FAQs

• 1. What age can children join the nursery?

  Children can join the nursery in the September following their second birthday.  We group children with others in the same academic year and they stay as a class for the whole time that they are with us. 

• 2. How much does a session cost?

  We offer a range of different sessions so please see our fees page for more information.

• 3. How soon do I need to register my child to obtain a place?

  Due to high demand for spaces we recommend that you register your child as soon as possible. Our earliest requirement is that your child has been born as we require their name on the application form. Our waiting list is compiled in chronological order of application date and places are offered in the February before your child is eligible to start (February 2025 for a September 2025 place). 

• 4. How do you help children settle?

  We work with every family during their initial visit and by staying in contact ahead of the Childs start to find out as much as we can about your child to plan for their individual needs.  

  Children and parents are invited to a stay and play garden session in the Summer Term ahead of their September start date. On the Friday before the childs start date, we host an induction session for the parent and child to meet the teacher, group and share any information needed. Once the child starts, they are handed over to their teacher at the front door and will say bye to their parent in that moment. In the first few weeks of term we generally find it better if parents drop off their children quickly and confidently and to expect a few tears on their departure. Most children settle after a few minutes once the parent(s) have left and we keep parents well informed and updated through our online app. 

  We are very confident at helping children settle and work with parents to achieve this- please read our recent Ofsted report as we were inspected on our first day of September 2024. 

• 5. Do you provide food?

  We provide children with a snack of seasonal fruit and crackers in the middle of each session. We also provide a basic breakfast of cereal and toast to children attending the breakfast club.  

  With regards to lunches, we believe that parents are better placed to provide their child's lunch.  Parents can ensure that their child's dietary requirements are met, particularly with regards to those who have allergies, intolerances and religious or dietary requirements.  We have also found that home made lunches are of a higher quality than those prepared in commercial kitchens. They are also foods and flavours that the child is used to at home, meaning that they are much more likely to eat it.  

• 6. How do you manage behaviour?

  We believe that the secret of successful behaviour management is providing a stimulating and motivating environment, establishing warm relationships between staff and children and setting clear expectations. 

  All behaviours are a form of communication and our behaviour policy is centred around using the Therapeutic approach to behaviour (TAB) which our staff have been trained on and work alongside our qualified SENCO to support the individual needs of every child.

• 7. Do Mount Carmel parents benefit from the funded 15/30 hours of Early Years Entitlement funding?

  Yes. 

  Children of working parents are eligible to 30 hours of early years entitlement from when they join Mount Carmel- to find out if you are eligible and apply for the funding you will need to visit the Government website https://www.tax.service.gov.uk/childcare-calc/. We are able to use 6 hours of funding per day so a child attending all 5 days can use their full entitlement. Unlike many nurseries, we do not increase the cost of the session per age group, however, you will see there is a price difference between a two year old place and three year old place due to the funding rates changing between two year olds and three-year-olds.

  15 hours of universal funding is available for all children in the term after their third birthday. For example, a child born in October will be eligible in the January following their third birthday (April born children are eligible in September). You do not need to do anything to apply for this funding as long as we have all the relevant details, proof of age and child’s national health number.

  Parents can apply for a private place by completing our registration form found on the “Apply now” page and places are allocated in the February before the September intake.  Due to the high demand for places at our nursery school we recommend that applications are made at least 12 months in advance of your child starting nursery.

• 8. Can I apply for a fully funded place at Mount Carmel Kindergarten (i.e. with no additional fees to pay)?

  You are able to apply for a fully funded place for your child, however, the likelihood of us being able to offer one is very low.  Availability for the fully funded places are extremely limited due to the high demand for private places.  

  We make a significant loss on every fully funded place that is offered, meaning that we must give priority to those parents paying for a private place.  When deciding whether to offer a fully funded place to a child we take into account family circumstances, including the receipt of benefits and whether a child is looked after by the local council.

  Prospective parents wishing to apply for a fully funded place must complete the Government funded place application form which is available from the nursery school. Parents will be notified whether their application has been successful at the beginning of the academic year and so we strongly recommend that you make alternative arrangements in the likely event that we are unable to offer a Government funded only place.

• 9. Can you explain how your holiday clubs work?

  Our holiday clubs run throughout all the school holidays/half terms excluding one week at Christmas, two weeks at the end of July and the first week of September (based on a typical school year). 

  Only current Mount Carmel children can attend and the club is run by Mount Carmel teachers. The club is completely ad hoc and is booked via our website. We follow a similar routine to the typical nursery day however the clubs have more of a party theme such as 'pirates & mermaids' / 'a week at the Carnival' where children will take part in activities exclusive to the holiday clubs (scooter racing, bouncy castle, facepainting etc). 

  We staff the clubs based on demand in the weeks leading up to them, and parents can usually secure a spot- unless bookings are left until the week of the club, as we limit group sizes to maintain quality.