Pre-school Fees and Session times
Our hourly rate is £5.90 we are open on Monday – Friday (term time only)
There is a half termly fee of £25 which contributes towards the costs of resources that we provide for our fun activities. To reserve your space a joining fee of £25 is payable, this fee includes your child’s pre- school sweatshirt, t-shirt and water bottle.
Our sessions are 3,4 or 6 hours long. All sessions begin at 08.45. We provide a healthy mid- morning snack.
Our sessions times are:
Monday to Friday: 8:45am – 2:45pm
MINIMUM ATTENDANCE = 2 sessions each week (mornings, afternoons or whole sessions)
We have up to 30 children per session.
Hours and Invoicing
The maximum hours possible will be 30 hours. (We will work with other providers or childminders to share 30 hours funding if this applies.)
Parents/carers will need to make own arrangements for getting children to other providers. We do have regular childminders who pick up from our sessions.
Invoices for fees are sent out in the first week of each half term and are due for payment immediately upon receipt. Fees can be paid as cash, childcare vouchers or cheque made payable to Preston Pre-School or via bank transfer – please speak to us if you would like our bank details. We can also offer monthly billing through a standing order if this is more suitable.
Preston Pre-School require four weeks written notice of any reduction in sessions or of your child leaving our setting.
Increasing sessions will be subject to availability.
Fees remain payable when your child is off sick or when your child is on holiday, or for pre-school closures beyond our control.
Funding
From September 2025, working parents in England can access up to 30 hours of government-funded childcare a week from when their child is nine months old.
If you are unsure what you are eligible for with regard to childcare please visit https://www.gov.uk/childcare-calculator
30 hours information and application link can be found here – 30 hours funded childcare for 3 and 4 year olds – Dorset Council
Who qualifies for the 30 hours
To get the working-parents entitlement you (and your partner, if you have one) must each:
- Be in work, on sick leave, or on parental/maternity/paternity leave (or be starting or returning to work within 31 days).
- Earn at least the equivalent of 16 hours a week at the National Minimum or Living Wage over the next 3 months.
- Each earn less than £100,000 a year in adjusted net income. If either parent goes over £100,000, the entire entitlement is lost — even for the under-earning partner.
- Live in England and not be on most kinds of immigration restriction (some exceptions apply for partners of British citizens — see gov.uk).
When you can apply
You can apply from when your child is 23 weeks old. The funding then starts the term after your child turns 9 months — specifically the start of term following the eligibility check approval.
Term start dates for funded childcare entitlements
| Child’s eligibility date is between | Funding starts from |
| 1 September – 31 December | 1 January (spring term) |
| 1 January – 31 March | 1 April (summer term) |
| 1 April – 31 August | 1 September (autumn term) |
How to apply: a step-by-step
- Go to gov.uk/apply-30-hours-free-childcare and sign in with the Government Gateway ID you use for personal tax (or create one).
- Confirm your National Insurance number and your partner’s, if you have one.
- Answer the work and income questions for the next three months (not the last three).
- Within 7 days you’ll get an 11-digit eligibility code. Save it.
- Give the 11-digit code, your NI number and your child’s date of birth to your chosen setting before the deadline for the term you want to use it from — typically 31 August for the autumn term, 31 December for spring, and 31 March for summer term.
- Reconfirm your eligibility every three months via the same childcare service account. Set yourself a calendar reminder — missing reconfirmation is the single most common reason parents lose the funding mid-year.
Mind the deadline
You must get a valid code dated before the term starts. Apply at least 4 weeks before the term deadline so HMRC has time to process any income checks. If you miss it, you wait a whole term.
Stacking funded hours with other childcare help
You can usually combine the funded hours with other government schemes. The two most useful are:
- Tax-Free Childcare. Pays a 20% top-up on what you spend, up to £2,000 per child per year.
- Universal Credit childcare element. If you’re on Universal Credit, you may get up to 85% of your childcare costs back (capped). It cannot be claimed at the same time as Tax-Free Childcare, so the two schemes are mutually exclusive
Childcare Vouchers
Preston Pre School is registered to receive childcare vouchers, please ask for further information. We will also be able to provide tax free childcare. For more information on tax free childcare visit https://childcare-support.tax.service.gov.uk
