Some helpful information about Fees, Standing orders and Accounts. 

Contact details

Dates that Small World will be closed

Proposed closure dates over four years, subject to change, are published here.  Please confirm these dates before making decisions or bookings based on these dates.  We try to match our closures to those of the local council to help parents with children at school. 

Standing order calculations take into account all of these dates, including provisional dates, from the start of the calculation through to the term of the calculation (usually 12 months)

Unless listed otherwise published, Small World is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 am to 6:00 pm every weekday (closed all day Saturday & Sunday)

See www.SmallWorldMontessori.co.uk/dates

After school - term dates

After school fees are based on the published Oxfordshire County Council term dates as published at
http://www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/termdates (Opens in another tab)

Inset days, when the school is also closed, are based on St Swithuns as published at
https://www.StSwithunsPrimary.org/Calendar (Opens in another tab)

If your school term dates differ from these, you should not be charged extra for additional term time sessions, but equally you may be charged for days when your child is on holiday compared with these dates. 

Fees are charged for a pattern agreed and vary each month

Fees are charged and invoiced monthly.  You will not receive monthly invoices, instead everything is detailed on your standing order calculation. 

Fees are calculated from the attendance pattern agreed, not for actual attendance (except for booked Holiday Club and some ad-hoc charges, see Additional fees and charges).  You are still charged when you are on holiday if the nursery is open.  You are not charged for bank holidays or other days when the nursery is closed. 

Standing order - the cheapest way to pay

After vouchers and TFC, a monthly standing order is the cheapest way to pay for fees. 

A standing order will ...

• ensure that you don't forget the payment or amount
• give us a consistent reference on our bank statement, allowing us to automate the recognition of your payment
  • ensuring reliability of recognition of your money and posting of receipt to your SAGE account
  • with the least amount of work or overhead

A standing order is ...

• an instruction that you give to your bank to pay the same amount each month on the same day of the month
• not a bank transfer that you make for the correct amount even if on the correct date
• something that only you can set-up and only you can change, probably online
• not a direct debit.  We cannot unfortunately operate direct debits. 

Please do not stop or change your monthly standing order payment except with prior agreement .  It has been our experience that most standing orders calculated only just match that which is billed.  We monitor your balance and will contact you if you're standing order is out of line with your monthly bills. 
Please do ensure that we have your email address correct (printed on most invoices)

See also   Click to expand

See also...

• Standing orders: calculated by us, regularly reviewed & setup by you
• More details on standing orders
• Why does the standing order calculation change?
• Fees are payable in advance by fixed monthly standing order
• Vouchers: Saving you money, but be aware of the pitfalls

Fees are payable in advance by fixed monthly standing order

Payment for fees is by monthly standing order, a fixed, unchanging amount each month.  Payment is required in advance, so for a particular month must be received no later than the 5^th of that month (allowing for bank holidays). 

For first payments, before a standing order can be setup (or in exceptional and explicitly agreed circumstances), please pay by bank transfer or, if absolutely necessary, by cheque payable to Small World Nursery Ltd. 

Please also see Why does the standing order calculation change?

For vouchers and TFC remittances to reach us in time, we recommend setting their payment date to be the 25^th.  See also vouchers. 

Our bank details: for standing orders, bank transfers and (if necessary) cheques

Specifically updated with cybercrime issues on 29^th September 2018

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

Cybercrime and Bank details Added on 29^th September 2018

Please be aware that there is an increasing risk posed by cyber fraud targeting email accounts and bank account details. 

Our bank account details should not change during your time with us.  If they do we will ensure that there is widespread additional direct confirmation of this (signs on doors). 
If you do receive any notice of changes to our bank account by unconfirmed email, or have any doubts or concerns, please call us on our official number.  You can also check our telephone number on our website (or here). 

Please note that we cannot accept responsibility for any transfer by you into the wrong or a bogus account unless as a direct result of our negligence. 

Payment default charges: Please contact us early with any issue

Please remember that it is a requirement to pay by monthly standing order in advance.  Failure to do so may incur charges.  These can often be avoided if you contact us early. 

It is easy to avoid these extra charges!

1. We strongly encourage that you set-up a standing order for the fixed monthly remittance required.  Set it up for the 1^st of the month or before (see below) and recur monthly. 


