacks (charged at cost)
– Consumables such as nappies and sun cream if supplied by the nursery
– Optional extras (e.g., outings, enrichment activities) — these are always optional and families can decline

5.5 Charges under 5.4 are set out in the current fee schedule and will be itemised separately on invoices.

5.6 Parents must provide their eligibility code for the 30-hour extended entitlement before the start of each term. It is the parent’s responsibility to ensure their code remains valid. If a code expires mid-term, the nursery will revert to charging private fees for all hours until a valid code is provided.

6. Refund Conditions

6.1 Fees are not refunded for:
– Days a child is absent due to illness (including bank holidays if sessions are booked)
– Days a child is absent due to holiday (unless otherwise agreed at the time of booking)
– Days the child is suspended or excluded

6.2 Fees will be refunded or credited in the following circumstances:
– If the nursery closes unexpectedly for a full day due to reasons within the nursery’s control (e.g., a plumbing emergency, staff emergency), a credit will be applied to the following invoice
– If the nursery closes for a period due to a statutory closure order (e.g., public health directive), the nursery will use reasonable endeavours to credit or waive fees for the closure period

6.3 The nursery is not liable to refund fees for closures due to severe weather, force majeure events, or circumstances genuinely beyond its control, though the nursery will always act fairly towards families in these situations.

6.4 Refund requests in circumstances not covered above should be made in writing to the Manager and will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

7. Notice Period for Leaving

7.1 Families wishing to withdraw their child from the nursery must give a minimum of 8 weeks’ written notice. Notice is given to the Manager by email or letter.

7.2 Notice begins from the date the Manager acknowledges receipt of the written notification.

7.3 Fees are payable for the full notice period regardless of whether the child attends during that period.

7.4 If less than 8 weeks’ notice is given, the nursery reserves the right to charge fees for the full 8-week notice period.

7.5 The nursery may waive the notice period in exceptional compassionate circumstances at the Manager’s discretion. This will be confirmed in writing.

8. Late Payment

8.1 If payment is not received by the due date, the nursery will contact the family by email or phone to advise of the outstanding amount.

8.2 A payment is considered late from the working day after the due date. Where payment is not received, the Manager will contact the family to discuss the outstanding amount. Detailed terms relating to late payment charges are available on request.

8.3 The nursery will always try to speak with a family before applying late charges and will seek to understand the circumstances. We recognise that financial difficulties can affect any family at any time.

8.4 Where an outstanding balance is not resolved, the nursery may suspend the child’s place until the account is brought up to date. The applicable threshold for suspension is available on request. The Manager will always write to the family before exercising this right.

9. Debt Recovery Process

9.1 Where a family does not respond to payment reminders and the debt remains unpaid:

Step 1 — Reminder: A written reminder is sent by email and post within five working days of the payment becoming overdue.

Step 2 — Second reminder and meeting request: Where no response is received within ten working days of the first reminder, a second written reminder is sent. The Manager will also attempt to contact the family by phone and invite them to discuss a payment arrangement.

Step 3 — Formal demand: Where no payment or payment arrangement is agreed within 20 working days of the original due date, a formal written demand is issued. This letter will state that if payment is not received within seven days, the nursery will commence formal debt recovery proceedings.

Step 4 — External recovery: The nursery reserves the right to refer the debt to a collections agency or to pursue recovery through the County Court (small claims procedure) if the debt remains unpaid after the formal demand. The family will be liable for any reasonable debt recovery costs incurred.

9.2 All debt recovery action is conducted respectfully. The nursery recognises that debt recovery may affect a family’s access to childcare. Where a genuine hardship situation exists, the Manager will discuss available options including payment plans.

10. Changes to Sessions

10.1 Requests to change session bookings must be made in writing to the Manager and are subject to availability.

10.2 A minimum of 8 weeks notice is required for a permanent reduction in session bookings.

10.3 Temporary session changes (e.g., swapping a single day) are at the Manager’s discretion and subject to staff ratio and room capacity.

11. Review

This policy is reviewed annually by the Policy Owner, or sooner following any change to the nursery’s fee structure, government funding regulations, or on recommendation from the nursery’s accountant or Ofsted.

Signed: Kellie Antonazzo, Manager