Nursery fees

The Day Nursery is open Monday - Friday, 08:00 - 18:00, all year round, closing only for bank holidays and University closure days.

Fees for children at the Day Nursery - effective from June 2024

Unit	Children of students*	Children of staff	Children of external applicants
Registration fee	£75 registration fee payable to secure a child's place at the Nursery (this is a non-refundable charge to cover administration and settling in visit(s))
Squirrels and Hedgehogs (Children under 2 years)	£46.00 per session £58.00 extended session £74.00 per day	£49.00 per session £61.00 extended session £77.00 per day	£57.00 per session £69.00 extended session £91.00 per day
Foxes (Children from 2-3 years)	£44.00 per session £56.00 extended session £68.00 per day	£47.00 per session £59.00 extended session £72.00 per day	£53.00 per session £65.00 extended session £81.00 per day
Badgers (Children over 3 years - pre-school)	£43.00 per session £55.00 extended session £65.00 per day	£46.00 per session £58.00 extended session £70.00 per day	£53.00 per session £65.00 extended session £79.00 per day
Ad hoc sessions	The above external rates (appropriate to age) apply to all non-contract customers
Late collection fee	£12 per 15 minutes	£12 per 15 minutes	£12 per 15 minutes

*Students must be registered to study at the University of Hertfordshire within the academic year that the child attends the Day Nursery, to qualify for this price range.

Full fees are payable for all booked sessions where a child does not attend - regardless of the reason. No refunds will be given for sickness or holidays.

The minimum attendance for all children is two half day sessions per week.

The fees will apply until 31 March 2025. Please be advised that these fees may change from the 1 April 2025. Any changes to fees will be communicated at least one month in advance.

Full fees are payable for all booked sessions where a child does not attend -regardless of the reason.

What's included

Morning session: 08.00 - 13.00
Afternoon session: 13.00 - 18.00

Morning sessions include breakfast, a morning snack, drinks and lunch; and afternoon sessions include drinks and a light tea. Extended sessions include the same meals as morning sessions. Fees include nappies, wipes and sun cream; but formula milk is to be provided by the parent.

Extended session

Morning session: 08.00 - 14.00
Afternoon session: 12.00 - 18.00

An extended session with an extra hour to the standard session times is available with prior agreement with the Nursery Manager at an increased cost of £12.00 per day above the usual session price. This session can be used to pick up the child at 2pm for the morning sessions and to drop off the child at 12pm for the afternoon sessions. Please note if your child is free funded, then this extended charge of £12.00 per day will still apply. If prior agreement is not obtained, then a late collection/early drop off fee will be charged at £40.00 for the hour.

Payment

Fees are calculated for each individual calendar month; therefore, your invoice amount will differ each month. Fees are invoiced monthly, one month in advance. Payment terms are 30 calendar days. Payment can be made by tax free childcare account, childcare voucher, debit or credit card or bank transfer. Any fees unpaid after 30 days may attract a £25 debt chasing administration fee, applied as £25 per unpaid, overdue invoice. Non-payment of fees will result in the loss of a child’s place at the Nursery, and legal action to recover the debt.

Parents may qualify for help with paying for childcare. Additional detailed information can be found on the Childcare Choices website which outlines various funding available to different eligibility conditions. Please ask the Nursery Management team for further assistance if you are in doubt after following the Childcare Choices website or if your circumstances change and you would like further clarification.

There are a number of options if you require funding support..

University support
FinancialsSupport available from the University is offered by Student Funding and Financial Support.
- For any Student Finance England and Student Loans Company queries, please email funding@herts.ac.uk
- For any University of Hertfordshire Financial Assistant Fund Queries, and all other financial support queries, please email financial-support@herts.ac.uk.
- For help with your nursery costs, visit the Childcare Choices website.
All information regarding the University of Hertfordshire Financial Assistance Fund, which replaces the University of Hertfordshire Hardship Fund, can be found on Ask Herts.
Nursery Education Free Funded child place
The Nursery can claim free funded hours for children who are over 3 years old. Each child in this age range is entitled to free education from the term starting after their third birthday.
The number of free hours depends on the eligibility of the parent, and is also subject to the parent application being completed, and submitted to the Nursery promptly by the parent. Further details are available on the Childcare Choices website.
Retainer
A Retainer arrangement may be available, subject to the discretion of the Nursery Manager. This arrangement applies to children not attending Nursery for a continuous period of at least 4 weeks; enabling the child’s place to be kept open for the child’s return. Please ask the Nursery management team for more details.
Booking fee
£75 when booking a place. This is non-refundable and payable on confirmation of a Day Care place. This includes a settling in period appropriate for your child, within the Nursery.