2. We recommend that you schedule your TFC recurring remittance for the 25th of the prior month.  This way, if there is a failure, there is time for a reminder and resolution before the risk of late payment charge. 


3. Vouchers should be scheduled to pay by the 25th of the prior month to allow for the delay that voucher providers add before sending your money to us. 


4. It would seem that TFC remittances should be monitored and that you complain to them / encourage them to fix their system if your recurring remittance fails even when you have sufficiently funded your account with them. 


5. Let us know should the source or balance of amounts you remit need to change.  For example vouchers stopping or starting, or moving to pay through TFC. 

See also Additional fees and charges & Current fees

Additional fees and charges

Ad-hoc charges are made for items or sessions such as...

• Extended sessions, with prior agreement, either arriving early or leaving later than normal

• Extra sessions, with prior agreement, in addition to a normal pattern of attendance

• Session swaps, with prior agreement and at Small World's exclusive discretion
  Typically from one week into the next and per child - not interchangeable between siblings
  For full details, see Session swaps

• Loan of waterproofs, expensive gear that Small World provides children for the duration

• "Jellies" or Shoes, provided as appropriate

• Tea towels, Photographs & the like, ordered by you

• Late collection charges, for late collection of a child from nursery, not previously or exceptionally agreed. 
  Please do arrive on or before the end time of the attendance pattern or session that your child is attending. 

These charges will appear on an invoice emailed to you, typically in arrears, at times several months later.  Please pay any such ad-hoc invoice promptly. 

See also Payment default charges: Please contact us early with any issue & Current fees

Early arrival or Late departure

You will have been given a copy of this policy with your contract. 

Early arrival

The time before 8:00 am is room preparation time for the staff and is very precious to us, so we do not usually open our doors to any children until 8 am.  We can accommodate occasional early drop-offs (before 8 am) and will charge for them.  We cannot accommodate regular early drop-offs. 

Late departure (or collection)

It is easier for us to accommodate late pickups (between 6:00 pm & 6:30) but they do have to be arranged in advance.  These are charged at a pre-arranged rate.  We reserve the right to charge our Late collection rate for non-arranged late pickups. 

Arriving on time, i.e. at the time the session ends (1:00 pm, 4:00 pm or 6:00 pm)

It is important, please, to arrive to collect on-time. 

We realise that inclement weather, traffic, unscheduled meetings and ‘life’ happens to all of us and that at times it is impossible to arrive on time for a pickup.  Please ring us to let us know you are going to be late so we can organise staff accordingly.  Please remember, too, that it is difficult and quite embarrassing for us to have to remind you of the need to arrive on time.  We will, if necessary, and you will be charged a penalty if the lateness persists.  This is a situation that can easily get out of hand and cause quite some distress, so we would really appreciate your collaboration. 

In a situation when parents/carers are regularly late we

• Warn the parents/carers of the impending penalty charge. 
• If the late pickups persist, we charge a penalty charge as per fees table in force at the time. 
• If the penalty charge does not rectify the situation, we reserve the right to serve notice as per contract. 

Some helpful notes, further to the policy...

• If you do receive an invoice for Late collection or for an unexpected Extended session, if is best to ask questions. 
  We attempt to avoid the expensive charge for Late collection and instead use other options in the published fee schedule to "extend" your child's session. 
• A late collection can only be considered in isolation. 
  Even if you often arrive early for collections, the late may take us over legal limits and have a direct, immediate cost impact on staff.  So, sorry, we cannot entertain a trade-off for one late against any other time(s). 
• A few minutes late is typically overlooked but not if the late becomes very regular. 

Tax Free Childcare

Vouchers have mainly been replaced by Tax Free Childcare.  The government now offers something like £500 each quarter, so £2,000 per year. 
Full details are available through the following...

• https://www.gov.uk/help-with-childcare-costs
• https://www.gov.uk/tax-free-childcare

A few notes may be useful...

• Tax Free Childcare is commonly known as "TFC"
• TFC used to be slow at passing your money on. 
• Their standing orders sometimes fail! 
• Because of the above, we strongly recommend that recurring remittances through TFC are set to the 25th of the prior month. 
  We then have time to fix issues and avoid any extra late remittance charge. 
• We personally have never actually used the parent side of TFC, but understand they provide excellent direct support. 
• We will need to know the reference that they provide you with. 
• More saving is possibly available through Workplace Nursery schemes

Workplace Nursery Schemes

You can, apparently, save even more than with TFC or Childcare vouchers by having your employer enrol for a Workplace Nursery Scheme. 
This is, at the time of writing, relatively new for us & Small World.  It is not available to all. 
We have parents who are starting with Enjoy Benefits and previously had remittances through TEDS 
Details are hopefully available through the following...

