Parents Considering Our Nursery
What age do you accept children from?
We are able to accept children once they have turned 2.
How much are your fees?
Our fees are £17 per three-hour session. Our sessions run Mondays – Fridays (term-time only) as follows:
Morning sessions: 08:50am – 11:50am
Afternoon sessions: 11:50am – 14:50pm
All-day sessions: 08:50am – 14:50pm (counts as two sessions)
Do you accept funded hours?
Yes, we accept funding hours for all of our sessions, depending on our availability. There are three types of funding:
Two-Year Funding
Your two-year old may be eligible for 15 hours of free childcare, funded by the government. Eligibility follows strict criteria, and are based on financial circumstances or support needs. To find out more, please click here.
Three- and Four-Year Universal Funding
Every three- and four-year old child living in England is eligible for 15 hours of free childcare, funded by the government.
Your child will be eligible for this the term after their third birthday. For example:
A child is born on or between:
– 1st April and 31st August will be eligible for a free place from the beginning of the September term.
– 1st September and 31st December will be eligible for a free place from the beginning of the January term.
– 1st January and 31st March will be eligible for a free place from the beginning of the April term.
To find out more, please click here.
Three- and Four-Year Extended Funding
Children whose parents are both working may be eligible for 15 additional hours of funding (max. of 30 hours funding per week). This needs to be applied for online by the parents, and should be done a term in advance. To find out more, please click here.
How does the billing work?
Invoices are sent via email the last Monday of the half term, for the following half term. Payment is due 20 working days from the date the invoice is issued, the due date is clearly displayed on the invoice. If payment has not been met by the requested payment date a flat rate of £30 will be added to your next invoice as a late payment fee.
There are various payment options, including payment plans, available to you. If you would like to discuss these options in confidence please feel free to contact Amy Jordan (Administrator) or Kate Summerhayes (Manager)
They are contactable on: 01403 211388 or email: [email protected] or [email protected].
Can I send my child for just one session per week?
We encourage our families to send their children for at least two sessions a week. This is to give them the best chance to settle in and enjoy their time with us.
My child still naps, do you have sleeping facilities?
Our sessions are very busy, and can be very tiring for young children, especially if they are still napping during the day. We are restricted in space, and are unable to cater for naps. If your child is still napping, please try to secure a morning session to work around their nap times.
What times do your sessions run?
Our sessions run Mondays to Fridays, term time only, as follows:
Morning sessions: 08:50am – 11:50am
Afternoon sessions: 11:50am – 14:50pm
All-day sessions: 08:50am – 14:50pm (counts as two sessions)
Are you open throughout the year?
We are a term-time only nursery. We follow the academic calendar of West Sussex County Council, and are closed for bank holidays and INSET days.
Do you have an outdoor area?
We have a large enclosed garden with a canopy, allowing us to use our outdoor space in all weathers.
We are based in the grounds of Leechpool Primary School, and enjoy the use of their sports fields on occasion.
We have our very own “secret garden” allotment just next to the grounds of our nursery, where we enjoy planting and harvesting produce with the children.
I am interested in sending my child to Caterpillar Nursery. How do I apply?
We have two intakes each academic year; September and January. We have limited availability and our sessions fill up fairly quickly, so we encourage families to register their children on our waiting list as soon as far in advance as possible.
To do so, please complete the form on this page.
How do you work with parents to settle children into Caterpillar Nursery?
Each child will be invited to attend a settling in session with their parent or guardian, where they will meet with their assigned keyperson and discuss any questions that they may have.
After the settling in session, we arrange staggered start dates for each new child. This allows the child’s keyperson to offer as much support and reassurance as needed to settle in.
We judge a child to be settled when they have formed a relationship with their keyperson, for example, the child looks for the keyperson when they arrive, goes to them for comfort and seems to be pleased with them. The child is also familiar with where things are, is pleased to see other children, is familiar with our routines and happy to participate in our activities.
When parents leave, we ask for a brief and cheery goodbye, as we have found that children respond best to this.
Please note:
Younger children will take longer to settle, as well as children who have not previously spent time away from home. Children who have had a period of absence may also need their parent to be on hand to re-settle them.
We do not believe that leaving a child to cry will help them settle any quicker. We believe that a child’s distress will prevent them from learning and gaining the best from Leechpool Caterpillar Nursery.
What is a key person and how do they work with my child?
The key person is a named practitioner who has responsibilities for a small group of children. They are there to help each child feel safe and secure.
The role is important for both you and your child, as this person acts as your main point of contact and will be working with your child to meet their needs and help them settle into a new environment.
The key person will keep a record of your child’s Learning Journey and update regularly. This will be shared with you via our parents communication app called SeeSaw.
The key person who carries out a number of assessments on your child throughout their time at our nursery. These are carried out in accordance with any local procedures that are in place and referring to the guidance The Early Years Foundation Stage Framework.
Within the first six weeks of starting, the key person will complete a 6 weeks in report for the parents and begin to create their child’s developmental record.
The child’s key person will continue to carry out regular reviews of your child’s progress. The aim of these reviews is to check the child’s development and ensure that parents have a clear picture on their child’s prime areas of development. Within these assessments, the key person will note areas where the child is progressing well and identify areas where the progress is less than expected. They will provide a next steps report which will include action that will be taken by us to address any development concerns (including working with other professionals where appropriate) and parents will have the chance to provide their own input.