Nursery

Our Nursery Offer

About Our Nursery:

At St Bartholomew’s, we aim to begin the school journey through our nurturing, all-inclusive nursery with the same overarching values and dedication as the rest of our school. Our child-centred, teacher-led approach to nurturing our nursery children aims to develop confident, well-rounded children who progress through a love of learning.

The environment we provide is stimulating and exciting, supported by qualified, caring staff who know their children well and encourage them at every milestone.

We pride ourselves on excellent parent partnerships and relationships with other professionals to guide and support families, giving children the best start and experience of education possible.

Nursery Offer:

St Bartholomew’s Nursery is an inclusive, teacher-led provision that caters for children from two years of age up to school age. Children are taught in one of two dedicated groups meeting the needs of differing age groups.

Our offer for our Little Acorns class, which caters for younger children from two years of age, is Monday to Friday from 8.30am to 11.30am. Both funded and non-funded children can attend this setting.

Our offer for older nursery children, who are taught in our Acorns class from the term after their third birthday until they join our Reception class, is either 15 hours funded, 30 hours funded, or a mixture of funded and non-funded hours.

We claim for 38 weeks of funded sessions during term time. This includes any bank holidays that may fall within this period, even if the nursery is closed. It also takes into account any Teacher Education Days (TEDs), as we do not receive funding for these days.

Should you have a fee-paying place, you will not be charged should we have to close the nursery for any unforeseen circumstance; however, you will be charged should your child be absent.

We require one month's notice for a change of hours. Consideration can only be given to this if space and appropriate staffing numbers allow.

Nursery Opening Hours & Funding

Little Acorns Opening Hours & Funding

Open from 8.30am to 11.30am Monday to Friday

You are welcome to enquire about a place for your child to start the term after their 2nd birthday.

To find out if you qualify for a free childcare place with 2-year old funding, click here.

 

Your step-by-step guide to getting your childcare code for April:

If you’re an eligible working parent in England, you can apply for your code online on GOV.UK for:

  • Up to 15 hours childcare per week for your child between 9 months until they turn 3 years old, over 38 weeks of the year.

  • Up to 30 hours childcare per week for your 3 or 4 year old, over 38 weeks of the year.

 

The deadline to apply for a code is 31 August to use from 1 September.

Make sure you apply as early as possible and speak to your provider to find out more about their arrangements.

You will then need to reconfirm your code every 3 months on your GOV.UK account. Don’t worry, you’ll get a reminder when it’s time.

 

Here’s how to get your childcare code:

1. Check your eligibility online on the Childcare Choices website.

2. Speak to your provider, such as your nursery or childminder. Check what their arrangements are and that they can offer your child a place.

3. Create a childcare account on gov.uk if you don’t already have one, where you can apply for your code. You’ll need:

  • your National Insurance Number (or unique taxpayer reference if you are self-employed)
  • the date you started or are due to start work
  • details of any government support or benefits you receive
  • the UK birth certificate reference number (if you have one) for your child

4. You may receive your code straight away, but it can take up to 7 days. You should then give this code to your provider.

5. Reconfirm your details on your gov.uk childcare account every 3 months.

If you have already applied for your code to start in September and received it before 1 June, you may need to reconfirm your details before you take up a place in September. Log into your childcare account on gov.uk to check when you need to do so.

If you needed to reconfirm your details for Tax-Free Childcare before 12 May and your reconfirmation window opened after 9 June, you will have received a letter from HMRC with a valid temporary code.

To find out more, read the frequently asked questions for parents here.

 

Click here to apply for your childcare code
Acorns Opening Hours & Funding

Acorns are open Monday to Friday from 8.30am until 3.pm.

Children can join our Acorns provision the term after their 3rd birthday. Every 3 and 4-year old is entitled to 15 hours free childcare per week.

We aim to be as flexible as possible and will do our very best to meet each parents requirements regarding hours attended however, the usual sessions are either mornings from 8.30am to 11.30am or afternoons from 12 noon to 3pm

If you qualify for 30 hour funding your child can attend for longer sessions.

Should you not qualify for 30 hours but wish your child to attend in excess of 15 hours, you may request to do so and be invoiced on a monthly basis for the extra hours.

Additional hours are available to meet the needs of the child and/or family.

To find out if you qualify for/apply for 30 hour funding, click here.

More information on funding and how to apply can also be found at Childcare Choices.

Fee Paying Places

Should you not qualify for free childcare or want to top-up your child’s place with additional hours, you can do so. The fees effective from September 2025 are as follows:

2-year old – hourly rate £ 6.15 (£18.25 per session)

3 & 4yr old  - hourly rate £5.25 (£15.75 per session)

In Brief

  • Childcare for 2-3-year olds (Little Acorns), 3-4-year olds (Acorns)
  • We offer 15- and 30-hour funding
  • Sessions to suit your needs from 8am-3.30pm
  • Term time 38 weeks
  • Funded 2-year-old places
  • Breakfast club
  • Forest School with specialist Forest School leaders
  • P.E.
  • Cookery
  • ICT
  • Extensive outdoor area
  • Specialised staff who are well trained and able to meet the needs for all children

Visit our Nursery & Apply

Would you like to visit or put your child’s name down to start at our Nursery?

Having read the information about us, if you would like to visit and complete an enrolment form or have a look around to see our great provision, please telephone the school number 01299 823454 and you will be directed to our Nursery Admissions Administrator.

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Policies

As our Nursery is part of St Bartholomew’s CE Primary School, many of the school policies which can be accessed on this website are relevant to the nursery provision also but in addition, please see the links below to specific documents:

To arrange a visit, please speak to Mrs Johnson via email on SJohnson@sbp.saet.co.uk or contact the school office via telephone on 01299 823454.