Some helpful information about Fees and Accounts.

Piggy bank

More on a specific point, reiterating a policy, and capturing some of the learning that we have acquired over the years!

Updated 17th July 2023










Deposit payable

A deposit is required to hold a place for your child prior to starting at Small World and in normal circumstances it will be held until the child leaves.

The deposit is calculated based on the agreed original attendance pattern, with a minimum payable of £250 and a maximum of £1,000.  If the original attendance pattern increases it may be necessary to invoice a top-up for the deposit.

  • The deposit is payable when invoiced
  • A place is not held unless the deposit has been paid

Bank details: for remittances

Bank HSBC (Abingdon)
Sort code: 40-08-10
Account name: Small World Nursery Ltd
Account number: 11199579

Please make cheques payable to Small World Nursery Ltd
These can be posted to 89 Bagley Wood Road, Kennington, OX1 5NA

See also Deposit refund

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Leaving Small World

Sadly, or excitingly, there will come a time to move on from Small World to a school or further afield.  Here are some accounting notes on the process to help smooth that time. 

  1. Give notice.  Preferably as soon as you can, but definitely within your notice period (normally one month)
    An email is fine, but please do expect a reply/confirmation of receipt - so chase if for any reason this important email does not get through. 

  2. Continue to pay your standing order & voucher(s) until advised. 

  3. When confirmed by us, please do cancel your payments.  Cancel any standing order and all voucher remittances as instructed. 

  4. Ensure that any key cards issued to you are returned. 

  5. Inform us of your bank details for a refund of deposit originally paid, see below for details required. 

  6. Please note that this refund will happen at least one billing cycle after your child's last attendance or billing day.  More details are published under Deposit refund

  7. Do not deduct your deposit amount from remittances requested, this would break contract and attract extra charges. 

We do not normally transfer money if a sibling continues with Small World, instead the credit to your account balance will eventually reduce the standing order payment required. 

And of course, well before this, you may need to register for a school of your choice. 
More details are published on our Links page under Official links

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Deposit refund

See also Deposit payable

Normally, the original deposit will be held until the child leaves and will be refunded within 60 days of the last date of attendance (or last day invoiced for, whichever is the latest) as follows

  1. All outstanding notes for extended sessions and other services will be invoiced, including for any un-returned key cards
    So at least one billing cycle will need to happen before this is possible.

  2. The account ledger for the child will be balanced to include the deposit held

  3. The parents will be informed of the balance by email (or alternatively if this fails)

  4. Any resultant credit balance on the ledger will be returned by bank transfer.  An email to confirm or request the bank details required to do this will be sent to the parents.
    See below for bank details required. 

We do not normally transfer money if a sibling continues with Small World, instead the credit to your account balance will eventually reduce the standing order payment required.


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Deposit forfeit

See also Deposit refund

Unfortunately we do need to impose some restriction on the deposit (that is what it is for).  Hopefully this will never apply to you; it does not apply for the vast majority of people. 

Your deposit is forfeited (totally non-refundable) if your child does not take up the place and notice of less than three months is given.  Otherwise it is refundable on a sliding scale, with a maximum of 100% of deposit returned if a place is cancelled six months before its due start date

Your deposit is forfeited (totally non-refundable) if your child does not keep their place with us for a minimum of three months.  Otherwise it is refundable on a sliding scale, with a maximum of 100% of deposit returned if the child attends for over six months.  Also see conditions of return Deposit refund (above).

Your deposit is forfeited (totally non-refundable) if you bring Small World into disrepute or if Small World require to file a county court claim for monies owed by you. 

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Notice to leave Small World

See also Leaving Small World

Our contract, or as varied effective on 1st September 2018, requires the following...

  • Written notice of one calendar month must be given or one month's fees paid in lieu prior to the removal of a child from Small World. 

  • The notice of one month must be one complete month of attendance, excluding all holidays and bank holidays. 
    For example, notice served at the end of November will run on into January, not to the end of December. 
    Another example is for Clubs - notice given during the summer holidays will mean that the notice term runs throughout September.  Notice would need to be given one month before the end of term, to end at the term's end. 

  • Any notice must be provided in writing or by email and the period of the notice will start from the day following Small World’s receipt of the communication.

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Using up vouchers

Before you leave us, do consider using up any unspent voucher monies, still with the voucher providers, if you will not be able to use them in the future.

There is just one important condition: Any refund to you must come from non-voucher remittance that you have paid in the past.

Note that Small World does not benefit from you using up your vouchers - in fact bank charges may mean we have a small cost.  We are happy, however, to help in this respect provided the important legal condition is met.

Practically, simply contact accounts before your deposit and any credit balance on your account is refunded to request to pay us any balance of vouchers.

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Bank details from you

For us to make a bank transfer to you we will need three items of information, please ...

  1. The name of your bank account. This will need to be the full official name exactly as detailed by your bank.  If this does not match we will not be able to use these details!
    It is not your bank's name that is needed, it is your account name.  Perhaps login online to confirm this. 

  2. The bank branch's sort code.  e.g. 40-08-10

  3. The account number.  e.g. 12345678
Send all three of these details by email to Accounts@SmallWorldMontessori.co.uk Accounts@SmallWorldMontessori.co.uk

Important: It is very important to carefully check any bank details provided to Small World.  Small World cannot accept responsibility for the loss of any monies sent to a wrong or invalid bank account, unless directly as a result of our negligence. 

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More helpful information about Fees, Standing orders and Accounts is published here





Changes since Dec 2016     +   Click to expand