• www.yellownest.co.uk
• www.workplace-nursery.net
• www.tedsgroup.co.uk/teds-premier
• www.enjoybenefits.co.uk/staff-benefits-savings/workplace-nursery-benefit/
• www.gov.uk/expenses-and-benefits-childcare/whats-exempt

If a Workplace Nursery Scheme is not available to you, the best alternative saving may be through Tax Free Childcare

Vouchers: Saving you money, but be aware of the pitfalls

Childcare voucher are closed to new applicants.  See www.gov.uk/help-with-childcare-costs/childcare-vouchers

Vouchers offer a means of saving tax and national insurance on the first £56 spent on childcare each week (£243 per month).  Your employer will arrange for this to be deducted from your salary.  Both parents in employment can claim.  If not already registered you can no longer register for vouchers (see Tax free childcare instead) 

See offical details and a calculator at www.gov.uk/childcare-calculator

Please note carefully: Small World does not accept paper vouchers and can only accept vouchers with reliable remittance advice.  We do not accept vouchers through Busy Bees or Bravo Benfits.  See also more on vouchers. 

Initially vouchers can take a long time to come through.  You will be required to pay the first month or even two in full until your voucher payments are actually received by us, even when your salary sacrifice says you have paid. 

In addition the voucher companies sometime do not tell us whose payment they are making - so we have monies but do not know which parent to credit these to.  This sometimes simply takes time (and effort) to resolve, and may require you having to make up the difference in the meantime.  See also more on vouchers. 

Voucher payments received after the 5^th will be taken as advanced payment for next month's fees.  To reliably have your vouchers arrive on time you will probably need to set the payment date to before the 25^th of the prior month (or contact your voucher provider to ask them why they take so long to forward your money to us!)

See also Voucher companies and other references and More on vouchers, what Small World cannot do. 

Voucher companies and other references

Small World's Ofsted registration number is 133393

Possible references for Small World by voucher companies...

See also Vouchers: Saving you money, but be aware of the pitfalls

Vouchers: More on vouchers, what Small World cannot do, unfortunately

We encourage you to pay using vouchers and to benefit from the savings provided.  There are, however, some things (set out below) that we cannot help with.  Instead, with all of these, please contact your employer or voucher provider direct. 

◊  We only receive payment; we cannot resolve why payment has not been made.  Further, you may be charged a late payment fee should a regular voucher remittance and it's advice not reach us in time. 

◊  We will not redeem paper, or electronic, vouchers.  Your vouchers require to be paid directly into Small World's bank account with no action or requirement on us.  Your voucher provider requires to provide a remittance advice for all voucher direct to Small World by email or letter.  See our bank details. 

◊  We cannot credit your account without a remittance advice.  This is important and without compliance to this requirement, you may lose money!   Without a remittance advice it is impossible to determine who to allocate the credit to.  PM&M have done this in the past and we strongly recommend you petitioning your employer never to use them for voucher services.  We do not accept vouchers through Bravo Benefits (was Busy Bees) because they do not provide remittance advice that can reliably tell us who it is for!

◊  We cannot contact your voucher provider.  Data protection laws mean that we cannot talk about your account with anyone else.  This includes, but is not limited to, initial setup.  Your employer, not you or Small World, have the contract and the contact with the provider!   The voucher provider can, of course, contact Small World to setup initial & generic payment and remittance advice processes, only.  Please do not ask us to contact them. 

◊  We cannot directly refund you monies received through vouchers.  You save tax by paying with vouchers, we therefore cannot directly refund this money to you.  We can, however, effectively refund voucher receipts from other monies you pay direct, provided sufficient funds have been received not through vouchers.  There may be a charge if refunds are required as a result of mistakes other than by Small World. 

See also Vouchers: Saving you money, but be aware of the pitfalls and Voucher companies and other references

Free Early Education: we claim for you, you must complete a declaration each term

Small World offers both the 15 universal hours per week and the 15 extended hours.  The free hours are offered in the afternoon. 

Early Education funded hours are available to all 3 and 4 year-old children and we automatically claim them on your behalf.  The claim will be for the free hours are you are eligible for of your child's normal weekly attendance pattern, term time only (38 weeks in the year).  These hours will be totally free.  Any other hours that your child attends will be charged, specifically for the hours that are not free, at the rates published.  (See also Current fees)  

Oxfordshire County Council require a parental declaration form to be filled in and signed every term for every child that benefits from free funded hours and these forms are mandatory. 

You will require to apply for and regularly update your eligibility for the extended hours (beyond 15), see Free Early Education. 

For very much more about free hours, see Free Early Education. 

Standing orders: calculated by us, regularly reviewed & setup by you

The monthly standing order amount calculated by us is the average monthly charge that you will incur over the year. 

A standing order is an instruction that you setup with your bank, often online, and must be for the amount advised by us.  You should set your standing order for payment on the 1^st of the month allowing for the time it takes to credit our account.  It is important to quote your account reference on all payments. 

The way we calculate the standing order is to predict what your total annual fees will be and divide the total by twelve (or as relevant).  We incorporate all premiums, discounts and, where applicable, free early education and voucher payments.  We will advise you of the amount that is required. 

We review your account and standing order regularly and will contact you, typically by email, should your payment require to change - often as a result of

• Becoming eligible for free early education
• Changes in attendance pattern
• Significant or regular extra sessions not originally included in the standing order calculation
• Missing or delayed voucher or other payments
• Where your balance has become too much or too little

See also Additional fees and charges

Why does the standing order calculation change?

Your fixed monthly remittance may need to change, with a new standing order calculation.  There are a number of factors that are included in its formula, so the reason for the change could be any of the following...

1. Your credit or debit balance at the time of a previous calculation, perhaps now decreased or increased.  This, your balance, can also be effected dramatically by late voucher receipts or remittance that are different from the standing order amount provided by us (warning - this may also incur a charge). 


2. Extra/extended sessions or swaps not paid for on invoice. 


3. The percentage premium for being under three years old - each calculation correctly estimates the proportion of that percentage over the period of the calculation. 


4. A change in pattern of attendance or dates of attendance. 


5. Impending or new eligibility for free early education and possible changes in the rules or free hours that you are eligible for. 


6. The number of days in the coming whole year (rolling 365 days, not calendar year) that Small World is open and your child's attendance pattern occurs. 


7. A change in the number, frequency or even date that any payments that you make by voucher are received. 


8. A change is fees which will have been announced separately and in advance of any change.  See also Current fees. 

All and any of these cause us to regularly review the amount you are paying and to contact you should it need to change. 

More details on standing orders

Monthly standing orders are the required method of payment for regular attendance fees.  This provides you with a fixed and known amount to pay each month . 

Estimate - The standing order calculation is only an estimate and it spreads out all the likely fees and free early education over a full year.  You are still responsible to pay for the full amount invoiced, but do not do this unless requested (i.e. do not pay the difference between your standing order and your invoice or balance). 

Accounts - We keep track, using an accounts package, of all your invoices (debits: fees and extras) and payments (credits: standing orders, vouchers remittances, etc).  This results in a balance on your account.  This balance will be positive (a debit balance - i.e. you owe us) or negative (a credit balance - i.e. a current overpayment). 

Changes - We will contact you if your standing order needs to change (see also Why does the standing order calculation change?). 

Prior agreement - Your monthly standing order must always be the amount agreed in advance with Small World.  Payments should not be suspended or reduced except with prior agreement, even if your account briefly moves into credit. 

Final balance - The final balance for a child attending nursery may not be zero even if you have faithfully paid all standing orders and vouchers.  For example the standing order calculation includes you paying the same amount for December when your monthly invoice will be lower.  This is the one month that it catches up and your balance may move back from always being in debit to a credit.  If your child leaves before December, your balance is likely to be in debit. 

Clarification - You are always responsible for full payment of all sums invoiced - or the outstanding balance on your account - immediately on demand. 

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

See also Deposit refund

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

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

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.

Alternatively   Click to expand

Alternatively...

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 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. 

Bank details from you

For us to make a bank transfer to you we will need, please, ...

• 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!
• The bank branch's sort code.  e.g. 40-08-10
• The account number.  e.g. 12345678

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.